Sean DuGuay, former Principal of National Security and Defense at Capgemini Government Solutions, has joined M9 Solutions as President and Chief Revenue Officer, the information technology services and solutions provider announced on Friday.
DuGuay brings nearly 30 years of govcon experience to the Arlington, VA-based small business. Prior to Capgemini, DuGuay served as Vice President of Business Development at global advisory firm ICF, as well as serving as CRO for technology services provider Visionary Integration Professionals. He previously held business development roles at Excella, Federated IT, and CGI. Earlier in his career, DuGuay served as a Criminal Investigator and Special Agent for the U.S. Marine Corps for over a decade.
This partnership represents the first President and CRO role for M9, according to company founder James McKee. “We’re very excited to welcome Sean on board,” McKee says. “M9 continues to experience tremendous growth and it’s been a high priority for me to find the right thought leader and visionary to help lead the next transformation of the company, as we focus on winning new prime contracts and strategic contract vehicles in the full and open arena.
“Sean is a seasoned professional and a natural fit for M9. It was evident to me from our earliest conversations that Sean has an extremely high level of integrity, as well as a deep respect and appreciation for both the existing business and the business we’re evolving into. I’m confident that Sean’s expertise, leadership style, and command of the industry are the right fit to take M9 to the next level.”
Although founded in 2007, it was not until 2014 that M9 pivoted to the public sector, winning its first subcontract in support of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) Healthcare.gov initiative, the government’s website for the Affordable Care Act health insurance exchange. Today, M9 is fully focused on supporting contractor and agency customers across the federal sector, and provides critical IT services and solutions to more than two dozen federal agencies and to numerous large and mid-size federal systems integrators. M9’s expertise and capabilities include IT modernization/digital transformation; cybersecurity; software development; data science; and cloud migration, application, and infrastructure.
While professionals with DuGuay’s background and expertise are in high demand across the industry, DuGuay says it was M9’s leadership, culture, and potential for growth that ultimately led him to accept the role. “In my discussions with James and [M9 Chief Operating Officer] Ethel Formichelli, I found that not only do I admire what they are working to accomplish, but that I respect and enjoy each of them as individuals. It’s obvious that they bring a lot of heart and passion into their business.
“Joining M9 as President and CRO is not just a contractual relationship for me, but a personal commitment and welcome challenge. This role allows me to take full advantage of my skills and knowledge—I’m eager to roll up my sleeves and get to work.”
For her part, Formichelli notes the deep connection she felt in how DuGuay’s management and leadership style will uphold M9’s employee- and mission-centric culture. She credits M9’s ability to attract and retain top performers to M9’s strong culture and core values, in addition to its robust benefit packages, mission-critical work, and career growth opportunities. “Sean is an energizing integrator who leads by example, and his focus on building out the M9 team in a way that is inclusive and honors our welcoming, supportive, ‘best idea wins’ company mindset is an ideal match for us,” she says.
DuGuay agrees, noting that M9’s focus on empowering its employees to deliver on company and customer missions is critical to its continued growth. He says he has been impressed by the drive and enthusiasm displayed by M9’s employees across all levels of the company, from the experienced corporate support teams to the M9 talent he has met in the field.
DuGuay also credits the natural alignment between his experience and M9’s background for drawing him to the role. “M9 is distinctive in that it has achieved demonstrated success on both sides of the govcon IT coin—in staff augmentation of systems integrators, and by developing and delivering innovative technologies and solutions to the government,” he says. Likewise, DuGuay previously co-owned a staffing and solutions firm, and has a long career as a leader helping to solve the government’s most pressing challenges. “M9 has the strong foundation needed to successfully transition from a small business into a mid-tier company in the federal space. The company’s ability to source hard-to-find talent, combined with its investment focus on technology innovation and transformation, make it effectively positioned to offer large-scale, differentiated technology services and solutions to federal customers,” he says.
DuGuay believes his deep respect for relationships across the govcon space will be crucial in enabling the acceleration of M9’s growth. “The federal government may be the single largest customer in the world, but the govcon industry is relatively small and tightknit. There’s something to be said for relationships and respect in this industry. Strong partnerships across industry are crucial to the government’s success, and I’ve been fortunate to develop many strong relationships with some of the most talented govcon professionals out there today. I look forward to leveraging these relationships both to our mutual benefit, and to the benefit of our government customers.”
McKee says DuGuay’s joining the M9 team represents a big step forward in the company’s mission to deliver the digital future™. “The fact that we could attract a professional of his caliber is testament to the work we’ve already accomplished and now, will continue to accomplish together,” McKee says. “I have no doubt we will achieve great things going forward.”
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About M9 Solutions
Founded in 2007 and headquartered in Arlington, VA, M9 Solutions is a fast-growing small business dedicated to providing IT services and solutions to the Federal Government. We focus on developing and delivering robust, secure, and stable technology solutions across multiple core capability areas. Our team is DELIVERING THE DIGITAL FUTURE™ by mobilizing the right people, skills, clearance levels, and technologies to help organizations who desire improved performance and modern, sustainable change.