Ricky L. Yost (Rick) is a seasoned program management executive with over 20 years of leadership experience in federal and commercial sectors. With more than 25 years of expertise in managing hardware and software programs, Rick has led diverse teams on U.S. Army, Navy, and Marine Corps contracts. As a program manager for a segment of the U.S. Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) initiative, he directed a 21-person engineering team in designing, developing, and delivering a semi-automated tactical planning system to the U.S. Army and Marines. Rick’s professional background includes roles at PayPal and Google, where he gained experience in risk management and cloud security.
In addition to his program management achievements, Rick has co-founded several startups, including ventures in cybersecurity, reputation management, veteran advocacy, and AI-driven copy editing. His leadership roots stem from his 12-year tenure as a U.S. Army cavalry and information systems officer, during which he earned distinguished honors such as Airborne Ranger qualification, two Meritorious Service Medals, and a Bronze Star.
Rick holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Management from the University of South Dakota, an MBA in Decision and Information Sciences from the University of Florida, and a Juris Doctorate from American University Washington College of Law. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) through the Project Management Institute, a licensed attorney with the Virginia State Bar, and a recent graduate of the Coding Dojo's Full Stack Developer program.More...