Steve Karoly

Steve Karoly is a Strategic Advisor at GTSC. Steve Karoly as the company’s Executive Vice President. The former TSA executive is responsible for achieving the company’s overall strategic goals and collaborating with industry leaders committed to cutting-edge passenger and baggage screening. Most recently, Karoly was the transportation security expert for Vantage Airport Group, which invests in, develops and manages airports around the world. Prior to that, he was the Acting Assistant Administrator for the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Office of Requirements and Capabilities Analysis. Mr. Karoly served as TSA’s Acting Assistant Administrator for the Office of Requirements and Capabilities Analysis from December 2016 to March 2018. As the Acting Assistant Administrator, Karoly was a key management official responsible for assessing, analyzing, and identifying capabilities needed to meet TSA mission requirements. Karoly oversaw the Agency’s system risk analysis and modeling capabilities whose goal was to analyze and define operational baseline performance and determine capability gaps for TSA mission areas. Karoly was also responsible for identifying emerging technologies and capabilities to address the entire aviation security eco-system. Mr. Karoly also served as the TSA’s Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Security Capabilities where he oversaw the implementation and development, test and evaluation, acquisition, deployment and maintenance of all TSA security technologies and systems across multiple modes of transportation.  Mr. Karoly directly supported TSA's mission by providing security capabilities to the field and enhanced the effectiveness and efficiency of our nation's transportation systems through the qualification and deployment of security capabilities that drive the global standard for security. Prior to joining TSA, Mr. Karoly gained extensive experience in leading defense and security enterprises and delivering robust solutions and critical systems to other DHS components including the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).  As DNDO’s Acting Component Acquisition Executive (CAE) and Assistant Director for Product Acquisition and Deployment, Mr. Karoly was responsible to improve the Nation’s capability to detect and report unauthorized attempts to import, possess, store, develop, or transport nuclear or radiological material for use against the Nation, and to further enhance this capability over time.   He directed DNDO’s annual capital investments that included various radiological and nuclear (Rad/Nuc) detection programs and operation support programs and provided direction, guidance and supervision of all matters pertaining to the formulation, review, approval and execution of acquisition plans, policies and programs.  As CBP’s Chief Engineer and Director of Systems Engineering for the Office of Technology Innovation and Acquisition (OTIA), Mr. Karoly was responsible for identifying, developing and applying systems engineering principles and processes across CBP’s portfolio consisting of fifteen Level 1 thru 3 border security and trade facilitation programs and projects. Mr. Karoly directed all systems engineering activities including requirements analysis, design and development efforts which include modeling and simulation, verification and validation efforts which include developmental/operational test and evaluation, and transition/deployment activities. Prior to joining DHS, Mr. Karoly served in numerous capacities, to include Program Manager, Systems Engineer, and Systems Architect, within various DoD components to include the Joint Services, the US Navy, and the US Air Force. Mr. Karoly has over 30 years of experience as a technology integration leader and systems engineer with over twenty years in a leadership capacity.  He is a skillful and talented senior executive with a demonstrated record of leading change, leading people, cultivating strategic partnerships, accomplishing results, and solving complex issues at the agency level.  He is an innovative thinker and leader with achievement in strategic and operational change management, cutting-edge program development, strategic human capital and finance management, and executive level customer service. He is a certified DoD and DHS Level 3 Program Manager and DoD and DHS Level 3 Systems Engineer. He is an honor graduate of the United States Merchant Marine Academy and received his Master’s degree in Systems Engineering from Johns Hopkins University. Mr. Karoly is also a graduate from the Harvard College National Preparedness Leadership Initiative.