Federal 100: Kevin M. Phillips
Name: Kevin M. Phillips
Title: President and CEO
Company: ManTech International
Backlog buster. Phillips decided to tackle the government’s massive security clearance backlog, an issue with an impact across the market. He testified before Congress on how the backlog affects contracts and the programs they support. He recommended that portable clearances be assigned to people instead of projects and advocated for continuous evaluation rather than periodic checks, then invested countless hours in behind-the-scenes implementation efforts. The result: The backlog dropped to 600,000 in 2018, and another 300,000 drop is expected in 2019. Meanwhile, Phillips also leads ManTech’s efforts to hire veterans, in part by offering educational and training opportunities through a partnership with Purdue University.
Note: This article was updated on March 25 to correct the 2018 backlog numbers.