Kevin McAleenan

Chief Executive Officer BigBear.ai

Last Reviewed: September 25, 2026

Executive Summary

Kevin McAleenan is Chief Executive Officer and a director of BigBear.ai, the NYSE-listed defense and security AI company based in McLean, Virginia. He was appointed in January 2025. Before business, he spent almost two decades in government. He joined U.S. Customs and Border Protection as a career official in 2001, became the first career civil servant to be confirmed as its Commissioner in 2018, and served as Acting Secretary of Homeland Security in 2019. He then co-founded Pangiam, an identity and security software company, and when BigBear.ai bought it in 2024 he became President of the combined business. He was made CEO less than a year later. Since then BigBear.ai has made the largest acquisition in its history, Ask Sage, and paid down most of its convertible debt.

Career Highlights

• Chief Executive Officer and director of BigBear.ai since 15 January 2025, re-elected to the board in June 2026.
• President of BigBear.ai from the Pangiam acquisition in February 2024 until his appointment as CEO.
• Co-founded Pangiam and served as its Chairman and CEO from January 2020 until BigBear.ai acquired it.
• Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection from March 2018, the first career civil servant to be appointed and confirmed to the post.
• Acting Secretary of Homeland Security from April 2019, overseeing more than 240,000 employees across CBP, TSA, the Coast Guard, CISA and the Secret Service.
• Received the Presidential Rank Award in 2015 and a Service to America Medal in 2005.

Professional Journey

McAleenan studied political science at Amherst College and law at the University of Chicago, then practised law in California. In 2001 he joined U.S. Customs and Border Protection, where he spent the rest of his government career in border, trade and travel security. His DHS biography records postings including Area Port Director at Los Angeles International Airport from 2006 to 2008 and Acting Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Field Operations from December 2011. He became Deputy Commissioner in November 2014 and Acting Commissioner in January 2017. In March 2018 he was confirmed by the Senate as Commissioner, the first career civil servant to hold the post on confirmation. BigBear.ai’s filings credit him with work on the international arrival and departure process, counterterrorism and risk-management strategy, and the government’s single window for international trade, a project that spanned more than four dozen agencies.

In April 2019 he became Acting Secretary of Homeland Security, appointed by President Donald Trump. The department has more than 240,000 employees and includes CBP, the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the Secret Service.

After leaving government he co-founded Pangiam, where he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer from January 2020. Pangiam built identity and risk-management software, including biometric and AI tools, for government agencies and commercial customers. BigBear.ai agreed to acquire it in November 2023, and the deal took effect on 29 February 2024. At the closing BigBear.ai announced McAleenan as President of the combined company, responsible for its computer vision, simulation and modeling, and digital identity work.

On 15 January 2025 the board appointed him Chief Executive Officer and a director, succeeding Amanda Long. Peter Cannito chairs the board. As CEO, McAleenan has pursued acquisitions. BigBear.ai signed a merger agreement with Ask Sage, a generative-AI platform company, in November 2025 and closed it that December; the company calls it the largest acquisition in its history. It closed a second acquisition, CargoSeer, in January 2026. At the same time it settled about $125 million of convertible notes due 2029, mainly by converting them into shares. For the second quarter of 2026 BigBear.ai reported revenue of $36.7 million, up 13%, and cash and investments of about $410 million. McAleenan said the company was positioning itself for further “accretive, catalytic M&A”.

Education

Amherst College

Bachelor of Arts, Political Science

University of Chicago Law School

Juris Doctor