Potomac Officers Club has secured two of the most influential public sector AI leaders in the market today as keynote speakers for its 2026 GovCon Executive Leadership Summit, underscoring the event’s ambition to become what many are calling the “Davos of GovCon.”
Joe Larson, vice president and head of government at OpenAI and a newly named 2026 Wash100 Award recipient, and Thiyagu Ramasamy, head of public sector at Anthropic, will deliver separate keynote addresses at the summit on Feb. 26. While the two executives represent different companies, their combined presence signals how central artificial intelligence has become to federal missions, government contracting strategy and executive decision-making across the public sector.
The GovCon Executive Leadership Summit marks Potomac Officers Club’s first all-industry event, bringing together senior leaders from across defense, civilian agencies, technology providers and professional services firms for a candid, executive-level exchange of ideas and strategies. Don’t miss this forum to connect with peers and competitors alike!
Why Is Potomac Officers Club Calling This the “Davos of GovCon”?
Potomac Officers Club is positioning the 2026 GovCon Executive Leadership Summit as a rare opportunity for leaders to step outside their individual market segments and compare notes with peers facing similar challenges across government.
Rather than focusing on a single agency or technology domain, the summit is designed as a cross-industry forum where executives can discuss leadership priorities, mission outcomes and long-term strategies shaping the future of GovCon. The goal is to foster the same kind of high-level dialogue and influence associated with global gatherings like the World Economic Forum in Davos, but tailored specifically to the government contracting ecosystem.
The addition of keynote speakers from OpenAI and Anthropic reinforces that ambition, placing frontier AI, policy and mission impact at the center of the conversation.
Who Is Joe Larson and Why Does His Keynote Matter?
As vice president and head of government at OpenAI, Joe Larson sits at the intersection of cutting-edge AI development and federal mission needs. He was named to the 2026 Wash100 Award list in recognition of his leadership and influence across government and industry.
Larson joined OpenAI in mid-2025 to lead its public sector business as the company deepened its engagement with federal agencies, including the launch of OpenAI for Government and the opening of its first Washington, D.C., office. Under his leadership, OpenAI has accelerated its efforts to work directly with policymakers, defense leaders and civilian agencies as AI adoption scales across government.
Before OpenAI, Larson served as senior vice president of national security operations at Anduril Industries and previously led the Pentagon’s Algorithmic Warfare efforts as chief of Project Maven within the Department of War’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office. He was a founding leader of Project Maven and helped shape how AI is integrated into military intelligence, surveillance and operational systems.
His career also includes senior roles at Palantir Technologies, Tulco Labs and Sidley Austin, as well as more than two decades of service in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve as an intelligence officer.
Given that background, Larson’s keynote is expected to address how frontier AI companies are partnering with government, what responsible AI deployment looks like at scale and how national security priorities are shaping the next phase of AI adoption in defense and civilian agencies.
What Perspective Will Anthropic’s Thiyagu Ramasamy Bring?
Thiyagu Ramasamy leads Anthropic’s public sector business at a time when the company is rapidly expanding its footprint across federal, defense and national security customers.
Anthropic has made headlines for releasing Claude Gov, a suite of AI models designed specifically for U.S. national security customers and classified environments. The company has also partnered with major government stakeholders to deploy AI tools across defense laboratories, civilian agencies and state and local governments.
Ramasamy brings more than a decade of federal AI and cloud experience to the role. Prior to joining Anthropic, he spent more than six years at Amazon Web Services, where he led data, analytics and AI/ML initiatives for public sector customers. Earlier in his career, he held senior technical and leadership roles at Accenture Federal Services, Grant Thornton and IBM.
His keynote is likely to focus on how government organizations can adopt AI safely and securely, the importance of trust and compliance in public sector AI deployments and what agencies should expect as AI capabilities move from pilots to mission-critical operations.
Why Does Booking Both OpenAI and Anthropic Signal a Shift for GovCon?
By featuring leaders from both OpenAI and Anthropic at the GovCon Executive Leadership Summit, Potomac Officers Club is highlighting a broader shift underway in the GovCon market. AI is no longer a niche technology discussed only in innovation labs or pilot programs. It is becoming a core component of acquisition strategies, mission execution and executive-level planning.
The presence of Larson and Ramasamy reflects growing competition and collaboration among AI providers seeking to support federal missions while navigating regulatory, ethical and security considerations. For GovCon executives, understanding how these companies think about partnerships, compliance and mission alignment is increasingly critical.
Attendees can expect insights into how commercial AI innovation is intersecting with government requirements and what that means for contractors, integrators and agency leaders alike.
How Can Executives Benefit From Attending the 2026 GovCon Executive Leadership Summit?
The 2026 GovCon Executive Leadership Summit is designed for senior leaders who want to stay ahead of transformational trends shaping government and industry.
In addition to keynote addresses from Larson and Ramasamy, the event offers opportunities for executives to engage with peers, exchange strategies and gain perspective on leadership challenges spanning defense, civilian and emerging technology sectors.
For leaders navigating AI adoption, regulatory uncertainty and evolving mission demands, the summit provides a rare forum to learn directly from those helping define the future of public sector AI.
Registration is now open for the Feb. 26 event, and Potomac Officers Club is encouraging GovCon leaders to secure their place at what it hopes will become a cornerstone gathering for the industry.
