EXECUTIVE TEAM

 Under Gary’s leadership, XLA is a provider of services and solutions to the national homeland, international, and defense sectors of the federal government. Gary has more than 35 years of experience in the government contracting industry ranging from professional services, information technology, electronics, and platform production. 

Gary previously served as President and Chief Operating Officer of QinetiQ North America and President of BAE Systems’ U.S. Combat Systems business where he oversaw operations involving more than 9,000 employees across 16 states. Gary holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration (accounting) from Longwood University. He is a member of the corporate advisory board for their College of Business and Economics, serves on the advisory boards of JWF Industries and is a board director of Enterprise Ventures Corporation.

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.