We are problem-solvers with business experience

Courtney B. Spaeth is one of the leading business development and corporate growth experts in the world, with a focus on emerging technologies, and widespread experience in both the public and private sectors. Mrs. Spaeth founded growth[period] in 2007, and as CEO she has successfully guided the company through the acquisition of Potomac Recruiting, the raising of growth capital from Morgan Stanley, as well as the development of growth[period]’s mergers and acquisition support vertical. As a result of her leadership, growth[period] has a proven track record of helping over 250 companies in both the commercial and federal sectors achieve smart growth through business development and through acquisitions. growth[period]’s broad range of clients include: Lockheed Martin, Verizon, Magnetar Capital, Stanley Black and Decker, Clairvest, Nemacolin Woodlands Resort, Leadiant Biosciences, Serco, General Dynamics, Fractal Industries AI, SAB Capital, LLR Capital, Inside the NFL, Sokolin Wine, Morgan Stanley and many other Fortune 500, middle market, and private equity firms in the U.S. and internationally. She also was part of the leadership team and a member of the Board of Directors for Momentum Aerospace Group that sold the company in 2018 for almost $400M.

Prior to founding growth[period], Mrs. Spaeth served as Corporate Vice President of Homeland Security for Raytheon Company. While at Raytheon she was responsible for developing the company’s homeland security business in North America, the Middle East, Eastern and Western Europe, and Asia, and in less than two years her efforts resulted in new revenue of over $1 billion USD. Before Raytheon, Mrs. Spaeth served as Director of Homeland Systems Solutions for Lockheed Martin, where she won over $3 billion USD in new business. In 2000, President Clinton appointed Mrs. Spaeth to the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Special Operations / Low Intensity Conflict, where she was the Assistant in Charge of Global Terrorism Issues. Previously, Mrs. Spaeth served as the Director of Force Health Protection for the Gulf War Illness Task Force in the Department of Defense. Additionally, Mrs. Spaeth has also worked at the Department of Justice in the Criminal Antitrust Division, and in the Office of Chief Counsel to the President in the White House in the Clinton Administration.

Mrs. Spaeth has extensive experience as a corporate board member and serves on the Board of Directors for a number of private companies, non-profits, and professional associations, including: Momentum Aerospace Group (MAG) (tenure ended in 2018), boodle AI, Marymount University, the Executive Board of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, Potomac Recruiting, and she just recently resigned from the Board of Directors for Hope for the Warriors, where she chaired the Development Committee for the last decade. She also serves on the Trustees Council for Women at the University of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Spaeth is also on the Dean’s Advisory Council for George Mason University School of Business and a member of The Economic Club of Washington, D.C. Mrs. Spaeth was the recipient of the 2019 Joseph Wharton Award for Entrepreneurship in the Washington, D.C. region from the University of Pennsylvania. She is also the recipient of the Smart CEO 2016 DC Brava CEO Award, the Vigiano Family 2015 Hope and Courage Award for her Service to the Veteran Community, and the 2014 Angel Outreach Award from the Business and Professional Women’s Foundation for her mentoring of veterans nationwide.

Mrs. Spaeth has been featured in national and trade media, including: Business Week, CBS News, iHeart Radio, the Washington Business Journal, Women of Influence magazine, Town & Country magazine, and SmartCEO magazine, etc. She, and her company, were profiled in 2019 on PBS on the show “Success Files” narrated by Rob Lowe. Mrs. Spaeth holds an Executive MBA in International Business from the TRIUM Global Executive MBA Program – an alliance of the London School of Economics, NYU Stern School of Business and HEC in Paris, a master’s degree in National Security Studies from Georgetown University and a Bachelor of Art degree, with honors (cum laude), from the University of Pennsylvania. She also completed her Governance Fellowship through the National Association of Corporate Directors (NACD) and is a speaker in their Director Professionalism series, and she holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Art Crime from the Association for Research into Crimes against Art. For the past seven years, growth[period] has been voted in the top twenty “best places to work” by the Washington Business Journal. Currently, Mrs. Spaeth resides in both Maryland and Colorado with her husband, three children, and four dogs, and she and her family also co-own their local ice-cream store, Sprinkles Potomac in Maryland.

Thomas Shane serves as Senior Partner and Chief Operating Officer at growth[period], where he leads day-to-day management of the firm and oversees client relationships, retention, and new business development. With a passion for balancing long-term strategic vision and hands-on execution, Thomas works closely with clients to deliver meaningful results across the aerospace, defense, and technology sectors.

Before stepping into his current leadership role, Thomas built deep expertise over seven years at growth[period] supporting client accounts through research, analysis, and advisory services. His prior experience includes roles with the Spanish consulting firm Management Solutions, Deloitte, and Metrea, a private equity–backed aerospace company. Thomas holds an MBA from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business and a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from Birmingham-Southern College.

Michael Ecker is Senior Partner for National Security at growth[period]. He is a seasoned executive with extensive experience leading organizations of various sizes within the military and in the private sector, consistently achieving top results. Mr. Ecker served for over 30 years on Active Duty and the Army National Guard where he held leadership roles of increasing responsibility and deployed multiple times to combat environments.  As a Brigadier General, Michael led the Military Advisory Group in Iraq, a directorate comprised of over 140 advisors from 18 nations and cultivated strong relationships with the most senior military and ministerial leaders of the Iraqi and Kurdish governments to advance Coalition policy initiatives. His most recent assignment as the Deputy Commanding General for the John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School allows him great insight into training and educating current and future generations of Army Special Operators.

Mr. Ecker is also an accomplished technology and program management consultant who has experience within firms such as The Wexford Group and Lockheed Martin, leading teams and managing portfolios in software development, special programs for forward deployment, and improving combat effectiveness for Defense and Intelligence customers. He is a Licensed Project Management Professional and holds several technology certifications.

He has a B.S. in Management Information Systems from the University of South Florida, a Master’s degree in Management from the University of Maryland and a Master’s degree in Inter-American Defense and Security from the Inter-American Defense College.

Brigadier General Lyn D. Sherlock, USAF, Ret., is a proven executive with over 30 years of experience leading both large, diverse organizations and smaller, high-performing teams in the Department of Defense and Department of State addressing national security, policy, operations, training, and resource issues. Lyn has extensive experience speaking to defense industry partners, business councils, congressional staffs, senior U.S. government and foreign officials, and the media. Brigadier General Sherlock has been the Senior Partner responsible for growth[period]’s defense, aerospace and federal practice for the last ten years, during which she has overseen and actively led client accounts and delivered innovative and results-oriented solutions.

Lyn’s last appointment in government was from 2009-2011 as the Director of Regional Affairs for Air Force International Affairs in the Pentagon. In that role, she was responsible for leading the Air Force’s direct liaison with foreign government officials, US Government officials, and aerospace industry representatives to plan, negotiate and execute security cooperation programs to foreign governments. Prior to that, from 2008-2009, she served as the Director of Air Operations for the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations, Plans, and Requirements.

From 2006-2008, Lyn served in senior positions in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs including the Director of Office International Security Operations and Senior Military Representative to State. Prior to her positions at the Department of State, Lyn commanded the Air Force’s largest Air Mobility Wing at Travis Air Force Base and was the Operations Group Commander for the Air Force’s primary nuclear airlift force at McChord Air Force Base. While deployed in Germany and Qatar, she commanded airlift and tanker units supporting Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, and was deployed to the Combined Air Operations Center. In addition to the above accomplishments, Lyn was the United States Transportation Command Liaison to the United States Central Command and the United States Special Operations Command providing transportation expertise to both Commands after the attacks of September 2001. She also served in a number of command and staff assignments at the Pentagon including the Air Force Chief of Staff’s Operations Group and in the Directorate of Forces.

Lyn earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Engineering Mechanics from the United States Air Force Academy, a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and a Master of Science degree in National Resource Strategy from the Industrial College of the Armed Forces in Washington, D.C. Additionally, she has served on various boards including Veterans Moving Forward, a nonprofit organization that trains and provides service dogs for veterans.

Gregory A. Scovel has over 41 years of experience in government, military, and commercial operations, including 31 years at the Naval Criminal Investigative Services (NCIS) where he retired as Acting Director in 2010. He has a significant record of successes in the areas of counterintelligence, combating terrorism, law enforcement, cyber operations, risk assessments, and threat analysis. At growth[period], Mr. Scovel advises clients on the Federal, Defense & Aerospace market.

In addition to his work at growth[period], Mr. Scovel is Chairman of Geocollect, a geospatial intelligence company, and was previously Vice President of National and Cyber Solutions at CACI, Inc.

At NCIS, Mr. Scovel was Deputy Director for Operations and Acting Director and was a member of the NCIS Executive Staff and Senior Executive Service (SES). He also served as Executive Assistant Director for Counterintelligence and Executive Assistant Director for Criminal Investigations at NCISHQ and was detailed to the USS Cole Commission. Prior to those roles, Mr. Scovel served as Special Agent in Charge at the Washington Field Office and Assistant Agent in Charge of the NCIS European Field Office and was assigned postings in Italy, Beirut, London, and Norfolk, Virginia.

Mr. Scovel has a baccalaureate degree in Political Science from the University of San Diego. He completed graduate work in International Studies at Old Dominion University and graduated from the Naval Investigative Service Academy and the Navy and Marine Corps Intelligence Training Center Basic Intelligence School. He was awarded the Navy Meritorious Civilian Award in 1994, and the Defense Exceptional Civilian Service Award in 2001.

Stacy Schwartz is Senior Partner, Public Sector, Public Safety and Telecom at growth[period]. She is an accomplished telecommunications and technology executive with a proven record of accomplishment and delivering results. She has worked within startup, midsized, and Fortune 10 companies while serving consumer, global, and government clients. Ms. Schwartz is best known for her creative business strategies, building high performing teams and delivering growth.

Ms. Schwartz most recently headed the Public Sector business at Ring Central, a collaboration software company, where she grew the business, and successfully initiated and progressed the FedRamp certification. Prior to that Ms. Schwartz served as an executive at AT&T for 26 years previously, where she led high performing teams in the Public Sector and Public Safety space, generating growth businesses from the ground up in Federal, State, and Local Government Markets, including Education.

Notably, Ms. Schwartz led the win strategy for FirstNet, the largest single federal telecommunications contract awarded, supporting the nation’s first ever Public Safety Broadband Network. She pioneered the FirstNet go to market plan, built a nationwide team, and grew the network to over 4.5 million subscribers within three years of the program’s inception.

In 2025 Ms. Schwartz was awarded “Top Strategic Growth Leader of the Year” by CIO Today and was featured on the cover of their September 2025 magazine. Ms. Schwartz received a Federal 100 Award and was recognized in 2017 by Federal Computer Weekly as an industry leader who played a pivotal role in the federal IT community with deep experience in telecommunications/technology, sales, and marketing. She has also received a Stevie Award for Women in Business, honoring her achievements in her field. Washington Exec featured Ms. Schwartz as one of the Top 20 National Security Execs to Watch in 2022 for her efforts to help the nation’s public safety community transform its communications capabilities.

She serves as a member of the Make-A-Wish Mid-Atlantic board, the Greater Washington Board of Trade and is a member of the Washington Executive Women’s Leadership Council.

Ms. Schwartz earned her B.A. at Smith College and M.A. at The Johns Hopkins School of International Studies, where she also studied in Switzerland and Japan. She has three children and resides with her husband, Tedd, in Northern Virginia.

Chris Nielsen is a Senior Principal for Federal Civilian and Law Enforcement at growth[period], where he leverages over three decades of leadership and operational expertise in government service and consulting to provide holistic solutions to clients.

Mr. Nielsen served over 27 years at the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), culminating as Associate Administrator (COO) from 2021-2023. Nielsen was tapped by the then incoming DEA Administrator to lead and optimize business operations for the global agency, an organization with 10,000 employees and 5,000+ contractors in 68 countries. He managed the agency’s $3.1 billion budget, spearheaded organizational transformations, and oversaw global operations. Prior to that position, he served as Regional Director for the DEA in East Asia and the Pacific, where he was responsible for 18 offices across 14 countries, and served as Special Agent in Charge of operations in Northern and Central California. He also served in various investigative, operations and leadership roles at the DEA.

Prior to joining the DEA, Mr. Nielsen served as an Officer in the United States Army and graduated from the United States Army Ranger School, earning the prestigious Ranger Tab. In addition to his work at growth[period], since leaving the DEA Mr. Nielsen has served as an independent safety advisor to corporations and nonprofits and is highly sought after for his experience with safety and security issues, as well as expertise with business operations and corporate growth. He has a BA in Political Science from the University of Colorado, Boulder, and certificates in leadership from the University of Notre Dame and the University of Virginia.

Darryle Conway is a seasoned executive with over two decades of experience leading strategic planning and business development efforts for government and commercial customers, working across more than 70 countries. Mr. Conway most recently served as the Chief Growth Officer at Constellis, responsible for overseeing corporate strategy and business development efforts for the largest non-financial risk management firm operating in more than 25 countries.

Before Constellis, Mr. Conway was Chief Growth Officer at Nathan Associates, a private international economic and analytics consulting firm with over 350 associates with experience spanning 140 countries. Previously, Mr. Conway served in senior business development roles at PAE Global Mission Services (GMS), Raytheon, Raytheon Technical Services Company, and SAIC.

In addition to his extensive corporate business development experience, Mr. Conway also has served on the Board of Directors of the International Stability Operations Association, including as Chairman. He has also served on the Board of Directors of Eagle Online Academy and on the Board of Trustees of the U.S. Army War College Foundation. He was named a 2022 Executive to Watch by Washington Executive, and is a two-time Pinnacle Award Finalist. He holds a B.S. in Biology from East Tennessee State University.

Ms. MacIntyre is a distinguished national security leader with over two decades of experience in intelligence, counterintelligence, and global security operations. She most recently served as Executive Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC), where she oversaw daily operations to safeguard the United States from foreign intelligence threats. From 2021–2023, she served on the National Security Council as Director for Counterintelligence, providing senior leadership on matters of counterintelligence policy and strategy.

Earlier roles include senior positions at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), where she advanced NATO security initiatives and supported Operation Warp Speed, and eleven years as an intelligence officer at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) supporting counterterrorism and military operations. She is a graduate of the Stanford Executive Program and holds a Master’s degree in Security Studies from Georgetown University, a Diplome Internationale from Sciences Po, and a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from The George Washington University.

Roger Hebden has joined growth[period] as a Principal in Transaction Advisory Services, based in the Virginia office. With over 30 years of leadership in multimillion-dollar healthcare organizations, Roger brings deep expertise in driving growth for Federal contractors and Fortune 500 companies like Microsoft, Dell, and IBM. He has a proven track record in developing and launching healthcare technology from concept to market.

Most recently, Roger was the CEO of Livanta, a healthcare quality oversight firm supporting CMS to ensure quality care for Medicare beneficiaries. During his 5-year tenure, he doubled the company’s revenue to $80 million, prepared it for sale, and successfully negotiated its acquisition by a private equity firm. Earlier in his career, Roger co-founded Blueprint Technologies, a software architecture firm that scaled to $12 million in revenue and transitioned from commercial to Federal contracting, ultimately executing a private sale to a major Federal contractor.

Roger holds an MBA in Information Technology from the University of Maryland and a BSEG in Computer Engineering from Bucknell University.

At growth[period], Roger works with clients to develop practical, customized solutions for business development at all stages, from high-growth startups to established multinational companies preparing for transactions.

Mr. Spencer is an award-winning corporate P&L and military leader with experience driving results through talent acquisition, strategic partnerships, and innovative solutions. He most recently served as Client Executive Vice President – Defense at AT&T Global Public Sector, where he reshaped the business into a market-defining leader, generating $1.5B+ in new sales. His accomplishments include launching the Air Force Enterprise IT as a Service programs, leading DoD’s 5G innovation efforts, and spearheading a consortium of 30+ global companies that secured a CHIPS Act grant to accelerate next-generation wireless networks.

Prior to AT&T, Mr. Spencer served 26 years in the United States Air Force, retiring as a Colonel. He held senior leadership roles at the Pentagon, the National Guard Bureau, and multiple Major Commands. Mr. Spencer has been inducted into the Air Force Cyberspace Hall of Fame and the AT&T Diamond Club (2019, top 1%). He earned a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Tulane University, a master’s in Engineering from the University of Nebraska, and completed the Air War College.

Sharon has over thirty years of experience in public and private accounting working with small and medium-sized businesses. Her experience in the professional services, real estate, property management, government contracting, not-for-profit, medical, construction and contracting, and the hospitality industries allows her clients to benefit from this expertise. She holds the credentials of Certified Public Accountant, Certified Fraud Examiner and Chartered Global Management Accountant.

Prior to joining growth[period], Sharon held the position of Principal with a mid-size Certified Public Accounting firm. She was the first female Principal in the 45-year history of the firm. She designed, implemented and ran two highly successful business divisions: Forensic Accounting and Outsourced CFO Solutions, both of which experienced dramatic growth under her leadership. She led all marketing, branding and business development efforts for these divisions. During this time Sharon served as an outsourced CFO for more than a dozen clients.

Sharon has extensive experience in preparing liquidity reviews, risk assessments, internal control analysis, net worth determinations, all phases of financial statement audits, reviews and compilations, tax return preparation for individuals, corporations, trusts and partnerships, and limited liability companies and conducting forensic examinations related to possible fraud. She has extensive experience with small business consulting and advisory services, including start-up entity consulting, software selection, best practices recommendations, cost-cutting reviews, and business goal strategies. Sharon is also a qualified expert witness who has testified as an expert in financial fraud cases.

Mr. Scott is the President of ESGI Potomac, a twenty-year world class executive search and career services practice. Prior to the merger between ESGI and Potomac Recruiting, Mr. Scott had founded ESGI in 2000. He also previously served as a Senior Partner with a retainer-based executive search firm, which when he exited, had grown to the 23rd largest search firm in the country. ESGI specialized in working with venture capital and private equity firms. The practice worked in the commercial sector both nationally and globally. Please keep reading to find out more about our Washington DC executive search leadership.

Mr. Scott’s mission at ESGI Potomac was to bring personalized attention and sophisticated executive search experience to the federal contracting community. He ensures that ESGI Potomac approaches each engagement as a strategic partnership. Searches are handled exclusively by expert search professionals who drive all assignments from beginning to end. His goal is to help companies attract experienced executives who work effectively with federal agencies and the systems integrators that serve the government. ESGI – Potomac also is committed to filling key positions promptly. By specializing in federal for over 20 years, ESGI Potomac differentiates itself from their competitors by drawing upon a well-cultivated network in this community.

With nearly three decades of executive search experience, Mr. Scott has helped numerous systems integrators, software, biometrics, services, product companies, and small government contractors hire top-level executive talent. Much of the work is centered around security to include cyber, big data, analytics, cloud security/mobility, biometrics, and AI. Clients range from large blue-chip federal integrators to small and mid-cap companies. ESGI Potomac has helped clients fill positions varying from the Board of Directors, Advisory Boards, and corporate officers such as the CEO, COO, CFO, VP Business Development, VP Federal Sales/Operations, and a host of other high impact functional roles. ESGI Potomac works very closely with private equity and venture backed companies to recruit leadership that knows how to scale a business.

Mr. Scott serves on the membership committee of the prestigious Homeland Security Defense Business Council that works on a bi-partisan basis to help DHS and DOJ protect the nation from all threats. In this capacity Mr. Scott serves as a trusted advisor to the nation’s largest and most cutting edge government contractors.

Mr. Scott has been quoted in such publications as Business Week, Government Security News, The New York Times, WSJ Technology Daily, DC Examiner, Financial Times, and Electronic Design. He has appeared on the Bloomsburg News Network, discussing issues related to security and executive leadership. He is also an active member at NDIA, InfraGard, GovCon, and ASIS.

Mr. Scott is a graduate of Philadelphia University with a bachelor’s degree in Management and Marketing.

Jenessa Hoffman is Vice President of ESGI- Potomac (formally Potomac Recruiting), growth[period]’s premier contingency recruiting firm specializing in managerial level searches for companies in the national security/homeland security marketplaces.

Prior to working for ESGI – Potomac, Jenessa Hoffman was a senior associate with Anderson Kill & Olick, where she specialized in the areas of Bankruptcy & Restructuring, Corporate & Securities, and Real Estate and Construction. She has advised small and medium-sized businesses on daily business concerns, buyers and sellers in the acquisition and sale of businesses, lenders
and borrowers in commercial financing transactions, and creditors’ and bondholders’ committees in bankruptcy actions. She acted as de facto in-house counsel for numerous clients, responsible for providing advice on general corporate matters, including legal issues and risks related to various corporate actions and compliance with the terms of clients’ governing
documents, negotiating with current and former employees regarding issues such as employment terms and conditions and post-employment benefits, and devising strategies and draft documents with respect to responses to contract violations of customers, suppliers, and franchisees.

Jenessa attended The University of Pennsylvania, where she received a BA in History. She then went on to receive her Juris Doctor at the Fordham University of Law, where she was a Stein Scholar in Public Interest Law and Ethics, as well as a member of Fordham Moot Court Board and the Associate Editor of the Fordham International Law Journal. While at Fordham she completed a year-long externship at Fordham’s Civil & Employment Rights Clinic, where she co-authored the New York City Bar Association’s comments on New York State’s proposed AIDS/HIV regulations

Carrie Muntean joins ESGI Potomac Recruiting as Senior Director to establish and lead the Executive Coaching and Career Development practice. Known for her expertise in leadership transformation, Carrie helps leaders unlock their full potential and achieve meaningful growth.

With a distinguished career as a U.S. diplomat from 2001 to 2025, Carrie reached the rank equivalent to a one-star Army General. She holds a master’s degree in international affairs from The George Washington University, a bachelor’s in political science from Adelphi University, and is proficient in Portuguese and Spanish, with basic knowledge of German and Russian. Carrie is currently pursuing a Doctorate in Leadership Psychology at William James College.

In her new role, Carrie will focus on empowering senior executives to achieve growth and success. She has worked with Senior Executive Service officials at the Department of State and global CEOs, gaining a reputation for her ability to guide clients in reassessing and reaching their professional goals.

Clients praise Carrie for the accountability she brings to their coaching journeys, helping them build confidence, navigate complex markets, and excel in leadership positions. Her approach centers on enhancing self-awareness, setting meaningful goals, and developing skills for high-impact leadership.

Megan Norris is an accomplished writer and editor who brings over 25 years of strategic communications experience to her role as Director of Career Services at ESGI-Potomac. A Certified Professional Résumé Writer, she specializes in crafting compelling career narratives for senior executives, federal government leaders, and law enforcement professionals.

Megan’s unique background spans both the public and private sector. She served 12 years as a Federal Air Marshal, conducting covert domestic and international missions while also taking on specialized roles as Public Affairs Officer and within the Taskings Division. Her federal service assignments built upon an established communications career that included senior roles as Communications Manager for organizations such as the American Red Cross of Greater Chicago, Brookdale Living, and Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center, where she managed public relations, media training, crisis communications, and executive speechwriting.

Following her 2018 retirement from the Federal Air Marshal Service, Megan founded Norris Editorial and Writing Services, working with clients to draft and edit a variety of products. As part of ESGI-Potomac, she will focus on creating effective executive career documentation, including résumés, cover letters, and executive biographies as well as optimizing LinkedIn profiles.

Megan’s expertise in translating complex experience into powerful career narratives has made her a sought-after thought leader in the field, earning her industry recognition. She was awarded First Place in the Federal Résumé Category of PARWCC’s Elite Circle Résumé Contest in May 2024; presented “Creating Effective Job Application Documents for Female Law Enforcement and Civilian Career Advancement” at the 2024 Women in Federal Law Enforcement (WIFLE) Annual Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C.; and is a regular contributor to WIFLE’s Quarterly Newsletter on the topic. Megan holds a Master of Science in Integrated Marketing Communications from Roosevelt University in Chicago, and a Bachelor of Arts in English/Journalism with a minor in Political Analysis from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio.

Eric joined the Washington DC executive search leadership group in 2010, now ESGI-Potomac. ESGI-Potomac is frequently cited as a top ten retainer-based executive search firm specializing in federal contracting in part due to the leading-edge research driven by Eric and his team.

Eric’s expertise at outside research includes such tools as AI and Data Analytics. Through these and others, as well as his team management he is able to track top talent in the federal contracting business. This allows the firm to fill searches quickly with proven performers.

He also handles much of the PR needs of the local Washington DC executive staffing agency. By tracking all relevant conferences and events attended by top industry leaders he augments ESGI-Potomac’s visibility in the Federal contracting search profession. In his spare time Eric is also an accomplished musician and is quite active in the local music scene.

David W. Swindle, Jr. (Dave) P. E. is a member of growth[period]’s Board of Directors and Senior Advisor to the CEO. An experienced corporate leader with over 40 years of line management, Board memberships, and P&L responsibility for global operations that exceeded $3B annually, Mr. Swindle has had responsibility for new business growth and operations for defense, space, aerospace, national and homeland security, engineering, intelligence, contingency operations, logistics and nuclear industries worldwide. He has worked extensively in the Middle East, Europe and Asia in contingency operations and large program management and development supporting the US, UK and NATO military commands along with international disarmament/nuclear safeguards and treaty verification for the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN, the Department of Energy and Department of State.

Mr. Swindle was AECOM’s Chief Executive, Global Defense and International Programs, and Executive Vice President for International and Special Projects under Amentum. He led AECOM’s support to the UK Ministry of Defence, the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority and international organizations such as the UN and NATO, and Australia’s Department of Defence. He was also Chairman of Nuclear Management Partners in the UK, the consortium that managed Sellafield, the world’s most complex nuclear site. He stepped down from his Executive positions with Amentum in 2020.

Mr. Swindle has served on the Boards of both privately held Corporations and Public organizations. He has been a member of the U.S. Army Science Board, the Board of Directors of the Professional Services Council, and is a past Chairman of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Environmental Management Advisory Board (EMAB). Mr. Swindle also served as a senior technical advisor to the Department of Defense’s Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Defense Programs, and the Assistant Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Special Capabilities. He has served on project Boards for the IAEA as a special advisor to multiple Deputy Director Generals on major project management planning and delivery in construction, information technology modernization and nuclear laboratory design and operations. Today, he consults on strategy, project delivery and partnering for major US & UK Government projects.

Mr. Swindle is a registered Professional Engineer in seven states. He has a B. S. Degree in Engineering Science from Tennessee Technological University, a Master’s Degree in Nuclear Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and an M.B.A. in Industrial Management from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee.

David retired from Inmar Intelligence in April 2022, where he spent 12 years as Chief Executive Officer and the last 8 of those years as Chairman and CEO. In his role, he led the digital transformation and growth of a multi-billion-dollar enterprise, serving over 17,000 corporate customers across North America, and employing over 5,000 employees. During his tenure, he led the company through 3 private equity owners and recapitalizations, 20 acquisitions, and 16% CAGR in EBITDA.

David has extensive operations and financial management experience in the U.S., Europe and Asia, having lived and worked across all three regions. His expertise in investment, innovation, industry collaboration and corporate development has supported transformative product innovation and the growth of information-driven networks spanning more than 200 countries and territories.

Prior to joining the Inmar team, David was Executive Vice President of Supply Chain for Domino’s Pizza, Inc. He also served as Domino’s Chief Financial Officer from 2005 to 2007. Prior to Domino’s, David held several positions during an early 23-year tenure at UPS, including Chief Financial Officer, UPS Supply Chain Solutions, and Vice President of Mergers and Acquisitions.

David holds an MBA from The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and formerly served as a Chairman of the Wharton Alumni Executive Board. He now sits on the Wharton Graduate Executive Board and on the Board of Visitors for the Wake Forest University School of Business. David is Chairman, Venture Cafe Winston-Salem, and is a Commissioner of the Smith Reynolds Airport in Winston-Salem, NC. He is also a pilot. David is a founding member of the Advisory Board for Wake Forest Innovation Quarter. Additionally, he sits as Co-Chair for the Entrepreneurial Culture Committee of the Winston-Salem Alliance, serves on the board of myFutureNC, and is a regular thought leadership contributor for Forbes Magazine.

Josh Schiffman is a veteran entrepreneur, product strategist, and technology leader with over 25 years of experience at the forefront of digital transformation. As the founder of Aureclar and a principal at Vitru Partners, Mr. Schiffman brings deep expertise in applying AI, advanced analytics, and data-driven systems to reshape how companies and their advisors make decisions and scale operations.

Mr. Schiffman has a unique ability to fuse cutting-edge technology with business acumen, transforming traditional consulting models into agile, intelligence-powered engagements. His work spans from executive decision enablement to the modernization of governance systems, helping some of the most important and interesting companies in the world move faster and smarter.

His career includes leadership roles at Deloitte, IBM, and WebMD, as well as decades of experience founding and mentoring startups at the intersection of enterprise software, data science, and automation. Whether driving strategic growth initiatives or building scalable platforms, he is known for delivering measurable impact and clarity amid complexity. Mr. Schiffman has a BBA in Healthcare Entrepreneurship and an MPH in Health Management and Policy from Emory University.

As Chairman of the Board of Directors at growth[period], Mr. Schiffman advises leadership and clients on integrating transformative technologies into core business strategies, unlocking new pathways to growth, resilience, and competitive advantage.

Dr. Edward H. Bersoff is the Chairman Emeritus of growth[period], a business development consulting firm headquartered in Northern Virginia. Dr. Bersoff is the Chairman and founder of Parabilis, LLC a business finance company located in Northern Virginia. He is also the Chairman of Greenwich Associates, LLC, a business advisory firm.

He was formerly the Chairman and CEO of ATS Corporation (NYSE-AMEX: ATSC), an information technology company that was acquired in 2012. Prior to his role at ATSC, Dr. Bersoff was Chairman, President and CEO of BTG, Inc., a NASDAQ-listed information technology firm he founded in 1982. In November 2001 BTG was acquired by the Titan Corporation, a NYSE listed company. Dr. Bersoff was elected to the Board of Titan in 2002. Titan was later sold to L-3 Communications.

Dr. Bersoff is previously served on the board of New York University, Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia529 College Savings Plan, Marymount University, Holy Cross Hospital in Maryland, the INOVA Health System, and the American Electronics Association.

Dr. Bersoff holds A.B., M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in mathematics from New York University and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management Program. Dr. Bersoff was an officer in the U.S. Army and has taught mathematics at New York University, Northeastern and Boston Universities in Massachusetts, and American University in Washington, D.C.