EXECUTIVE TEAM

Under Jim’s leadership, XLA is a provider of services and solutions to the national homeland, international, civilian and defense sectors of the federal government. Jim has more than 25 years of experience in the government contracting industry ranging from IT modernization, operational efficiency, professional services, and strategic sourcing.

Most recently, Mr. Vant served as President of eTelligent Group, where he led corporate strategy and drove growth in a dynamic and evolving federal market. He has a strong track record of scaling organizations and leading through transformation including senior leadership roles at Octo (an IBM company), where he held P&L responsibility, drove operational performance, and led multiple strategic integration efforts. Earlier in his career, he held leadership and consulting positions at Gartner, PwC and AMS (now CGI). Mr. Vant holds a B.S. in Finance and Entrepreneurship from Syracuse University

As XLA’s Chief Operating Officer, Bret Mitchell provides day-to-day oversight of corporate operations, business development support, program performance, and companywide cybersecurity activities. He plays a central role in shaping organizational strategy, driving growth initiatives, and ensuring continuity across XLA’s federal portfolio. Since joining XLA three years ago, Bret has led multiple prime programs at the National Archives and expanded his responsibilities across corporate infrastructure, capture support, and internal process improvement.

Before joining XLA, Bret spent nearly fourteen years at ManTech supporting national security programs through quality assurance, mission support, and cybersecurity activities across federal customer environments. He also served as the Chief Information Officer at Ring0 Technologies, overseeing corporate IT, security, and technology planning. Bret holds a Bachelor of Arts from George Mason University and a Master of Business Administration from Ashford University.