Barry Smallwood

Barry Smallwood serves as the president of Akima’s Emerging Markets Group, a portfolio of companies delivering advanced, state-of-the-art technology solutions to the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and various federal civilian government agencies. In this role, Barry is responsible for keeping Akima at the forefront of technology evolution, where he spearheads the development of pioneering innovations.

Barry joined Akima following a 16-year distinguished tenure with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). In his role at the DEA, he headed the Office of Special Intelligence System Engineering and Development and subsequently ascended to the role of associate deputy assistant administrator. In this capacity, he directed operations, engineering, and development for the Office of Information Systems, evolving technical capabilities vital to national security.

Barry’s professional journey in computer systems engineering spans over 25 years. He began his career in the private sector as a systems engineer, where he specialized in designing and maintaining field computer systems. He holds a bachelor’s degree in systems engineering from George Mason University.