About us

Michelle Matthews is the President of Garud, providing vision, strategic leadership and oversight of the company by working with the Chief Operating Officer, the Director of Business Operations and the Senior Vice Presidents to establish long-range goals, growth strategies, plans and policies. She brings over 15 years of consulting and leadership experience and has built a career on providing delivery excellence for clients and the development of people.

Prior to joining Garud, Michelle held several leadership roles at QinetiQ US (Formerly Avantus Federal), Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), Alion Science & Technology, and Booz Allen Hamilton.

Michelle holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of Sciences in Management and Acquisition / Supply Chain Management and a Bachelor of Sciences in Physical Sciences from University of Maryland. She has held a Program Management Professional (PMP) certification since 2014.

As Garud’s COO, Rajiv works closely with the President to formulate growth strategies and the supporting business development plans that enable the company’s vision. He oversees day-to-day operations of the company and coordinates execution and customer advocacy with the Director of Business Operations and the Senior Vice President.

Rajiv has over 30 years of experience working in various management and technical positions in the area of business development, program management and as a chief technologist. He has been part of technical solutions for very complex and pressing security needs in both infrastructure and container security applications. He has been an invited speaker as a subject matter expert to address specialized technical applications, particularly in the area of national security challenges and how emerging technology can provide solutions to technical and operational needs.

He holds both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Mining Engineering, and a Master’s degree in Computer Science and Management.

Rajiv and Neelam have been married for 36 years and they have two sons, Kunal and Rahul.

Chris Gallagher is the current Chief of Staff of Garud, providing leadership, strategic guidance, and operational excellence by linking corporate goals and delivery expectations into a unified execution approach.  He brings over 30 years of experience in the areas of Leadership, Program Management, Financial Management, and Operations.

Prior to joining Garud, Chris completed a 22-year Naval career with a dedication to process improvement and personnel development.  Retiring in 2014, he began working in industry for a small company as a Senior Program Manager, and he ultimately became the director of a $35M DoD portfolio that he helped both capture and then execute.  Chris holds a Master of Civil Engineering from North Carolina state University and a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a registered professional engineer, a certified PMP, and former warranted contracting officer. 

As the Senior Vice President, Dan is an advisor to the President and COO on company financial goals and objectives and oversees the execution of Garud’s business plan. He cultivates a broad network of public and private sector partnerships, geared to help Garud maintain its role as a leading provider of technical and operational support services to both the federal and private sectors. Dan provides leadership and oversight of the company’s business development efforts, helping to integrate and synchronize these efforts in light of our goals, objectives and plans.

Dan has over 30 years of experience in the public and private sector leading technical programs and organizations as well as integrated global government mission operations.

He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from Penn State, a Master of Science in Aerospace and Ocean Engineering from Virginia Tech and is a civilian graduate of the National War College.

Rob is a key member of Garud’s executive management team who, in close coordination with the Chief Operating Officer, formulates and drives the overall strategy and management of the company. He leads program management and execution, new program development and oversight, program integration, and is responsible for meeting program/project goals and objectives.

Rob is a senior acquisition professional with more than 30 years of demonstrated success in the support of DoD and DHS Research, Development, Test and Evaluation (RDT&E) initiatives including Basic and Applied Research, Technology Demonstrations/Experimentation and prototype efforts, as well as several oversight programs of record.

He is a retired Naval Officer of 25 years with functional expertise in Submarine Warfare, Diving and Salvage, Mine Warfare, Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), Naval Coastal Warfare, and expeditionary operations. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering Technology and a Master of Art degree in National Security Affairs and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College.

Rob and Celia have been married for 30 years and they have two sons, Robert and Armando, who are proudly serving in the United States Marine Corps and United States Air Force, respectively.

Sarah has a Master of Business Administration, Bachelor’s in Management, and an Associates in Human Resource Management. She has obtained SHRM-CP, PMP, PSM, FSO and Six-Sigma Green belt certifications. Sarah is a U.S. Army veteran and has over 20 years of management and DOD support.

Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling and being outdoors with her many pets.

Ryan Foley is the Director of Finance at Garud, where he is responsible for overseeing the company’s core financial functions. In his role, Ryan provides leadership in financial planning & analysis (FP&A), pricing, and program operations, driving strategies to ensure financial growth and stability for the company.

Before joining Garud, Ryan held leadership positions in pricing and FP&A at several high-growth professional service organizations, where he was instrumental in guiding financial strategy and performance.

Ryan holds a B.S. in Finance from East Carolina University and currently resides in Nashville, TN.

Since July of 2023, Amy has been the Chairperson of the Garud Technology Services Board of Directors and works closely with the owners, executives and other Board of Directors at Garud while executing her duties.  She is also the Chief Business Officer for the North American region for ELEKS and is responsible for delivering exceptional customer service and value to over 60 commercial and government clients.

Amy has more than 30 years of experience supporting the United States Department of Defense in various capacities supporting national security with technical and service-based solutions. Before joining ELEKS and Garud, Amy founded Operational Intelligence LLC in 2008, and helped build it from a startup into a well-respected small business providing analytical and technical operational capabilities to various United States government clients.  She has also worked for SAIC, Avantus and the United States as a government civilian for the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Amy holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management and a Master of Science in Strategic Intelligence. She proudly served in the United States Air Force on both active duty and reserves in various parts of the intelligence field for nearly 23 years. She proudly retired for the United States Air Force Reserves in 2015 as an Intelligence Officer serving on the Joint Staff at the Pentagon.

Mike Decker has over 40 years of experience in defense and intelligence plans and operations.  He has served as the Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Intelligence Oversight and as Director and Assistant Director of Intelligence for the United States Marine Corps.  He is the recipient of the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal.

After military and government service, Mike served as the Director of Intelligence and Security Programs at Operational Intelligence, LLC, a QinetiQ-US company, as the Director, Marine Forces Programs at the RAND Corporation, and as a Senior Fellow at the Institute for Defense Analysis.  Mike has served as a Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency-approved Outside Director, as a Director for the Intelligence and National Security Alliance (INSA), and on the AFCEA Intelligence Committee.

Early in his Marine Corps career, Mike served as an infantry officer during expeditionary operations in the Mediterranean and Caribbean Seas, including a deployment to Beirut, Lebanon, as part of the Multinational Force in Lebanon.  Mike also served as an intelligence officer with a Marine Expeditionary Unit in the Western Pacific and with a Marine Expeditionary Force supporting Central Command.  Mike deployed to Saudi Arabia as a senior intelligence analyst during the Gulf War, for which he received the Bronze Star Medal.

38+ years of civilian experience in Intelligence, Security, Policy, Programs, Budget, and Organizational Management across the Department of the Air Force and the Offices of the Secretary of Defense.  24+ years as a Defense Intelligence Senior Executive (DISES III +15 years).  Career assignments: Deputy Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence (Technical Collection and Analysis), Office of the Secretary of Defense; Director, Concepts, Development, and Management Office (CDM), Office of the Administrative Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force.

Developed and managed a broad portfolio of National Security programs, projects, and activities addressing technical, operational, and policy challenges for the Defense Intelligence Enterprise and the Department of Defense. Drove complex problem-solving and provided oversight of assigned organizations, programs, and developmental activities enabling Great Power Competition, advanced data analytics, economic statecraft, and special operations.

Proven excellence: driving organizational and mission strategies; sensing, interpreting, and forecasting political, operational, and organizational risks; identifying, innovating, and shaping tactical and strategic opportunities; cultivating and driving strategic partnerships and alliances.