Axle's Leadership Team

Vidya Chari Sharma, a distinguished entrepreneur and the visionary co-founder of Axle, has been pivotal in steering the company towards providing innovative solutions to an array of federal and commercial clients with her strategic foresight and leadership. Over the past two decades, Vidya's journey with Axle has been characterized by innovation, strategic growth, and operational excellence, significantly enhancing the company’s effectiveness, efficiency, and profitability. Her prior endeavor, Axiom Sources LLC, flourished under her guidance into a renowned Woman-Owned Small Business, benefiting greatly from her vast industry expertise and global operational acumen. Under Vidya's guidance, Axle has achieved substantial growth, securing a vital position in the federal contracting domain and pushing the boundaries in scientific and technology solutions. Her direct involvement in corporate development and her meticulous attention to operations and financial management have established Axle Informatics as a model of industry excellence. Her people-first management philosophy not only propels her teams toward success but also nurtures a culture of integrity, respect, responsiveness, technical innovation, and satisfaction among employees and clients alike. Driven by a profound belief in the transformative potential of technology and science, Vidya is committed to catalyzing innovation within Axle. She envisions a future where Axle continues to set industry benchmarks and pioneer revolutionary solutions. Vidya fosters a company culture that empowers the organization to achieve and surpass its goals, emphasizing the importance of conveying the mission to all staff, motivating improvement, recognizing achievements, and overseeing the operations crucial for the measurement, assessment, and enhancement of the organization’s performance.

Gary Mays is the seasoned Chief Operating Officer at Axle, where his broad expertise spans the public and private sectors, enhancing collaborations between business leaders and government executives to foster the growth of new and emerging research platforms. With a distinguished career over three decades in health, defense, energy, and telecommunications, Gary has excelled in driving outcomes through strategic planning, adept financial management, and the implementation of cutting-edge technologies. His federal experience includes overseeing operational programs with budgets exceeding $5 billion and personnel of 5,000, underscoring his proficiency in managing large-scale operations and budgets efficiently. Gary's accomplishments are rooted in his contributions to domestic and international research and development programs, aimed at bolstering economic and public health outcomes. He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and holds Senior Executive Service (SES) certification from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, highlighting his leadership excellence and commitment to advancing organizational success. At the helm of Axle's operations, Gary is focused on leveraging technology to expedite scientific discoveries, particularly aiming to advance point of care treatments globally. His dedication to work excellence, innovation, and impactful contributions to healthcare embodies his visionary approach to leading Axle towards creating a positive difference in the world.

Eric Henson, serving as the Director of Corporate Operations at Axle, brings an impressive breadth of expertise and experience in strategic program management and operational optimization to the table. With a rich background that spans across various facets of business operations and management, Eric's innovative leadership and strategic foresight have been instrumental in redefining Axle's operational framework. His approach, characterized by a deep commitment to operational excellence and efficiency, works in close synergy with the Executive Leadership at Axle. This partnership has led to transformative outcomes in the company's scale, performance, and efficiency, significantly influencing Axle's trajectory and growth. Before joining Axle, Eric's career journey included significant roles at Deloitte Consulting and American Management Systems, where he sharpened his skills in program delivery, team empowerment, and operational efficiency. At Axle, Eric's leadership has catalyzed transformative enhancements, driving initiatives that markedly improved functions such as Human Resources and Talent Acquisition, alongside revamping internal systems. His contributions have been vital in the corporation's strategic planning, playing a critical role in steering its direction and growth. Eric's pivotal role prior to Axle involved expanding consulting practices, delivering large-scale government programs, and fostering effective teams, which not only increased corporate value but also established a solid foundation for his significant contributions at Axle. Beyond the professional realm, Eric places high value on spending quality time with family and friends. He is deeply committed to fostering a culture of adaptability, strong teamwork, and innovation within Axle to adeptly meet the evolving challenges of the business landscape. Through his visionary leadership, Eric Henson continues to be a driving force behind Axle's success, shaping the company's future with a focus on sustainable growth and operational excellence.

Jason Callahan is a dynamic Strategic Growth Director at Axle Informatics with over 15 years of experience in the Federal services sector. His leadership and strategic vision have been crucial in driving the company's direction, focusing on business development and marketing efforts in close collaboration with Axle's Executive Leadership. Jason's hands-on leadership style and profound understanding of market dynamics have enabled him to effectively navigate the industry's challenges, driving significant growth and enhancing client outcomes. Prior to Axle, he held various high-impact roles within the Federal contracting industry, bringing a wealth of experience and a strategic analytical framework to his role, thanks to his MBA from George Mason University. Jason's tenure at Axle Informatics is distinguished by enhanced contract acquisition, sustained customer loyalty, and the achievement of ambitious business expansion goals through strategic planning and execution. Beyond his professional achievements, Jason is deeply committed to leading a balanced life, enjoying the outdoors, spending quality time with his family, and contributing to his community by coaching youth basketball. This blend of professional success and personal fulfillment showcases his ability to inspire and lead in all aspects of life. Connect with Jason on LinkedIn to explore his professional journey and impact on Axle Informatics and the Federal services sector.

Catherine H.K. Bell serves as VP and Head of Corporate Development at Axle. As a transformative leader, Catherine drives Axle’s inorganic growth strategies, as well as operational optimization, incubation, and integration efforts, as part of Axle's senior leadership team. Over the past years, Catherine has spearheaded the seamless integration of acquisitions, totaling over $800 million in capital deployed, across public and private sectors in health, energy, environment, and technology. Outside of her Corporate Development roles, she has extensive experience leading over $1.3 billion in organizational, strategic transformations, and is known for her aptitude to challenge assumptions, pioneer new thoughts, revitalize businesses, and guide through enterprise-wide change, all with a people-centric mentality at heart. Born and raised in the DC Metropolitan area, Catherine is an alumna of both the Kellogg School of Management and University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business, and she dedicates her time with the community as a Board and committee member of Arts for the Aging, a non-profit dedicated to providing older adults with creative artistic outlets, to build and maintain physical, cognitive, and emotional health and well-being. Catherine also supports the Smith School of Business as an Advisory Council member for their Master of Science Marketing Analytics program, and as a guest instructor for their Master’s and Bachelor’s Business Communications classes since 2021. Beyond the professional realm, Catherine is the central hub for friends and family, bringing people together over good food and good company, and in her downtime, she enjoys long walks with her family and two Dobermans, Khaleesi and Apollo.

Naved Enayet is responsible for leading and managing Axle’s Contracts and Compliance department, the group that has primary responsibility for contract negotiation and administration for the organization’s broad portfolio of projects and funding agencies. Naved has 27 years of experience in the US Government Contracts and Procurement, working at various nongovernment, nonprofit, and commercial organizations. He provides contractual, procurement, compliance, and pricing management and administration on complex US Government funded contracts, working closely with extended project teams. He is also a manager and team leader who is experienced in forming, leading, and supervising operational and enterprise service groups that support project financial management implementation, as well as in leading and facilitating cross-functional, process improvement teams. Before joining Axle Informatics, Naved worked for various organizations including World Fuels Inc., Analytic Services, Abt Associates, and Development Alternatives Inc. For these organizations, he provided contractual, compliance and cost proposal operational management and administration. His experience includes extensive involvement in proposing and implementing contracts for multiple clients, including Department of Defense, U.S. Agency for International Development, Department of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services and various foundations and charitable organizations. Naved has a bachelor’s degree in accounting from Rochester Institute of Technology and a master’s degree in finance from University of Baltimore.

Introducing Nathan Hotling, our Senior Data Scientist at Axle. With a PhD in Biomedical Engineering and a master's in clinical research from the Georgia Institute of Technology and Emory University, Nathan brings unparalleled expertise to our team. Previously, Nathan led groundbreaking research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Eye Institute (NEI), pioneering platforms for high-content image analysis. Now, Nathan spearheads Axle's efforts in developing next-gen artificially intelligent image analysis tools. With a focus on revolutionizing cell analysis through innovative machine learning techniques, Nathan is driving us towards a future of groundbreaking discoveries.

Wunmi Omotayo is the accomplished Director of Programs and Operations at Axle, boasting over fifteen years of experience across diverse sectors, with a particular emphasis on enhancing operational efficiency and program management. With a Master of Public Health from Rutgers University and PMP certification, her expertise encompasses overseeing significant NIH contracts, including SOAR and PSTSS, where she leads the Axle program team responsible for more than 350 employees, exemplifying her adeptness at managing large teams and complex operations. Before her tenure at Axle, Wunmi played a pivotal role at the National Quality Forum (NQF) in Washington, DC, a key player in enhancing healthcare quality through measurement. There, she led the organization's largest department, overseeing finance, human resources, IT, and procurement, and was instrumental in creating an inaugural Project Management Office (PMO), establishing standardized processes that significantly benefited both private and federal contracts. Wunmi Omotayo's leadership is characterized by her innovative approach to operations management, commitment to excellence, and a visionary outlook towards fostering growth and efficiency. Her achievements reflect a deep-seated dedication to improving operational outcomes and health care quality on both a national and international scale. Outside of her professional life, Wunmi enjoys traveling and spending quality time with her family, further enriching her diverse experiences and perspectives. Her role at Axle underscores her commitment to leveraging her vast expertise to drive forward the company's mission of advancing healthcare and operational excellence, positioning her as a key figure in shaping a positive future in her field.

Reid Simon spearheads Axle’s Technology division, assuming key responsibilities in crafting and executing Artificial Intelligence, Cloud, Cybersecurity, and Digital Transformation solutions. Engaging with esteemed stakeholders such as CIOs, CTOs, and industry leaders, Reid has propelled Axle's footprint, notably expanding its presence at NIH by bolstering technology support for laboratory research services, software development, operations, infrastructure, and data science initiatives. Guiding a proficient team of 250 technology experts, Reid has overseen the successful delivery of numerous projects since his tenure commenced in 2017. His professional journey commenced at Microsoft Corporation Public Sector Solutions Center, where he honed his skills as a Software Consultant before transitioning to Axle. Reid is an alumnus of the University of Pennsylvania, holding a Bachelor of Science in Systems Science & Engineering. His leadership ethos is marked by a commitment to innovation and excellence, evident in his strategic direction and operational prowess, driving Axle's technological advancements and impactful contributions to various sectors.