ManTech Taps New AI Chief, Cements National Security Focus

HERNDON, Va. – January 14, 2026 – In a move signaling a deep strategic commitment to artificial intelligence, technology solutions provider ManTech today announced the appointment of Brandy Durham as its first Chief Data and AI Officer. The announcement formalizes Durham’s leadership over the company’s rapidly expanding Data and AI Practice and comes on the heels of a year marked by a strategic acquisition, high-profile partnerships, and critical deployments of AI technology across U.S. national security missions.

The appointment underscores a broader industry trend where federal contractors are moving beyond AI experimentation to deliver tangible, operational capabilities for government clients. ManTech, a 57-year veteran in the federal space, is positioning itself to lead this charge, leveraging AI to tackle complex challenges in defense, intelligence, and homeland security.

“Since joining MANTECH, Brandy has built MANTECH’s Data and AI Practice into a premier center-of-excellence,” said ManTech Chief Growth Officer Joe Cubba. “She has assembled a world-class team with deep understanding of our clients’ missions and the expertise to turn data and AI into real, operational results.”

A New Leader for a New Era of AI

Brandy Durham brings a wealth of experience from the forefront of public sector AI implementation. Before joining ManTech in 2023, she served as the AI Senior Practice Leader for Amazon Professional Services, where she supported the national security community with projects spanning computer vision, natural language processing, and even quantum computing. Her decade-long tenure at IBM further solidified her expertise in managing data and AI consulting engagements for federal clients.

Durham’s career, inspired by a family history of military service and a desire to tackle national challenges post-9/11, has been focused on leveraging technology for mission impact. With degrees from Texas A&M and St. Mary's University and a certificate in Advanced Analytics, her background combines deep technical knowledge with a practical, results-oriented approach. This philosophy is crucial as government agencies seek to move AI from the lab to the field. Her appointment is a clear signal of ManTech’s intent to embed sophisticated AI leadership at the highest level of its corporate structure.

Building an AI Powerhouse Through Strategic Moves

Durham’s appointment is the capstone on a year of aggressive expansion for ManTech’s AI practice, built on a multi-pronged strategy of acquisition, partnership, and internal development.

A cornerstone of this strategy was the December 2025 acquisition of Elder Research, a data science firm with 30 years of experience. Elder Research brought a reputation for successfully implementing AI solutions—boasting a 90% project implementation rate that far exceeds the industry average of less than 20%. The acquisition integrated a team with deep expertise in detecting fraud, waste, and abuse, and protecting against insider threats. Notably, Elder Research already had a significant footprint within the Department of Homeland Security, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) accounting for nearly three-quarters of its $19 million in prime contract revenue, creating powerful synergies with ManTech's existing federal civilian portfolio.

ManTech also fortified its position through key alliances with industry giants. A strategic teaming agreement with Lockheed Martin, announced in late 2025, aims to integrate AI-driven sustainment solutions into the U.S. combat aircraft fleet. This collaboration combines Lockheed’s “AI Factory” capabilities with ManTech’s integration expertise to deliver predictive maintenance and real-time performance monitoring, with the goal of increasing aircraft availability and mission reliability.

Furthermore, a partnership with Oracle, established in August 2025, pairs ManTech’s AI proficiency with Oracle’s secure, second-generation cloud infrastructure (OCI). This alliance is designed to empower government clients to run mission-critical AI workloads with high performance and security, helping agencies accelerate cloud migrations and modernize IT while adhering to stringent federal compliance standards.

From Blueprints to Borders: AI in Action

The company’s strategy emphasizes moving beyond buzzwords to deliver measurable impact. “Our Data and AI Practice is doing more than experimenting; we’re putting it to work,” said Durham in the announcement. “Our team is delivering decision advantage where it matters most, across national security and commercial missions.”

This ethos is evident in a pilot program with the U.S. Air Force Civil Engineer Center (AFCEC). ManTech is deploying AI and "agentic flows"—a sophisticated form of AI automation—to accelerate the development of construction requirements. The goal is to bring greater speed, accuracy, and efficiency to the production pipeline for an immense $112 billion portfolio of Department of the Air Force construction projects, reducing tedious manual tasks and freeing up personnel for higher-value work.

The impact is also being felt at the nation's borders. ManTech is a key partner for the Department of Homeland Security, helping implement machine learning and risk-based analytics to enhance security. This work, bolstered by the capabilities acquired from Elder Research, involves developing and deploying ML models to screen cargo and passengers, identify anomalies indicative of illicit activity, and provide actionable intelligence from vast datasets. By analyzing information from sensors, video feeds, and open-source intelligence, the company's solutions help agencies like CBP detect threats, streamline the identification of risky shipments, and improve overall situational awareness.

Navigating a Booming Federal AI Market

ManTech’s aggressive posture is well-timed. The U.S. government is rapidly increasing its investment in artificial intelligence, viewing it as a critical component of national security and operational efficiency. Federal spending on AI is projected to climb from $2.7 billion in fiscal year 2026 to over $3.1 billion by 2028. The Department of Defense alone has requested a historic $13.4 billion for AI and autonomy in its FY2026 budget, signaling a massive push to operationalize the technology.

In this lucrative but competitive market, ManTech contends with industry titans like Leidos, Booz Allen Hamilton, and SAIC. The company differentiates itself with its 57-year history as a "pure-play" government contractor, deep mission familiarity, and a highly cleared workforce. Its strategy appears focused on leveraging this entrenched position to integrate advanced AI capabilities directly into the mission workflows of its defense, intelligence, and federal civilian clients.

By combining proven leadership, strategic acquisitions, key partnerships, and demonstrable, mission-critical deployments, ManTech is making a definitive statement. The company is not just participating in the government's AI revolution; it is actively working to engineer it, providing the tools and expertise to turn data into a decisive strategic asset for national security.