About Richard A. Spires
Richard A. Spires’ background features leadership positions in both the public and private sectors.
- Chief Information Officer (CIO) of two of the largest federal government agencies
- Recognized change agent for large organizations
- Author of acclaimed book on supporting those in the technology field
- CEO of the one of the leading IT training companies
- Entrepreneur involved in multiple successful start-ups
Richard brings substantial experience in consulting for private sector companies and in working directly for government agencies.
Besides serving as CIO at both the IRS and U.S. Department of Homeland Security, he served in several leadership roles in the private sector, including president of Mantas, Inc. and CEO and a director of Learning Tree International. During his tenure at the IRS, he led the Business Systems Modernization (BSM) program, one of the largest technology modernization programs ever undertaken and that has served as a blueprint for organizational transformation. A theme that has run through his career has been using advanced technologies and operational systems to transform the way organizations function.
Richard is currently an independent consultant providing advice to companies and government agencies in strategy, digital transformation, operations, and business development. He also currently serves on the Board of Directors of MAXIMUS Federal, a leading federal system integrator, and RateReset Corporation, a leading provider of loan reset products serving the banking and credit union industries. He also serves on the Palo Alto Networks Public Sector Advisory Council, MetroStar Systems Advisory Board, and he recently served as the chairman of the board of ACT-IAC, a leading non-profit organization serving government IT.
Richard has won numerous awards for his leadership in IT, including the 2020 ACT-IAC Industry Executive Leadership Award, 2012 Fed 100 Government Executive Eagle Award, TechAmerica’s 2012 Government Executive of the Year, and Government Computer News 2011 Civilian Government Executive of the Year. He was inducted into The George Washington University Engineering Hall of Fame in 2019 and named a Distinguished Alumnus of the University of Cincinnati’s College of Engineering in 2006.
Richard received a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and a B.A. in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Cincinnati. He also holds an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from The George Washington University.
Richard lives in Virginia with his wife, Jackie. They have three adult children.
