Akima Names Lauren Cates as Vice President of Business Development for its Emerging Markets Group

HERNDON, Va., Feb. 19, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Akima, a leading provider of mission-focused solutions to the federal government, announced today the appointment of Lauren Cates as vice president of business development for its Emerging Markets Group (EMG). Akima’s EMG delivers advanced technologies and digital solutions that enable federal clients to achieve peak performance. In this role, Cates will drive growth strategy and execution, expanding Akima’s market presence and delivering innovative, mission-critical technologies to government and military customers.

Cates brings more than 15 years of experience in federal contracting, with a proven track record leading high-performing teams, implementing scalable business development strategies, and achieving significant measurable growth.

“Lauren’s expertise in federal business development will be instrumental as we expand our capability offerings and strengthen our market position,” said Mike Alvarado, chief growth officer at Akima.

Previously, Cates led Indigo IT’s Growth team, securing major wins in cybersecurity, cloud, and enterprise IT services. She also spent more than a decade with the Bowhead Family of Companies, managing billion-dollar pipelines and consistently exceeding growth goals.

Cates holds a B.S. in journalism from the University of Florida and has completed Shipley training in federal proposal management.

About Akima
Akima is a global enterprise with over 11,000 employees, delivering solutions to the federal government in the core areas of advanced training and readiness solutions, information technology; facilities & ground logistics; aerospace solutions; protective services; systems engineering; mission support; furniture, fixtures & equipment (FF&E); and construction. As a subsidiary of NANA, an Alaska Native Corporation owned by more than 15,000 Iñupiat shareholders, Akima’s core mission is to enable superior outcomes for our customers’ missions while simultaneously creating a long-lived asset for NANA consistent with our Iñupiat values. In 2025, Akima ranked #31 on Washington Technology’s Top 100 list of government contractors. To learn more about Akima, visit www.akima.com.

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SOURCE Akima