RESTON, Va., April 7, 2026 – Unissant today announced that two of its senior leaders have been named finalists in the 2026 Washington Exec Chief Officer Awards, a recognition that reflects the strength of the company’s leadership across operational excellence and innovation in support of federal missions.
Bob Deegan,Chief Financial Officer,has been named a finalist for Chief Financial Officer of the Year, and Vishal Deshpande,Vice President of AI and Data Solutions, has been named a finalist for Artificial Intelligence Executive of the Year. Together, the recognitions underscore a core strength at Unissant: leadership that strengthens the foundation of the business and advances the capabilities that help government missions perform at their best.
“This recognition speaks to the caliber of our team and reflects the kind of leadership that matters most in our business,” said Sumeet Shrivastava, CEO of Unissant. “Bob and Vishaleach play a critical role in driving mission success for our customers. It’s great to see their work reflected in this year’s finalists.”
Deegan was recognized for his leadership in driving a major modernization across Unissant’s financial and operational infrastructure during a complex federal market period. His work has helped improve visibility across the business and strengthen the operational foundation needed to support both stability and growth.
“Our focus was on building the right operational foundation for the business,” said Deegan. “That meant improving how we see the business, how we make decisions, and how we support teams delivering on mission.”
Deshpande was recognized for advancing enterprise AI capabilities for federal missions. He played a central role in architecting and deploying iForgeAI℠, Unissant’s AI-as-a-Service platform, as well as a growing portfolio of AI-enabled accelerators that bring generative AI into operational workflows across National Security and Federal Health environments.
“The focus is always on making AI work inside mission systems,” said Deshpande. “That means building the architecture, governance, and capabilities that allow agencies to move from pilots to real operational impact.
The WashingtonExec Chief Officer Awards honor the government and industry leaders driving meaningful results across the federal ecosystem. Winners will be announced at the Awards Gala on June 2, 2026 at the Hilton in Tysons, VA.
About Unissant
At Unissant, we’re mission-obsessed – working across national security and federal health to help keep the nation healthy and safe. We work with federal agencies in complex environments, combining deep mission fluency with data and AI to turn advanced concepts into operational capability. We deliver solution-led, mission-integrated work embedded in the data and decision systems missions rely on. For more information, visit us at www.unissant.com.
Media Contact:
Ben Farrell
bfarrell@unissant.com
