MCLEAN, Va., July 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Bluestone Investment Partners, LP (“Bluestone”), a McLean, Virginia-based private equity firm focused on investing in defense, intelligence, and federal technology solutions providers, announced today the formation of its Board of Advisors, which includes five renowned industry leaders. The Board will provide strategic guidance and subject matter expertise to Bluestone and its portfolio companies.
“Bluestone considers the defense and government services industry to be the leadership sector because it’s a community of outstanding leaders that are as committed to the mission and operating with integrity as they are to creating great companies. Our Board of Advisors fits this description perfectly. We look forward to their engagement with Bluestone and our portfolio companies,” said John Allen, Managing Partner of Bluestone.
The Bluestone Advisory Board members are:
Rene LaVigne: Mr. LaVigne is the CEO and co-founder of Iron Bow Technologies, a leading provider of technology solutions in the areas of IT modernization, workforce experience, digital transformation, and cyber security. Mr. LaVigne has led the company through multiple M&A transactions, growing the company to more than $1 billion in annual revenue. Mr. LaVigne co-founded Iron Bow after a successful career as president of Northrop Grumman Computing Systems, SVP of Federal Data Corporation, and 10 years with Ernst & Young.
Tom Mutryn: Most recently, Mr. Mutryn served as Chief Financial Officer for CACI International, a $6.6 billion dollar firm with over 22,000 employees supporting U.S. Federal government clients. Mr. Mutryn helped support the rapid growth of CACI from $2 billion to well over $6 billion in annual revenue, offering unique perspectives on the government contracting sector and executing successful M&A strategies. He previously served as the CFO for GTSI and US Airways.
General (Ret.) Gustave Perna: General Perna retired in 2021 after 38 years of honorable service to our Nation. During his distinguished military career, General Perna served as COO of Operation Warp Speed, was the 19th Commander of the U.S. Army Materiel Command (AMC) from 2016-2020, and served as the Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff, G-4. As the COO of Operation Warp Speed, General Perna managed an organization responsible for ensuring delivery of over 400M doses of vaccine to the American people in 13 months and securing production for over 1.6B doses. As AMC Commander, General Perna led one of the Army’s largest commands with 190,000 military, civilian, and contractor employees, in all 50 states and 152 countries.
Teresa Smetzer: Ms. Smetzer’s career has spanned both the public and private sectors, focused on accelerating the identification and adoption of industry leading digital technologies with the goal of modernizing, advancing, and transforming national security missions. She served 20 years at the CIA as a technical analyst, senior manager, and most recently as the Director of Digital Futures in the Directorate of Digital Innovation. She previously founded and led Jasmah Consulting until its sale to LMI. Earlier in her career, Ms. Smetzer served on the White House Commission on the the Intelligence Capabilities of the United States regarding Weapons of Mass Destruction. She is also the former VP of National Security Programs for Salesforce.
Colonel (Ret.) Jen Sovada: Colonel Sovada is a retired Air Force Officer whose career in Intelligence focused on higher-end technological capabilities. She’s held various positions in operational test, systems interoperability, and requirements definition. She served as the Chief of Talent Management for the Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) and Cyber Effects Operations, Headquarters, U.S. Air Force, where she was responsible for the career development of over 35,000 Airmen. She also served as the Special Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff for ISR and conducted outreach to the private sector, where she fostered communication and transparency to enable improved DoD, IC, and USAF strategy development, acquisition, tech advancements, and operational capability. She is currently the President of SandboxAQ’s Public Sector and was previously the Chief Futures Officer and SVP for the Intelligence Community start-up, MissionTech Solutions, which was acquired by Avantus Federal in 2020.
About Bluestone Investment Partners
Bluestone is a private equity firm investing exclusively in lower middle-market companies in the defense and government services arena. Bluestone’s principals have a long and successful track record owning, operating, investing in, and advising companies in the defense and government services sector. Please visit www.bluestoneinv.com for more information.
SOURCE Bluestone Investment Partners
