Welcome to RELI Group’s Leadership Spotlight series! In this series, we’ll delve into the background, passions and philosophies of some of Team RELI’s best and brightest minds. Each post includes the same five questions, offering a comprehensive glimpse into the folks that make RELI great.
In today’s Leadership Spotlight, meet Ryan Ferry, National Security Program Manager at RELI Group. Ryan brings nearly two decades of experience across government contracting, federal service and the private sector, with experience supporting agencies including the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Department of Defense (DOD). Throughout his career, he has focused on program management, operational efficiency and finding practical ways to strengthen mission delivery.
Can you share a pivotal moment in your career that influenced your path in government contracting?
I began my career in government contracting straight out of college in 2008, working in different capacities across agencies including DOD, Navy and DHS. A pivotal moment came in 2015, when I was managing two separate TSA projects, serving as a deputy program manager on one and a subject matter expert on another. A branch manager I worked with advocated for me to focus exclusively on the DHS TSA canine program and step into the program manager role.
It was my first opportunity to lead a program as the sole manager and gave me exposure to everything from personnel and financial management to logistics, long-term strategy, compliance and governance. Taking on that level of responsibility relatively early in my career accelerated my professional development and taught me a great deal about what effective program management looks like. Having someone recognize my potential and advocate for me made a lasting impact on my career and helped shape the leader I am today.
What drives your passion for working in government contracting?
What drives me is the opportunity to contribute to something larger than myself. After spending most of my career in the government sector, including five years as a federal employee, I briefly transitioned into the commercial sector. That experience reinforced how much I value the mission behind government work.
When you support organizations like FEMA, DOD and DHS, there is a direct connection between the work happening behind the scenes and protecting the American public. Whether someone is traveling through an airport, attending a major event or relying on emergency services, federal employees and contractors are working together to support those experiences. Being part of that larger mission gives me a sense of purpose in the work I do.
How do you approach leadership and team-building?
Listening and trust are the foundation of my approach to leadership. I try to understand where people are in their careers, what they want to accomplish and what they need personally and professionally. Everyone has different priorities, so effective leadership requires listening to those needs and finding opportunities that allow people to contribute and grow in ways that work for them.
I also believe trust has to be earned over time. Some of the relationships I built more than a decade ago remain part of my professional network today. Those relationships have reinforced the importance of communication, follow-through and mutual trust, whether I am leading a team or supporting one.
What innovations or trends in the government sector excite you the most?
I’m particularly interested in the increased focus on operational and cost efficiencies across government. Earlier in my career, I supported the Requirements and Capability Analysis Program within DHS, where we looked at how programs, processes and products could achieve their objectives more efficiently while balancing cost, performance and acceptable risk.
That mindset continues to interest me because innovation can take many forms. It might involve new technology or a digital solution, but it could also be improved communication or a simple process adjustment. I enjoy asking why and how we do something, then using data to determine how it can be done better and ultimately create greater value for the mission.
Can you discuss a project or initiative you’re particularly proud of?
I’m particularly proud of the work underway to apply the RELI Nexus Framework within our National Security portfolio. We’re using that framework to evaluate how processes, products and programs operate today and identify opportunities to improve how they operate moving forward.
What excites me most is the opportunity to look beyond immediate requirements and identify practical ways to create greater value. That could mean reducing time spent on manual processes, identifying opportunities for automation or making better use of existing resources. Ultimately, the goal is to help our customers operate more efficiently and focus their time and resources where they can have the greatest mission impact.