GovTech's New Playbook: Talent & Agility Disrupt Federal IT

SAN FRANCISCO, CA – December 04, 2025

The U.S. federal government's sprawling, multi-billion-dollar effort to modernize its technology is a high-stakes arena, long dominated by behemoth system integrators. But a new class of disruptor is emerging, betting not on sheer size, but on specialized talent and agile execution. Salesforce-backed consultancy Thunder just made its boldest move yet in this space, signaling a strategic shift in how government modernization may be won in the years to come.

The company announced the hiring of two deeply experienced federal practitioners: Eric Ritz, a 15-year veteran of Accenture Federal Services, and Kevin Lawson, who spent over two decades inside the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). These are not typical executive appointments; they represent a deliberate acquisition of "in the trenches" expertise, a move designed to give Thunder the credibility and operational intelligence to outmaneuver its larger rivals.

The Practitioner's Edge: A New Talent Strategy

In the world of federal contracting, experience is the ultimate currency. Thunder's recent hires are a masterclass in acquiring it. Eric Ritz, joining as Federal Strategy & Growth Lead, spent his career at Accenture navigating some of the government's most complex technology programs. He supported agencies from the U.S. Postal Service to the Department of Homeland Security, working on some of the earliest and most challenging Salesforce deployments in the public sector.

"Eric brings that rare blend of federal know-how and hands-on Salesforce experience," said Carter Wigell, CEO of Thunder, in the company's announcement. "He’s been in the trenches with agencies navigating legacy systems, emerging tech, and tight timelines. Having him here is a huge win for our customers."

Complementing Ritz’s consulting background is the agency-insider perspective of Kevin Lawson. As the new Senior Federal Solution Strategist, Lawson brings over 30 years of federal technology experience, 23 of which were at the TSA. Crucially, he launched and led the agency's Salesforce Center of Excellence, giving him firsthand knowledge of how to build, scale, and manage a low-code platform within the rigid security and compliance frameworks of a federal agency.

This combination of an external consultant and an internal champion is potent. It addresses a common failure point in government IT projects: the gap between what a contractor promises and what an agency can realistically implement and maintain. "Kevin is one of those people agencies immediately trust because he’s lived their reality," noted Maurine Fanguy, Head of Federal at Thunder. "He understands the pressure federal teams are under, and he knows how to use commercial platforms to cut through complexity and get results quickly." This is the core of Thunder's talent play—hiring individuals who don't just know the technology, but who intimately understand the mission, the procurement cycles, and the bureaucratic hurdles that define federal IT.

Beyond the RFP: A Low-Code Play for a High-Stakes Game

This talent acquisition is the human face of a broader business strategy focused on speed and responsibility. Thunder is betting that federal agencies, under pressure from mandates like the 21st Century IDEA Act to improve citizen services, are losing their appetite for multi-year, nine-figure modernization projects that often fail to deliver.

The company's answer is a methodology built on three pillars: lean implementation teams, a low-code approach, and pre-built accelerators. Instead of deploying massive teams, Thunder advocates for small, expert-led groups that can move quickly. Their reliance on low-code platforms like Salesforce and integrated cloud solutions like Amazon Connect is designed to accelerate development, allowing agencies to build and iterate on applications in weeks or months, not years. This approach inherently limits the accumulation of "technical debt"—the long-term costs associated with complex, custom-coded solutions that are difficult to maintain and upgrade.

This model directly addresses the government's "Cloud Smart" policy, which encourages agencies to move beyond simply migrating to the cloud and instead strategically leverage commercial platforms to achieve mission outcomes. By focusing on proven commercial technologies and adapting them for federal use cases—from contact center transformation to automated contract management—Thunder aims to provide a faster path to value. Their status as a Salesforce Ventures-backed partner, and a pilot partner for Salesforce's new AI agent technology, further solidifies this alignment, giving them access to the platform's cutting-edge capabilities.

The GSI Gambit: Challenging the Federal Contracting Establishment

With these hires, Thunder is throwing down the gauntlet to the Government Systems Integrators (GSIs) that have long dominated the federal landscape. Companies like Accenture, Deloitte, and Booz Allen Hamilton have the scale and long-standing relationships to win massive contracts. Thunder isn't trying to compete on their terms. Instead, it's executing a classic disruption strategy: offering a more specialized, agile, and cost-effective solution.

The company markets itself as offering "GSI-level talent in a boutique partner," a direct appeal to agency leaders frustrated with the overhead and slower pace of larger firms. The message is clear: you can get the same, or better, expertise without the bureaucratic bloat. The backgrounds of Ritz and Lawson are central to this narrative, proving that top-tier talent is migrating to these more nimble players.

While Thunder has secured spots on key federal contract vehicles like the GSA Multiple Award Schedule and Navy SeaPort-NxG, its public record of prime contract awards is still nascent. This makes the timing of these hires all the more critical. Ritz and Lawson are not just strategists; they are rainmakers, brought in to leverage their networks and deep market understanding to convert Thunder's compelling methodology into a robust portfolio of federal work. Their mission is to bridge the gap between having the right tools and winning the right projects.

As the federal government continues to pour billions into digital transformation, the firms that succeed will be those that can deliver tangible results quickly and securely. Thunder's investment in practitioner-level talent is a calculated bet that in the modern era of GovTech, deep operational knowledge and agile execution will ultimately triumph over sheer scale. This move positions the company not just as a contractor, but as a strategic partner poised to help shape the next generation of government services.