Sudhakar Kesavan began his career at ICF in 1983 as an associate when the firm was a small team focused on advisory services to government agencies. From that time until his retirement in 2020 and beyond, he helped ICF become one of the most successful stories in the GovCon industry. He took the helm as CEO in 1999; at that time ICF had $100 million in revenue and 550 employees. When he retired in 2019, ICF was a $1.5 billion dollar company with 7,000 employees worldwide and their share price appreciation was more than Google’s.  

Since coming to American from India, Sudhakar has been defined by many key traits: his hustle, his ability to push and not accept defeat, his brave decisions, and his ability to see around corners. These are the traits that helped Sudhakar build and grow ICF, an incredibly unique and purpose-driven company that stands out.  

 A few of Sukhakar’s career highlights include, solidifying ICF as a leader in the fight against climate change, taking the company public in 2006, leading ICF to be the first professional services company in the world to go carbon neutral, completing over 20 different acquisitions during his tenure, greatly expanding the company’s capabilities and moving it into new markets. He was also a trailblazer when it came to corporate social responsibility. Long before it was the popular thing to do.  Under his leadership, ICF was involved in numerous groundbreaking moments and initiatives such as conducting the first-ever U.S. greenhouse gas inventory, helping EPA create Superfund, helping communities recover from some of the largest natural disasters in U.S. history, writing the book – in 1985 – that linked global warming with sea level rise, and helping CDC with disease surveillance to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sudhakar may have retired from ICF in 2020 but hasn’t slowed down. He sits on or chairs numerous boards serving as an advisor to the GovCon industry and guiding those orgs to do meaningful work and be good corporate citizens.

Dawn Meyerriecks is an independent director and board member, government and commercial technical powerhouse leader bringing more than 40 years’ experience pioneering new products and services and leading transformation for iconic brands around the world including CIA, AOL, and DoD. She is a recognized expert in delivering entrepreneurial technical capabilities and processes to international markets, leveraging unparalleled stakeholder acumen into strategy, development, integration, and operations.

Dawn’s multi-industry experience dealing with international start-ups through multi-national Fortune 10 companies delivers unique insights to private and public company boards at all life stages. She is known for her deep understanding of user and chief stakeholders needs, effecting innovative and essential changes wherever she has served.