Building a Better future Together

Aarish has been a leader in the federal contracting industry for over 20 years. Aarish is passionate about providing excellent service to customers and employee-owners while growing our impact by driving Highlight’s corporate strategy and growth plans.

Aarish began his career as a federal employee and contractor at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). In 2008, he joined OGSystems to lead their Business Development team. During his tenure, the company experienced remarkable growth, increasing revenue from $3M to $130M in 2019 with a Compound Annual Growth Rate of over 20% for the five years before their acquisition by Parsons. Aarish was critical in ensuring sustainable growth while preserving the company’s culture and employee welfare. After the acquisition, he became Executive Vice President for Parsons’ Space and Geospatial Solutions Market, helping to establish the company as an end-to-end geospatial provider. In 2020, Aarish became the Chief Growth Officer at Applied Information Sciences, helping them achieve a 20% average growth rate during his tenure. In 2022, he left AIS to establish an independent consulting firm specializing in developing growth strategies for small and mid-sized companies in the government contracting sector. In 2023, Aarish joined Highlight as Chief Executive Officer, driven by Highlight’s unique culture and mission.

In 2023, driven by Highlight’s unique culture and mission, Aarish joined Highlight as Chief Executive Officer, and in January 2026 he was elected to also serve as a member of Highlight’s Board of Directors.

Maxwell brings over 25 years of financial leadership experience in the government contracting industry, with a focus on Information Technology, Aerospace, Defense, and Professional Services sectors. He oversees all aspects of corporate finance, including Enterprise Resource Planning system management, financial reporting, internal controls, budgeting, and forecasting.

Throughout his career, Maxwell has driven strategic growth and operational excellence. At CALIBRE, he played a key role in scaling the company from $68M to $170M. At ERP International, he secured the organization’s first international subcontract, expanding its global footprint. He also led the creation of a multi-company shared services operation at Jefferson Consulting Group, streamlining financial and administrative functions across entities.

Maxwell holds an MBA in Finance from the University of Pittsburgh and a B.A. in Economics and International Studies from the University of the Pacific. He is a licensed CPA in Virginia, bringing both technical expertise and strategic insight to his leadership roles.

Fiona has been an essential member of the Highlight team for over six years. She has grown alongside the organization. When she first joined us, she was responsible for managing our Human Resources department as a Manager. Today, she is the Vice President of People & Culture, and her role has expanded to encompass a broad range of responsibilities. Fiona manages the entire employee lifecycle, from hiring and onboarding to offboarding, benefits administration, and facilitation of the overall employee experience. She also oversees compliance requirements, reporting, corporate training, and professional development programs. In 2023, she was recognized by HR Executive as an HR Rising Star among other emerging human resources professionals nationwide. Before joining Highlight, Fiona honed her skills in supporting the HR departments of ScienceLogic and Comprehensive Health Services.

Lia is an experienced leader in federal civilian operations with 12 years of experience in the government contracting industry. She serves as the Vice President of Highlight’s Health & Citizen Solutions group, overseeing the delivery teams tasked with developing solutions to ensure excellent delivery and impactful solutions for public health and federal civilian customers. Throughout her career, she has successfully managed and delivered large-scale projects for various federal agencies, including USAID, State Department, EPA, and SBA. Her passion is providing oversight support to Highlight’s professional services portfolio, where she focuses on ensuring that each customer receives top-quality services and is highly satisfied with the results. Lia’s commitment to excellence and meticulous attention to detail make her a valuable asset to every mission, and her expertise helps to ensure that every project is executed flawlessly from start to finish.

Elaine has over 21 years of experience providing initiation to closeout contract administration and management. As our Vice President of Contracts, she is responsible for all contract management and administration for Highlight’s prime and subcontract agreements. She spearheads our pricing operations and provides critical proposal support. Elaine began her contracting career as an Acquisitions Analyst supporting the U.S. Navy Standard Missile Office (PMS 422) and has worked for various government contractors since, providing vital aid to the Department of Defense. Elaine has supported multiple organizations, including Jacobs Engineering, AT&T Government Solutions, Sotera Defense Solutions, and InTec.  She received the Above and Beyond President’s Award in December 2009 and earned the President’s Award in October 2005 and December 2015.

Emilie Cordell is a seasoned FedIT Business Development leader with over 10+ years of experience, currently serving as Vice President of Solutions at Highlight Technologies. In this role, she oversees the capture and proposal lifecycle, working cross-functionally with business development and solutions teams to shape compelling responses for government clients.

Previously, Emilie was Director of Corporate Portfolio Development at Highlight, where she managed multimillion‑dollar pipelines, partnered with line‑of‑business and account leaders, and drove partner ecosystem relationships across platforms such as Salesforce, UiPath, AWS, Drupal, and ServiceNow. Her leadership in business development operations and partner management helped guide the firm’s strategic growth efforts.

Paul has been a Director on Highlight’s Board since January 2023 and was elected to serve as Chairperson beginning in January 2026. Paul has over 20 years of experience in mergers, acquisitions, capital formation, investment banking, and strategic planning with over $1B in completed transactions. In GovCon, he has served large and growth-stage companies, including their strategic and organic expansion into mid-tier full and open competition. Notable deals include Dovel Technologies’ acquisition by Macquarie Capital and Customer Value Partners’ acquisition of Atlas Research. Paul previously served as corporate development director at TASC. Currently he also serves on George Mason University’s Enterprise Advisory Board and clients in both civilian and national security domains. Additionally, he coaches rowing on the Potomac River.

Rebecca is the founder of Highlight Technologies and served as the Chairperson of the Board of Directors from 2022 – 2025. She has over 20 years of experience supporting the federal government in technology, security, and program management roles. Upon starting Highlight in 2008, Rebecca grew Highlight from a small, woman-owned business to a large prime contractor, and guided the company’s conversion to a 100% employee-owned company. Rebecca is former co-chair of the AFCEA Small Business Committee and currently serves as a volunteer for the AFCEA Mentor Protégé Program and Women Giving Back.

Wayne brings decades of experience and leadership supporting the Public Sector in the technology and professional services industries.  Most recently, he served as the CFO of Engility, as well as TASC prior to its merger with Engility (2010-2019).  He supported both the organic growth and the M&A activities for TASC/Engility up to its acquisition by SAIC in 2019. As CFO, he helped guide both companies through material events as the industry cycled through a severe downturn and subsequent organic growth, creating significant shareholder value for investors and employees. Mr. Rehberger has since served as a Director on several public and private Boards, including QTS Realty Trust, Fusion Telecom, and Pixelligent, and continues to serve as a Director of Abt Global and GTT Telecom.  Additionally, he served on the Advisory Board of SAP National Security Services.

Aarish has been a leader in the federal contracting industry for over 20 years. Aarish is passionate about providing excellent service to customers and employee-owners while growing our impact by driving Highlight’s corporate strategy and growth plans.

Aarish began his career as a federal employee and contractor at the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). In 2008, he joined OGSystems to lead their Business Development team. During his tenure, the company experienced remarkable growth, increasing revenue from $3M to $130M in 2019 with a Compound Annual Growth Rate of over 20% for the five years before their acquisition by Parsons. Aarish was critical in ensuring sustainable growth while preserving the company’s culture and employee welfare. After the acquisition, he became Executive Vice President for Parsons’ Space and Geospatial Solutions Market, helping to establish the company as an end-to-end geospatial provider. In 2020, Aarish became the Chief Growth Officer at Applied Information Sciences, helping them achieve a 20% average growth rate during his tenure. In 2022, he left AIS to establish an independent consulting firm specializing in developing growth strategies for small and mid-sized companies in the government contracting sector. In 2023, Aarish joined Highlight as Chief Executive Officer, driven by Highlight’s unique culture and mission.

In 2023, driven by Highlight’s unique culture and mission, Aarish joined Highlight as Chief Executive Officer, and in January 2026 he was elected to also serve as a member of Highlight’s Board of Directors.