Board of Directors

Our Culture

Sequoia was founded in 2012 by passionate technologists who had two goals: (1) to deliver the best in software engineering to the National Security sector, and (2) to build a company that treated its people right. In the years since then Sequoia has not wavered from those goals.

Sequoia has attained status as a trusted provider of software engineering services to National Security customers and as a company with unparalleled benefits and culture.

Board of Directors

The Sequoia Team is committed to provide the best software engineering capabilities to the customers that depend on us! Employee owned from the beginning, Sequoia is led by individuals who balance deep experience in the National Security sector with an ongoing desire to learn, grow, and expand.

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Joseph R. Wright

Board Chairman

Mr. Wright currently is Executive Chairman of Sequoia’s Board of Directors. He is also Chairman of Altamira, Chairman of SNA, Chairman of Chart National’s Advisory Board, Chairman of 3 Investment Committees of ClearSky Funds, Executive Partner to Comvest Partners and is member of the Boards of Systems Control, and The Council of Chief Executives.
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T. Richard Stroupe, Jr.

Board Vice Chairman

Richard is the founder of Sequoia and the current Vice Chairman of Sequoia’s Board of Directors.  With over 25 years of experience serving the US Intelligence Community, Richard is a highly accomplished entrepreneurial leader with extensive experience in business startup/growth, board governance, system/software development, education, and technical consulting. 

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Joe Anderson

Board Member

Joe Anderson is a visionary leader with unparalleled global experience. He has a well-earned reputation of driving results and managing complexity while building teams and networks along the way.
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Daniel Batelka

Board Member / CEO

Passionate, highly accomplished leader with over 20 years of experience working in the Defense sector. Charged with developing and executing strategies to take Sequoia to the next level while navigating the constantly changing National Security and Defense government sectors.

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Chris Brady

Board Member

With over 35 years’ experience in private equity, corporate finance and capital markets, Chris focuses on identifying and building defense and intelligence portfolio companies. Chris serves as a director of several Chart portfolio companies and affiliates.
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John O'Connor

Board Member

Previously, Mr. O’Connor was Chairman of JP Morgan Alternative Asset Management, an Executive Partner of JP Morgan Partners, and a member of the Risk Management Committee of JP Morgan Chase. Mr. O’Connor is also CEO of Whitney Strategic Services which provides analytic and advisory support to Government and Corporate clients on geostrategic and global economic matters.

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Adam Rand

Board Member / COO

Skilled business leader and database engineer with over 20 years of experience in the National Security sector. Leverages strong communication and people skills to both lead day to day administration and operations, and also drive new growth.

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Rich Brown

Advisor

Vice Admiral Rich Brown is a senior defense operations leader with more than 35 years of experience leading transformation throughout the Navy. He ensured continuity of operations during the COVID-19 pandemic; led significant transformation in technical, training, and operations programs throughout his career; and designed, initiated, tracked, oversaw, and implemented the most comprehensive culture change ever achieved in the Navy
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Contact Us

Reach out to our team to discuss how we can partner with you, how Combine can accelerate your cloud workloads, or if you want to join our team!

Virginia Office

13241 Woodland Park Rd, Suite 230
Herndon, Virginia 20171
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Joseph R. Wright

Board Chairman

Mr. Wright currently is Executive Chairman of Sequoia’s Board of Directors. He is also Chairman of Altamira, Chairman of SNA, Chairman of Chart National’s Advisory Board, Chairman of 3 Investment Committees of ClearSky Funds, Executive Partner to Comvest Partners and is member of the Boards of Systems Control, and The Council of Chief Executives.

Under 4 presidents, Mr. Wright served in the U.S. Government, including President Reagan, as Deputy Secretary of Commerce and Deputy Director/Director of the Federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB). He received the Distinguished Citizens Award from President Reagan. He also held various executive positions in the Departments of Defense, Commerce and Agriculture, and has been a member of numerous Presidential Advisory Boards/Commissions.

In the private sector, he was Chairman of Intelsat, CEO of PanAmSat, Chairman of FedData, Chairman of GRC International, Executive Chairman of MTN Satellite Communications, CEO of Scientific Games, Co-Chairman of Baker & Taylor, Vice Chairman and Director of W. R. Grace and two subsidiaries, Senior Advisor to Providence Equity, Vice Chairman of Terremark, President of two Citibank subsidiaries, Vice President and Partner of Booz, Allen and Hamilton, in addition to director and executive positions in several other companies.

Mr. Wright and his wife, Ellen, live in New York City.

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Chris Brady

Board Member

Chris earned his B.A. from Middlebury College (1977) and his M.B.A. from Columbia University Graduate School of Business (1981). Chris spent fourteen years in the corporate finance and capital markets departments of Lehman Brothers and Dillon Read. Thereafter, he was a founding member of The Chart Group, formed in 1995. With over 35 years’ experience in private equity, corporate finance and capital markets, Chris focuses on identifying and building defense and intelligence portfolio companies. Chris serves as a director of several Chart portfolio companies and affiliates.

Chris, through Chart National, L.P. (CN), has invested in companies that work closely with defense, security and intelligence agencies tasked with critical missions.

Chris has also been actively channeling the resources of the business community to assist with defense, security and intelligence initiatives. Such projects include a venture with an affiliate of the US Army to commercialize their technologies and bring better commercial technologies to the warfighter; a leadership role with Warfighter Sports/DSUSA, a foundation dedicated to working with injured soldiers; and served as a member of the Transition Team for the US Army Secretary Dr. Francis Harvey. He has served in senior management positions in numerous New Jersey political campaigns, including Millicent Fenwick (1978), Christine Whitman (1991) and George H.W. Bush (1992).

Chris has been married for 41 years to Janet Stickley Brady. They have five grown children and six grandchildren.

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Joe Anderson

Board Member

Joe Anderson is a visionary leader with unparalleled global experience. Following a successful career in the US Army where he commanded Infantry units from company through Corps-level, Joe gained additional business and management experience with Wynnchurch Capital, Beacon Global Strategies, McKinsey & Company, Sequoia Holdings, Dataminr and SOS International. He has a well-earned reputation of driving results and managing complexity while building teams and networks along the way.

A graduate of the United States Military Academy, Joe also earned a Master of Science degree in Administration from Central Michigan University and a Master of Arts degree in National Security and Strategic Studies from the US Naval War College. Additionally, he attended the Senior Executive Education Course at the University of North Carolina’s Kenan-Flagler Business School. He is a visiting professor at Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism and the George Washington Library Leadership Institute.

Joe’s situational adaptability was evident as he fulfilled military roles that were equivalent to civilian Chief Operating Officer positions. His leadership experience is recognized internationally for honor, merit, service, peacekeeping and defense cooperation. His selfless service continues as a Director for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, Patton Veterans Project, Feherty’s Troops First Foundation and TRIBAL App.

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John O'Connor

Board Member

John M. B. O’Connor, 66, is Chairman & CEO of J.H. Whitney Investment Management, LLC. , a position he has held since January 2005. Previously, Mr. O’Connor was Chairman of JP Morgan Alternative Asset Management, an Executive Partner of JP Morgan Partners, and a member of the Risk Management Committee of JP Morgan Chase. Mr. O’Connor is also CEO of Whitney Strategic Services which provides analytic and advisory support to Government and Corporate clients on geostrategic and global economic matters.

Mr. O’Connor serves on the Board of Directors of numerous companies including:

  • Oceus Networks, LLC. Previously Ericsson Federal Services, The Company specializes in developing, integrating, and customizing technology for delivering access to fast, reliable broadband connectivity in mission-critical and business-essential operations
  • Sequoia Holdings, Inc., a software services and cloud computing engineering services company supporting the national security sector.
  • Boon Logic, Inc. a software development company specializing in advanced, unsupervised machine learning for industrial automation, healthcare and cyber security applications.
  • SixGen Inc. a premier provider of technical cyber services to the USG Government and Corporate clients
  • Global Guardian LLC., a global cyber and physical security services firm.

Mr. O’Connor is active in civic service and charitable activities serving on the advisory boards of the New York State Green Bank, the Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation, and Chairman of the American Friends of the Clock Tower Fund (a not-for-profit organization that supports active duty UK Special Forces regiment members and their families). He is a member emeritus of the Air Force Chief of Staff Civilian Leaders Board. He previously served as a member of the Senior Advisors Panel of both the United States European Command and the United States Southern Command and as a Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for New York from 2014 to 2019. He has served as a member of the Defense Business Board and as the Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army for NY(S). He is a recipient of the Department of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service, the Air Force Distinguished Public Service Award and the Department of the Navy Distinguished Civilian Service Award.

Mr. O’Connor earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Tulane University and a master’s in business administration degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Business.

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Rich Brown

Advisor

Vice Admiral Rich Brown is a senior defense operations leader with more than 35 years of experience leading transformation throughout the Navy. He ensured continuity of operations during the COVID-19 pandemic; led significant transformation in technical, training, and operations programs throughout his career; and designed, initiated, tracked, oversaw, and implemented the most comprehensive culture change ever achieved in the Navy. VADM Brown led the digital transformation and technical refresh of the Navy’s personnel system, completely revamped the surface warfare officer career path, brought surface warfare training into the 21st century, and created programs and policies that professionalized the surface warfare community. He has extensive expertise in operations, crisis management, risk management, leadership development, organizational design, organizational change management, information technology, digital transformation, and national security and decision-making.

VADM Brown was appointed Commander, Naval Surface Forces/Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet following the tragic destroyer collisions and loss of 17 sailors in 2017 in the Pacific. He was hand-selected to fix a deteriorating institution. He revamped the career and training continuum of over 6,500 Surface Warfare Officers, revitalized training regimens of the 162 surface ships and changed the culture of the Surface Force of over 55,000 sailors to a Culture of Excellence. He led a staff of 475 in the manning, training and equipping of the United States Navy’s Surface Ship Fleet, influencing a $40 billion annual enterprise-wide budget, and directly executing a $3 billion annual Naval Surface Force, U. S. Pacific Fleet budget. He directed detailed succession planning for Surface Warfare senior and flag officers, ensuring the right leader was available at the right time.

VADM Brown held seven command tours throughout his career to include the award-winning crews of USS The Sullivans (DDG 68) and USS Gettysburg (CG 64), Surface Warfare Officers School Command, Naval Service Training Command, Carrier Strike Group Eleven/NIMITZ Carrier Strike Group, Navy Personnel Command/Deputy Chief of Navy Personnel, and Naval Surface Forces/Naval Surface Force, U. S. Pacific Fleet. Brown also served as Executive Assistant to the Assistant Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs), the Honorable Juan M. Garcia, III.

VADM Brown currently serves as a Senior Advisor on the Board of Advisors for Scopa Industries Corp LLC, a Defense Company in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia exclusively privately owned and operated by Ajlan Brothers and Holding Company; on the Board of Advisors for Jacksonville JetPort, the premier FBO and gateway to Northeast Florida at Cecil Spaceport, the largest airport serving all military, corporate and private flying needs; on the Board of Advisors for Sequoia Holdings, LLC, a premier provider of cloud migration, application development, and software engineering services; as a Principal at Deepwater Point, a management consulting firm in civilian, defense, IC and health and life sciences; and as a Special Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer of the Jacksonville Electric Authority.

VADM Brown earned his BS in mathematics from the U.S. Naval Academy, his MS in operations research from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School, and his MA in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College. He has received numerous personal awards, including the Navy Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit (six awards), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Navy Commendation Medal (five awards) and Navy Achievement Medals (two awards)