Jerry Petersen 
- Chugach Government Solutions has appointed Laura Nelson to the newly created role of senior vice president of corporate development, where she will oversee all stages of the company’s M&A activity
- Company leaders said Nelson’s hiring reflects a renewed strategic focus intended to keep CGS competitive and to build differentiated, enterprise-wide offerings for customers
- Nelson brings more than 20 years of government contracting experience, most recently as vice president of strategy and corporate development at ASRC Federal, with earlier growth roles at Lockheed Martin
Chugach Government Solutions, a subsidiary of Chugach Alaska Corporation, said Thursday that it has named Laura Nelson senior vice president of corporate development, a newly created position within the organization.
In her new role, Nelson will be responsible for all facets of mergers and acquisitions activity at CGS. Nelson brings more than 20 years of experience in government contracting, with a background in corporate strategic development, M&A and go-to-market strategy.
What Did Chugach Leaders Say About Laura Nelson’s Appointment?
Commenting on Nelson’s appointment, Laine Klein, president of CGS, said the new corporate development SVP will evaluate external market conditions, support the growth of customer accounts and help lead developments designed to keep the company’s offerings aligned with customer needs. Klein added that Nelson’s leadership is expected to help the company remain competitive and responsive as market conditions shift.
For his part, Peter Andersen, chief operating officer of parent company Chugach Alaska Corporation, said the government contracting division remains central to the broader organization’s long-term performance and that Nelson’s hiring reflects a renewed emphasis on strategy. Andersen said the company intends to pursue collaboration across its business lines to build differentiated offerings for customers.
Who Is Laura Nelson?
Nelson joins CGS from ASRC Federal, where she served as vice president of strategy and corporate development. In that role, she was responsible for shaping executive strategy around high-priority business needs, overseeing complex business transformation initiatives and leading the discovery and validation phases of M&A transactions.
Earlier in her career, Nelson held business growth roles at Lockheed Martin, where her work touched business development, strategic planning and financial strategy across the company’s civil, defense and international market segments.
In a statement, Nelson said she was honored to join CGS at what she called a pivotal moment of strategic growth, and said she looks forward to helping shape its next phase by translating market trends into strategic action.
Who Else Has CGS Recently Appointed to Leadership Roles?
Nelson’s appointment comes on the heels of DiRee McGuire being selected to lead the Training & Education division at CGS. In that role, McGuire will help the company continue to support the Job Corps mission, which Chugach has backed for more than three decades through education, training and workforce development programs for young people. She will also lead an expansion of the division’s offerings to include training, education and simulation for defense customers.
Earlier this year, CGS appointed Shanna Staten as business development executive to lead growth and capture efforts across its U.S. Air Force portfolio. In that capacity, Staten will oversee the development of strategies to identify new market opportunities and manage customer engagement and enterprise capture activities.
