Chugach Government Solutions, LLC, (CGS) is pleased to welcome Dirk van der Vaart in the role of CGS President and Chugach Alaska Corporation (Chugach) Executive Vice President of the Government Division. Van der Vaart will be the principal organizational leader who plans, develops and establishes policies and objectives fostering innovation and strategic growth for the company.

“Finding the right person for the CGS President role has been a major priority spurring an intensive search to identify the visionary and action-oriented leader to support our drive to deliver forward-thinking solutions to advance customer missions,” said Jonathan Dalrymple, Chugach’s CEO, “Dirk is a well-respected, dynamic and visionary leader with a proven track record leading and building high-performance teams. I’m confident he’s the right leader to drive our Government Division forward focused on being a trusted partner for our customers.”

Dirk van der Vaart is an executive leader, strategist and coach who specializes in the development and execution of rapid-growth strategies for the Defense and National Security industry. He brings more than 25 years of experience in the defense and security industry and has served in operations and business development roles throughout his career, including overseas projects in more than 22 countries. Before entering the defense industry, van der Vaart served 11 years as a special operations officer in the Intelligence Community and was also a Port Security Officer in the Coast Guard Reserve.

Van der Vaart recently led the North America government and defense business of a UK startup developing disruptive IT networking technology. He served as President of Ultra Intelligence & Communications, providing cryptographic solutions for military IoT infrastructure. He previously served as President of GardaWorld Government Services, where he provided the US Govt with specialized security and logistics services in high threat environments.

Additional executive leadership roles include COO of Gatekeeper Security, VP of Business Development and Strategy at GLOBAL Integrated Security and Business Development Executive for Raytheon’s Global Security Solutions (GSS) unit responsible for growing security business within the Combatant Commands (COCOMs), foreign affairs and homeland security communities.

“The Board is excited to welcome Dirk van der Vaart as the new President of CGS,” said Chugach’s Chairman of the Board Sheri Buretta. “His extensive experience and proven leadership in the defense and national security industry align perfectly with our mission. Dirk’s commitment to innovation and strategic growth is exactly what we need to navigate the future. We are confident that under his leadership, CGS will continue to build a thriving partnership with the federal government while honoring Chugach’s rich culture and shareholder community.”

Van der Vaart shared, “In learning more about Chugach, I’ve been struck by the rich culture and the incredible work our people do to support missions all over the world.” He continued, “The opportunity space in front of us is vast. I’m honored to lead this team leveraging those opportunities to deliver innovative solutions serving the missions of our customers and the purpose of our shareholders.”

Van der Vaart is fluent in Italian, Dutch, French, German and Spanish; he is currently studying Hebrew and Arabic. He holds a BA degree in journalism and political science from Messiah University and an MBA in international business from The George Washington University.

Capitalizing on his leadership experience, Dirk also holds a Master certification in Intelligent Leadership Executive Coaching. In his capacity as executive coach, he has worked with senior leaders from across the Fortune 500, including LinkedIn, Airbnb, Palo Alto Networks, Underwriters Laboratory and many more. He is sought after for his ability to help both seasoned and aspiring executives refine their mindset, establish executive presence and hone communications skills.