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Charlie Kola Named Chief Financial Officer at Integrated Data Services

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  Published in Business and Finance on Friday, October 3rd 2025 at 19:46 GMT by GovCon Wire

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Integrated Data Services Appoints Charlie Kola as Chief Financial Officer Amid Expansion of DoD Data‑Integration Services

GovConWire, Oct. 3, 2025 – Integrated Data Services (IDS), a leading technology consulting firm that specializes in data integration, analytics, and cloud‑based solutions for the Department of Defense (DoD), announced on Thursday the appointment of Charlie Kola as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). The move comes as IDS continues to secure high‑profile contracts across the Air Force, Navy, and Space Force, while positioning itself to take advantage of the growing demand for data‑modernization initiatives in the federal government.

A seasoned executive joins a fast‑growing firm

Kola joins IDS from Booz Allen Hamilton, where he served as CFO of the Defense & Intelligence practice for three years. Prior to that, he was the Senior Vice President of Finance at Northrop Grumman’s Systems Engineering division, a role in which he managed a $2.3 billion operating budget and led a series of cost‑reduction initiatives that boosted profitability by 12 percent over a four‑year period. With more than 25 years of experience in government contracting, Kola brings deep expertise in financial strategy, risk management, and the complex regulatory environment that governs DoD contracts.

“Charlie’s track record of delivering disciplined financial oversight and his deep understanding of the federal contracting landscape make him a perfect fit for IDS as we scale our operations,” said Melissa Thompson, CEO of IDS, in a statement. “His leadership will help us maintain profitability while we aggressively pursue new opportunities in the growing data‑services market.”

IDS’s growth and recent contracts

IDS has become a go‑to partner for DoD agencies seeking to modernize legacy data architectures and adopt advanced analytics capabilities. In the past year, the company secured a $20 million contract with the U.S. Air Force for a comprehensive data‑integration program that includes the migration of legacy weather‑forecasting data to a cloud‑native platform. The firm also won a $15 million award from the Navy’s Fleet Cyber Command to develop a real‑time cyber‑threat intelligence dashboard for distributed edge networks.

The company’s revenues climbed from $190 million in FY 2023 to $245 million in FY 2024, an increase of 29 percent, while net margin expanded from 7.8 percent to 9.3 percent. IDS now employs approximately 850 professionals, with 65 percent of the workforce located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and the rest spread across Austin, Seattle, and New York.

“Financially, we are in a very strong position,” noted Thompson. “We have the capital and the talent to accelerate product development, deepen our capabilities in artificial intelligence, and expand our presence across the defense community.”

The CFO’s strategic priorities

Kola outlined a three‑point plan to support IDS’s continued growth. First, he will streamline the company’s financial reporting processes to provide real‑time insights into the status of over 30 active DoD contracts. Second, he intends to lead a capital‑efficiency initiative that focuses on renegotiating third‑party vendor contracts and optimizing headcount, with a target to reduce operating expenses by 5 percent over the next fiscal year. Finally, Kola plans to expand IDS’s investment in technology commercialization, including the acquisition of startups that specialize in machine‑learning–based data discovery and automated data‑governance frameworks.

“We are in a very dynamic market, and our CFO must be able to balance short‑term fiscal discipline with long‑term strategic investments,” said Thompson. “Charlie is uniquely positioned to lead this effort.”

Broader industry context

The appointment of Kola comes at a time when the federal government is aggressively pushing for a “data‑first” culture. The 2024 “Defense Data Modernization Initiative” (DDMI), led by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Research & Engineering (OSU(S)D R&E), calls for a $4.5 billion investment over the next five years to build modern data architectures, secure data pipelines, and foster advanced analytics. Companies like IDS, which already have a strong footprint in DoD data‑services, are poised to benefit from this shift.

In a related article on GovConWire, IDS was highlighted for winning the “Best Data Integration Vendor” award at the 2024 Defense Industry Conference. The award, which recognized IDS for its innovative use of hybrid cloud platforms and real‑time data pipelines, underscores the firm’s industry leadership.

Looking ahead

As IDS looks to expand beyond the DoD, the firm has already begun discussions with the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on data‑modernization projects. Kola’s expertise in managing cross‑agency contracts will be invaluable as the company navigates the intricacies of federal procurement across multiple departments.

“We see a future where data is the single source of truth for all federal agencies,” said Kola. “Our role is to build the infrastructure that makes that possible. With the right financial stewardship, we will deliver high‑value solutions to the government and secure sustainable growth for our stakeholders.”

The appointment of Charlie Kola as CFO marks a significant milestone for Integrated Data Services. With a proven track record in finance and government contracting, Kola’s leadership will help IDS maintain its rapid growth trajectory while ensuring that it remains compliant, profitable, and innovative in the rapidly evolving federal technology landscape.

For more on Integrated Data Services’ recent contracts, see the company’s press release on its website and the GovConWire coverage of the Air Force data‑integration program.