- ARA has tapped Kevin Pudliner to lead IC solutions
- Pudliner will drive ARA’s IC and federal growth
- The new VP brings over 25 years of national security tech experience
Kevin Pudliner, a national security research and development executive, has joined Applied Research Associates as vice president of intelligence community solutions.
What Is Pudliner’s Role at ARA?
ARA said Tuesday Pudliner will work to grow the company’s IC business and pursue new opportunities with other federal agencies.
Jim Kainz, senior VP of growth at ARA, said the appointment underscores the company’s focus on technical excellence and strategic leadership as it widens its support for intelligence and federal customers.
“Kevin Pudliner’s deep expertise and proven record leading advanced research and development will enhance our capabilities, strengthen complex programs, and inform key strategic initiatives as we align our efforts with the needs of our customers,” Kainz noted.
Who Is Kevin Pudliner?
Pudliner is a technology leader whose career spans over 25 years in research and development, program management, and software and systems engineering for national security clients. Before joining ARA, he spent nearly 24 years at Concurrent Technologies Corp., where he held various roles, according to his LinkedIn profile. He began his career as a systems engineer at Lockheed Martin from 2000 to 2003.
His areas of focus include artificial intelligence and machine learning, DevSecOps, cloud and edge computing architecture, and cybersecurity. He has overseen technical programs from early development through fielding and has headed cross-functional teams and large technology efforts for defense and intelligence organizations supporting operations in several domains.
Pudliner studied engineering at Pennsylvania State University, Saint Francis University and Robert Morris University and pursued doctoral-level work in electrical and computer engineering at the University of Pittsburgh. A certified Project Management Professional and Scrum Master, he is an Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers member.
What Is ARA?
ARA is an employee-owned science and engineering company serving the defense, homeland security, energy, aerospace, healthcare, transportation and manufacturing sectors. Its technical work includes defense technologies, computer software and simulation, and biomedical engineering.
Founded in 1979, the Albuquerque, New Mexico-based company has over 2,000 employee-owners across the U.S. and Canada.
Pudliner’s appointment follows several other leadership changes at ARA over the past year. In September 2025, the company named Curt Beckemeyer president and CEO and William Ratliff executive VP and chief operating officer.
In January, ARA promoted Maggie Gendron to VP of government relations and elevated James Myers to senior VP to lead corporate development.
In May, the company secured a $111.5 million indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract from the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory to support the Center for High Performance Computing. The following month, ARA achieved “awardable” status on the DARPA Expedited Research Innovation System Marketplace for its Cnidocyte-based Nanomaterial Isolation for Protein Recovery solution.
