Aretum’s Sean DuGuay on Hot Trends in AI and Cyber in GovCon

Sean DuGuay, chief growth officer at Aretum, has seen it all in his 30-year GovCon career. But 2025 has been a year like no other in the industry. The federal government in President Trump’s second administration is reducing headcount and creating new contracting policies in an effort to get emerging technologies to operators faster while prioritizing outcomes-based business strategies.

DuGuay sat down with ExecutiveBiz for his first Spotlight interview, sharing his perspective on Aretum mission priorities, hot trends in AI and machine learning, the business outlook for digital transformation and cyber, and skills he uses in his GovCon executive career that he learned from his time as a U.S. Marine Corps criminal investigator and special agent.

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ExecutiveBiz: What are some new and adjacent mission areas you have helped Aretum enter since you joined the company?

Sean DuGuay: So there are really about 11 core areas we focus on at Aretum.

The first one, and probably the most obvious, is cybersecurity and zero trust architecture. The reason is pretty straightforward: We’ve seen a number of Office of Management and Budget mandates around this, and the threats from actors like China and Russia, plus the rise in ransomware and supply chain attacks, have made this a top priority across government.

Another big focus is AI and machine learning. Even before I joined Aretum, this was already in motion—but over the last six months, we’ve really enhanced our AI capabilities. We’ve been building on a labs division. The driving factor here is the federal government’s recent push for safe, secure and trustworthy AI. There was an executive order in October 2023 and the current administration has taken it a step further. Agencies are being told to lean in and we’re seeing a lot of interest in areas like model validation, governance, tool integration and test and evaluation.

We’re also very involved in digital government transformation. That’s something Aretum has delivered through various legacy companies for quite a while. What we’re doing now is bringing the best of all those pieces together to help agencies modernize legacy systems and improve the user experience. It’s about helping them operate more effectively and deliver on their missions.

Space operations and domain awareness is another exciting area. With the rise of the U.S. Space Force and the increasing number of satellites in orbit, there’s a growing need for domain surveillance and space situational awareness. We’re looking closely at how we can support those efforts.

Emergency management and resilience is also a key area for us. We’ve done a lot in this space already and with the frequency of natural disasters increasing, the need is only growing, whether it’s coming from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, state governments or other response agencies. We’re focused on supporting missions that protect and assist people during crises.

We’ve recently expanded into biosecurity, public health infrastructure and pandemic readiness. After Covid-19, it’s clear that preparation matters and we want to be part of the solution if, and when, another major health event happens. We’re starting to work more closely with agencies like the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to support readiness efforts.

EBiz: What are some hot trends in AI and machine learning that you’ve noticed?

DuGuay: There are definitely a few hot trends out there right now and I tend to think about them in two ways. First, there’s the “cool and cutting-edge” stuff that gets a lot of attention. Then there’s the more practical side: what can the government actually consume? At the end of the day, a trend only becomes real if it translates into a request for quote and, eventually, an opportunity where industry can step in and support the mission.

Take things like strategic infrastructure and clean energy for AI, for example—building massive, gigawatt-scale AI data centers. That’s undeniably exciting. But here’s the big question: is the government ready to take on that kind of technical debt? I’m not so sure. It’s fascinating, but there’s a difference between what’s technically possible and what’s operationally viable in the public sector.

That said, one area where we are seeing AI being applied in a real, actionable way is in cybersecurity and critical infrastructure. A lot of recent executive orders have focused on piloting and deploying AI and machine learning tools to detect vulnerabilities, automate patching and strengthen cyber defenses. It’s especially critical in sectors like energy, but we’re seeing that conversation happening across DOD and civilian agencies as well. Of course, that ties directly into zero trust architecture—everyone wants to get there, but the path isn’t always clear. Personally, I have some opinions on where we really are in terms of readiness, but what I can say for sure is that AI can absolutely help move us forward.

One of the easiest and most immediate ways AI is showing up is through governance, accountability and workforce transformation. These are areas that are actionable and that agencies can start building programs around right now. In fact, every federal agency has been directed to appoint a chief AI officer and we’re starting to see these councils form within agencies.

Some are still getting off the ground, others are already moving fast. But what’s clear is that there’s a need for AI talent—and not just hiring from the outside. We also need to grow that talent internally. So skilling up the workforce, building AI literacy and putting strong governance in place—that’s going to be critical for long-term success.

I also expect we’ll see more focus on responsible AI and public-private collaboration. You’ll hear it referred to as RAI—responsible AI—and that includes things like transparency, fairness and accountability. These are the right conversations to be having, even if they haven’t all translated into requests for quotes just yet. The thought leadership is moving in that direction, and I fully support that.

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EBiz: What is the outlook for government contracting and defense for capabilities such as digital transformation, mission support, cybersecurity or data intelligence?

DuGuay: Wow, you’re really hitting on all the key areas. Over just the last 90 days, I’ve probably had dinner with at least 15 generals—ranging from one-star to four-star—on the DOD side. So to answer your question directly: Yes, digital transformation is incredibly strong right now.

The DOD’s push toward Joint All-Domain Command and Control, or JADC2, is a big driver. It’s all about AI-enabled decision-making. That initiative alone is accelerating the need for digital modernization across the board. Layered on top of that are legacy system modernization mandates, not just coming from the DOD chief information officer, but also from the Chief Digital and AI Office, which has its own set of priorities.

Then of course, there’s the ongoing migration to cloud and edge computing. When you align all of that with a zero trust architecture, it becomes clear how these efforts are interconnected. I’ve touched on cybersecurity already, but it bears repeating: it’s critical, it’s growing and it’s only going to accelerate.

When we talk about data intelligence and AI and machine learning, the main driver within DOD is the focus on achieving decision advantage and information superiority. Compared to when I was in the Marine Corps back during Operation Desert Storm, it’s night and day. Back then, we got the information eventually—but not in real time. Today, if you don’t have the right information instantly, you’re already behind. The adversary likely already has it—and they’re acting on it. That kind of speed is now mission-critical.

Mission support is another one of our core areas from a contracting perspective and it’s not going anywhere. There will always be a need for contractor support in areas like planning, logistics, training and intelligence analysis. These are not things you can fully automate—at the end of the day, you still need people. You still need boots on the ground.

EBiz: Are there any skills that you learned from your time as a Marine Corps criminal investigator and special agent that you apply today in your GovCon executive career?

DuGuay: The list is never-ending. People often ask me, “how did you make the jump from being a [criminal investigation division] guy to working in government tech?” The truth is, it feels like everything I did back then set me up perfectly for what I do now.

First off, the investigative and analytical skills are foundational. Whether it’s due diligence, contractor responsibility reviews or assessing program risk and integrity, those skills translate directly. You’re constantly evaluating for potential fraud, identifying threats and making sure everything checks out, and that’s true in this world just as much as it was in my CID days.

Then there’s interviewing and interrogation—although let me be clear, I don’t interrogate clients or teaming partners. But the principles carry over. Back in CID, most of what we did were technically interviews, and the key there is being intentional and aware of how you ask questions. Now, it’s about understanding what’s important to a client or partner, figuring out how we can help solve their problems, or getting them out of a tough spot. Today, that skill is really about stakeholder engagement—reading between the lines, building trust and listening more than you talk.

Business development definitely draws on those same skills: Understanding requirements, negotiating, red teaming [or simulating an adversary] your strategy—it’s all about making sure you’ve thought through every angle. Then there’s the writing. I wrote more reports than I can count in CID and that ability to clearly document and communicate findings is just as critical now, whether it’s for internal planning or client-facing materials.

My time in counterintelligence and threat assessment has also stayed relevant, especially when you’re thinking through risk from a national security or cyber perspective. Of course, team leadership and mission planning—that’s at the core of everything I do now.

I could go on, but the bottom line is this: 100% of the skills I developed in CID still apply to my work today. It’s just a different battlefield.