Rancher Government Solutions Appoints Ryan Lewis as Chief Executive Officer

Rancher Government Solutions (RGS), the leader in secure Linux, Kubernetes and enterprise Open Source software for critical missions in the US Government, today announced the appointment of industry veteran Ryan Lewis as its new Chief Executive Officer.

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Ryan Lewis, CEO Rancher Government Solutions

Lewis brings a wealth of experience at the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI), national security, and tech innovation. Prior to joining RGS, he served as Partner at SRI Ventures, where he led investments and development in early-stage enterprise IT and AI companies, with a focus on dual-use technologies for both government and commercial markets.

“Ryan is exactly the leader we need at this moment,” said Dale Meyerrose, Chairman of the RGS Board. “Securing someone of Ryan’s caliber to lead RGS is a powerful testament to the strength of our company, mission, the quality of our team, technology, and the opportunity ahead of us.”

Lewis previously served as Senior Practice Manager for AI at Amazon Web Services (AWS) National Security and as a Senior Vice President at In-Q-Tell (IQT), where he founded and led an applied research lab focused on developing and open sourcing advanced AI capabilities.

“Ryan’s rare combination of technical and national security expertise make him uniquely qualified to lead RGS into its next phase of growth and impact,” said Heather McMahon, Interim CEO. “He understands how Open Source, containerized infrastructure, and AI are reshaping the defense and intelligence communities—and he’s a proven builder who knows how to deliver value at mission speed.”

Lewis joins RGS during a period of significant growth for the company as government agencies increasingly look to Rancher for help with modernizing their legacy IT infrastructures to break free from expensive, proprietary vertical stacks that limit innovation and transition to more modern, interoperable, Open Source, container and Kubernetes technologies.

“RGS sits at the nexus of Open Source innovation and national security impact,” said Ryan Lewis, CEO of Rancher Government Solutions. “I’m honored to lead this exceptional team as we build the future of mission-ready infrastructure for the US Government. The demand for secure, efficient, and open solutions has never been greater—and RGS is uniquely positioned to deliver them.”

In addition to his operational leadership, Lewis has served on advisory and independent boards for multiple AI startups, is a Digital Tech Mentor for NYU’s Endless Frontier Labs, and was the founding Chair of the Defense Technology Council for Global Corporate Venturing (GCV).

Lewis holds degrees from Truman State University, the University of Maryland School of Public Policy, and the MIT Sloan School of Management.

About Rancher Government Solutions

Rancher Government Solutions (RGS) provides enterprise-grade Linux, Kubernetes and container management solutions exclusively to the US Government. RGS ensures secure, supported, and scalable Open Source infrastructure tailored to mission-critical environments across US defense, intelligence, and civilian agencies.

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Ryan Lewis joins RGS during a period of significant growth for the company as government agencies increasingly look to Rancher for help with modernizing their legacy IT infrastructures to break free from expensive, proprietary vertical stacks.