Own the first move.

Drawing on 18 years of service supporting U.S. Army National Guard and Department of Defense missions, Brian Hennigan has built deep expertise across DISA and the Asymmetric Warfare Community. As CTO, he is passionate about helping customers harness emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity to modernize operations and strengthen mission outcomes.

A U.S. Marine Corps veteran and former federal law enforcement officer, Deric Palmer brings more than 23 years of service supporting U.S. Army and federal law enforcement missions. He created the U.S. Army’s Digital Persona Protection Program, pioneering executive digital risk management across the Department of Defense. As Chief Digital Risk Officer, he helps government and commercial organizations leverage AI, open-source intelligence, and cyber intelligence to identify, assess, and reduce risks targeting executives, brands, and mission-critical personnel. He is passionate about transforming how organizations understand, measure, and reduce human attack surface risk.

From enterprise architecture and cybersecurity to cloud, AI, and federal technology strategy, Patrick Black has spent more than 32 years translating complex technologies into operational capabilities. A U.S. Army veteran with four years of military service, he has supported missions across the Department of Defense, federal government, and commercial enterprise. As GTM Chief Technology Officer and Vice President of Services, he bridges customer requirements, emerging technologies, and service delivery to develop scalable solutions for complex mission and business challenges. He is passionate about turning innovation into practical capabilities that deliver measurable customer impact.

Howard D. Young is an accomplished executive and attorney with more than two decades of experience spanning business operations, legal affairs, organizational strategy, and human capital. As Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Legal Officer of ASC3ND Technologies Group, Howard partners closely with the CEO and works across the organization to advance strategic priorities, strengthen operational effectiveness, support business growth, and provide counsel on legal, contractual, and corporate matters. He previously served as Chief People Officer and Counsel for a $700M+ federal services organization and has held senior leadership roles across government contracting, healthcare, and the federal government. Howard brings a multidisciplinary perspective to scaling organizations, managing enterprise risk, building high-performing teams, and translating strategy into execution. He earned his Juris Doctor from the University of Baltimore School of Law, a Master of Science in Organizational Development and Strategic Human Resources from Johns Hopkins University, and a Bachelor of Arts from Rutgers University.

After more than 30 years in operations with John Hancock Life Insurance Company, Marco Bien-Aime brings deep experience in organizational execution, process discipline, and business operations to Asc3nd. As Chief of Staff, he works across leadership, employees, and partners to improve communication, coordinate cross-functional initiatives, and ensure strategic priorities translate into action. He is passionate about creating structure, strengthening collaboration, and helping teams execute with focus and consistency.

A former U.S. Army cyber and strategic operations leader, Michael Lewis brings more than 29 years of experience leading defense and cybersecurity initiatives across the Department of Defense and international coalition partners. As Strategic Operations Manager, he helps align technology, cybersecurity, and operational strategy to strengthen mission success. He is passionate about turning strategy into execution by aligning people, technology, and mission objectives.

With more than 20 years of federal service and a foundation as a U.S. Navy veteran, Shena Cassell brings extensive experience securing mission-critical infrastructure and complex operational environments. She previously served as CISO and Deputy CIO for Cyber at Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command, leading enterprise cybersecurity operations protecting more than 262,000 operational technology assets across globally distributed environments. As Asc3nd’s Chief Information Security Officer and Director of Critical Infrastructure, she leads cybersecurity and resilience efforts across IT, operational technology, and facility control systems. She is passionate about strengthening cyber resilience and protecting the infrastructure essential to mission continuity.

Keeping the business running efficiently requires structure behind the scenes. Karla Arana brings more than three years of experience in business operations and organizational support, spanning financial administration, executive coordination, and day-to-day operations. She is passionate about improving workflows, creating structure, and enabling teams to remain focused on delivering results.