Brad Smolek is a federal health and defense leader with deep experience in digital modernization and clinical and operational performance improvement. For the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the Defense Health Agency (DHA), and the Department of War (DoW), he helps turn mission needs into practical strategies that improve service delivery, strengthen operations, and support better decisions.
His background combines health systems engineering, program leadership, and solution design. He has led work in health IT, workflow redesign, analytics, logistics, training, and performance management. He has supported military treatment facilities and health organizations—visiting every U.S. Navy hospital in the world along the way—to improve patient flow, reduce wait times, strengthen governance, and apply data in day-to-day operations.
At Abt, Brad shapes technical approaches for digital and data-driven work in federal health and defense markets. He connects client priorities, partner capabilities, and technical teams to develop clear, compliant approaches grounded in real delivery conditions.
Before joining Abt, Brad held leadership roles at Huron, Reefpoint Group, Ernst & Young, Accenture, and UW Health. Across those roles, he helped win more than $200 million in federal work and supported major digital efforts in VA, DHA, Navy Medicine, and commercial health settings.
Expertise
- Federal and defense health
- Digital modernization
- Clinical and operational performance improvement
- AI, automation, and low-code platforms
- Acquisition strategy and capture
Certifications
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Secret Clearance (US Government)
- Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) Level 3 – Trained
- Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) – Trained
- ISO 9001 – Trained
- Association of Proposal Management Professionals (APMP) and Shipley – Trained
Education
- M.S., Health Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison
- B.S., Industrial and Systems Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison