The people behind Norseman

Toby Groff has led Norseman Defense Technologies since 2017, steering the company through a period of extraordinary growth while never losing sight of what matters most, delivering for the mission. With over 25 years in federal IT, Toby brings the rare combination of operational intensity and genuine customer empathy that defines Norseman's culture.

Before taking the helm, Toby built his career in the trenches of federal technology sales and leadership. He served as a Manager at NetApp delivering data storage solutions to the Department of Defense, and held progressively senior roles at CommVault and American Power Conversion, where he finished as Director of U.S. Public Sector Outside Sales. He joined Norseman in 2012, drawn by the company's founder-led culture and its relentless focus on solving real problems for real warfighters. Under his leadership, Norseman has expanded from a focused defense reseller into a full-spectrum IT solutions integrator serving federal, intelligence, and commercial customers nationwide. Toby is a West Virginia University alumnus and lives in Sarasota, FL with his wife and two children.

Chris Geros is the founder of Norseman Defense Technologies and the financial architect behind more than three decades of sustained growth. As CFO, he ensures that every dollar invested in Norseman's capabilities translates directly into mission value for the customers who depend on the company.

Chris built Norseman from the ground up with a simple conviction: that government customers deserve a partner who treats their budgets with the same discipline they bring to their missions. His financial stewardship has enabled Norseman to scale while maintaining the agility and responsiveness that larger competitors simply cannot match. With over 30 years of experience serving the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and Civilian agencies, Chris brings deep institutional knowledge of federal procurement and the financial rigor to back it up. He is a University of Maryland alumnus with a B.S. in Finance and a minor in Economics, and resides in Bethesda, MD with his wife of over 30 years and six children.

Dave Hoon was named Chief Technology Officer in March 2021, bringing more than 25 years of hands-on experience to the role. He is the driving force behind Norseman's technology strategy, from AI-powered operations to tactical edge computing, always grounding innovation in what actually works for the mission.

Dave's career is defined by a rare breadth of experience that spans every layer of the technology stack and every corner of the federal landscape. He has served as a Department of Defense Program Manager, a Federal Service Integrator consultant, a Commercial Telecom Migration Specialist, and a State/Local/K-12 network engineer. He joined Norseman in 2015 as an Account Executive and quickly distinguished himself by building trusted relationships across industry and government. His approach to technology is pragmatic and customer-first: he balances existing investments, budget realities, sustainment resources, and business objectives to architect solutions that don't just work on paper, they work in the field. Under his leadership, Norseman has launched AI integration strategies, modernized its digital presence, and developed cutting-edge product capabilities including Odin's Edge for tactical edge AI. Dave lives in a rural community in northern Maryland with his wife and three children.

John Carretta is Norseman's Chief Operating Officer and runs the operation that turns the company's promise into delivery. He has led the Norseman services organization supporting DISA, the Navy, the Air Force, NIWC, and civilian agencies, making sure every engagement meets the standard the mission demands: hardened, compliant, and on time. For nearly 40 years, John has worked by one conviction: a mission is only as strong as the operation behind it.

John joined Norseman in 2014 with a career that already spanned both of the worlds Norseman connects. He has led and supported programs at the heart of the federal mission, including NASA's Space Station Freedom, the Defense Travel System, and Air Force Medical Systems. He also supported enterprise operations for the American Red Cross and for Winterthur Life & Pensions in Switzerland, where he learned how commercial organizations move fast and scale. That combination is his differentiator: he brings commercial best practices such as ITIL, agile, and CMMI to federal programs, and the security rigor of defense work to commercial customers. John holds an M.S. in Information Technology from Capella University and a B.A. in Public Administration from Elon University, and is a certified PMP and ITIL Expert. After more than 20 years in the Washington, DC area, he relocated to Charleston, SC, where he lives with his wife of 26 years and their three children.

Keven Thomas leads Norseman's Department of War practice with the authority that only comes from 33+ years of serving defense customers. He understands the warfighter's technology challenges at a visceral level, and he builds teams that deliver solutions with the urgency and precision the mission demands.

Keven joined Norseman in 2015 after building an exceptional career across the defense IT landscape. He served as a Senior Account Manager at NetApp delivering data storage solutions to the Department of Defense, and spent seven years at American Power Conversion providing physical data center infrastructure solutions to defense customers. His federal IT career began at Falcon Microsystems in 1988, giving him a depth of institutional knowledge in defense procurement and technology evolution that few can match. Keven's core strength is his ability to translate complex customer requirements into actionable technology strategies, and then execute flawlessly. He lives in Annapolis, MD with his wife and two children.

Josh Garner leads Norseman's Intelligence Community practice and serves as the company's FSO/ITSPO, overseeing its security posture. For over 16 years, Josh has been the person the IC turns to when they need technology problems solved, not next quarter, but now.

Josh was initially hired to build business as an Account Executive within FEMA, DISA, and NAVAIR. His early success caught attention, and in 2009 he was asked to join the Intelligence team to help grow that critical practice area. He seized the opportunity and never looked back. His philosophy is straightforward: work with new technologies, understand the customer's actual business problem, and solve it. That approach has made him one of the most trusted voices in IC technology partnerships. Josh holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Towson University and, except for a seven-year stint in Colorado after college, has spent his life in Maryland. He is married with three children.

Judd Long brings over 20 years of enterprise IT sales experience to Norseman's Federal Civilian practice. He has built his career on a principle that sounds simple but is remarkably rare: forge genuine partner relationships, earn customer loyalty through results, and never stop putting the customer first.

Judd joined Norseman in 2018 as Vice President of Civilian Sales after a distinguished career that included a decade at Commvault, where he rose to Director of U.S. Civilian Sales, and leadership positions at CDW-G and Dell. His core competencies span enterprise data management, storage and computing, and IT services, but his real differentiator is his ability to build and lead teams that consistently over-deliver. He is a graduate of Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and spent the first 20 years of his career in Chicago before relocating to the Washington, DC area. He currently lives in Bethesda, MD with his wife and two children.

Kevin Kreider joined Norseman in 2014 and has since become the operational backbone of the company's sales engine. As Vice President of Commercial Sales and Sales Operations, he manages the teams that deliver personalized service to government and commercial customers alike, with a relentless focus on speed, accuracy, and customer care.

Kevin brought over 20 years of sales and business operations experience to Norseman, including a background that sets him apart from typical IT sales leaders. Before joining the company, he spent 14 years in the real estate industry, most recently as Vice President of Sales for a nationwide mortgage and real estate broker, where he expanded the company's territory from a single state to nationwide operations, increasing revenue by 500%. That growth mindset and operational discipline translate directly into how he runs Norseman's sales operations today. Kevin is an alumnus of Towson University with a double major in Marketing and Finance. Born and raised in northeastern Maryland, he now calls the Annapolis area home with his wife and two daughters.

Becky Howard serves as Vice President of Channel at Norseman Defense Technologies, where she leads the company's indirect go-to-market strategy across federal and commercial markets. With more than 21 years in federal IT and 15 years dedicated to channel sales, Becky focuses on scaling indirect revenue, expanding OEM partnerships, and strengthening Norseman's partner ecosystem to drive sustained growth.

Since stepping into leadership, she has launched new OEM partnerships and further formalized and scaled the company's channel program, helping position Norseman for its next phase of strategic, partner-led growth. Known for her candid leadership style and high accountability standards, Becky works cross-functionally with sales, executives, and partners to ensure clarity, performance, and measurable outcomes. Her approach blends deep federal market expertise with disciplined channel execution, emphasizing long-term partnerships, operational rigor, and scalable growth. Based in Colorado, Becky is an avid 14er hiker and snowboarder. She and her engineer husband are raising four children across the country, keeping life dynamic both professionally and personally.

Tommy Melton is the hands-on engineering leader who ensures that every solution Norseman proposes actually works in the real world. With over 20 years of experience designing, implementing, and supporting IT infrastructures from desktop to WAN, Tommy is the bridge between what customers need and what technology can deliver.

Tommy joined Norseman in 2013 as an IT engineer and was promoted to Director of Engineering within a year, a testament to his immediate impact. Before Norseman, he spent five years supporting the Air Force Medical community as a lead engineer, racking up achievements that included implementations of server virtualization, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, Virtual Storage Platforms, and the Health Services Data Warehouse. At Norseman, Tommy has supported countless customer initiatives and built the Norseman Demo Lab, a showcase environment where customers can test-drive vendor technologies and Norseman solutions before committing. He leads his team with the same philosophy: prove it works before you promise it works. Tommy lives in Phoenix, AZ with his wife and five children.

Beth Smith has been with Norseman since 1999, longer than almost anyone, and serves as Financial Controller with over 20 years of experience in accounting, operations, financial analysis, and audit relations. She is the steady hand that keeps Norseman's financial operations running with precision.

Beth is responsible for company-wide accounting and financial reporting, and oversees corporate finance, treasury, accounts payable, payroll, revenue management, purchasing, human resources, tax and risk management, and internal audit. She also plays a key role in Norseman's process creation and operations management. Her career at Norseman is a story of earned growth: she started as a Collections Representative, advanced through Accounts Payable Clerk, Payroll Clerk, and Bookkeeper before being named Comptroller. Before Norseman, she began her career at Dish Network in the accounting department handling vendor collections, cash application, and cash management. Beth holds a bachelor's degree in Accountancy from Strayer University. She grew up in Central New York and has lived in the Washington, DC area for over 22 years, currently residing in Hanover, MD with her husband and four children.