Mary Catherine Ward
Cranberry Township,PA
Summary
Strategic business and technology leader with 10+ years of experience driving enterprise-wide transformation, operational excellence, and strategic alignment across government, academic, and commercial organizations. Trusted advisor to CEOs and executive teams, with deep expertise in business operations, corporate strategy, P&L management, and high-impact cross-functional initiatives.
Overview
2026
2026
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Chief Strategy Officer
Carnegie Mellon University – Software Engineering Institute (SEI) - A Federally Funded Research & Development Center
04.2013 - Current
- Serve as principal strategic advisor to the CEO and executive team, overseeing organizational strategy, operational planning, and enterprise execution
- Led the development and rollout of a refreshed strategy that secured a $2.7B IDIQ contract (5-year base + option), increasing SEI’s visibility and impact.
- Manage internal operations rhythms (quarterly planning, OKRs, governance reviews) and coordinate cross-functional initiatives
- Direct special projects including partnership development, strategic go-to-market initiatives, improving organizational excellence.
- Act as CEO proxy in board meetings, government briefings, and customer engagements; trusted to drive alignment across stakeholders.
Director and Deputy Director - Mission Area
Carnegie Mellon University – Software Engineering Institute (SEI)
07.2003 - 04.2013
- Managed a $35M technical portfolio with a focus on innovation, customer satisfaction, and measurable impact.
- Managed financial, operational and human resources to optimize business performance and oversaw business-wide changes to modernize procedures
- Previous Roles: Chief Engineer, Program Manager, Engineer
Various Leadership Roles in Technology and Business Operations
Lockheed Martin | IBM
- Directed cross-functional technology teams and multimillion-dollar programs
- Grew a new business line to $15M in value within 3 years and increased overall growth by 30% in the following year.
- Reduced operations & maintenance (O&M) costs by 30% in one year through process optimization and stakeholder alignment.
- Roles Held: Business Area Manager | Program Manager | Capture Manager | System Integrator | Software Engineer
Education
M.S. - Computer Science
University of Maryland
B.S. - Applied Mathematics & Computer Science
Carnegie Mellon University
Skills
- Strategic & Operational Planning
- P&L Oversight & Growth Strategy
- Program & Portfolio Management
- Cross-Functional Leadership
- Data-Driven Decision Making
- Stakeholder & Board Engagement
- Business Case Development
- Organizational Effectiveness
- Change Management
- AI / Cybersecurity / Emerging Tech
Certification
- Enterprise Architect
- Program Management
- Coach
Timeline
Chief Strategy Officer
Carnegie Mellon University – Software Engineering Institute (SEI) - A Federally Funded Research & Development Center
04.2013 - Current
Director and Deputy Director - Mission Area
Carnegie Mellon University – Software Engineering Institute (SEI)
07.2003 - 04.2013
B.S. - Applied Mathematics & Computer Science
Carnegie Mellon University
Various Leadership Roles in Technology and Business Operations
Lockheed Martin | IBM
M.S. - Computer Science
University of Maryland