Congratulations to Chief Information Officer Vasili Ikonomidis, who has been selected as a finalist for the 2021 Capital CIO of the Year “ORBIE” Award in the Washington, D.C, capital region. The ORBIE Awards is the premier technology executive recognition program in the United States, honoring chief information officers, and those in equivalent roles, who have demonstrated excellence in technology leadership.“

We are fortunate to have Vasili Ikonomidis as our CIO,” said Paul Dillahay, President and CEO of Empower AI. “His strategic vision to combine the most important technological advances with the complex needs of our customers and employees enables NCI to be a leader in the federal space. And his collaboration and servant leadership across the organization have a positive impact on everyone around him. We are proud to have him on our team.”

Dillahay noted that although Ikonomidis has been CIO at Empower AI for only two years, his impact to business operations, especially during the pandemic, have been significant. From upgrading Empower AI's cybersecurity program and ensuring employees could work from home safely in early 2020, to modernizing data center operations and implementing more connected platforms, Ikonomidis and his team have improved the technology experience for customers and employees alike. His team has also helped improve the company’s bottom line thanks to several technology efficiencies and a reduction in overhead expenses.

Since its inception in 1998, about 1,200 CIOs have been honored as finalists with more than 350 CIO of the Year winners receiving the prestigious ORBIE Award. Winners are selected by an independent peer review process, led by prior ORBIE recipients, based on criteria such as leadership and management effectiveness, as well as the business value each CIO has created through technology innovation. Engagement in industry and community endeavors is also a factor.