Q&A: Introduction to Krystal Marino, Vice President of Growth at Makpar

No stranger to advancing business development and growth efforts in the government contracting arena, we are excited to announce that Krystal Marino has joined Makpar as the Vice President of Growth.

To officially introduce Krystal to Makpar’s ecosystem of government customers, partners, and employees, we recently sat down with her to get her take on why she joined the company and gain her perspective on overall government IT trends.

The following conversation has been edited for length.

Q: Please tell us about your background.

I have a well-rounded background in all aspects of the growth process, including business development, capture, marketing, and proposals. I’ve also led teams of various sizes, including a 13-person proposal team.

My entire career has been in the IT industry, and in many ways, I’ve been doing this my whole life. In fact, I gave my first presentation at just 12 years old to a team of sales managers at MCI!

I feel like I really am a product of the industry, and I’ve worked with both small and large businesses. I’ve also worked with both privately held and publicly traded companies, primarily supporting the federal government. Earlier in my career, I also worked in state and local government, as well as in the healthcare sector.

Q: Tell us about your role at Makpar.

As the Vice President of Growth, I oversee business development, capture, solution architecture, proposals, research, and pricing. My role is to implement the entire growth process from end-to-end, ensuring our success and driving business growth for Makpar.

Q: Why did you choose to work at Makpar?

I’ve always preferred working with small businesses or companies that I can help shape. In larger organizations, there’s often little autonomy to operate outside the established structure.

What ultimately mattered most to me was a strong history of successful delivery – because growth is only as effective as the teams executing the work. In this industry, reputation is everything.

Company culture was another key factor. I asked around a lot about Makpar before joining, but what really sealed the deal for me wasn’t just the interview – it was my conversation with Seema and Mushtaq. The way they engaged with my experiences and insights showed that, while growth is important, they also prioritize making work a positive and fulfilling experience.

Finally, the company’s realistic goals and targets stood out. Kaamil did a fantastic job of conducting thorough due diligence, and I genuinely appreciate working with someone who brings a fact-driven approach. He demonstrated a clear understanding of both the necessary investments in the team and the time required to build a strong foundation for success.

Q: Where do you think IT modernization in government is headed?

That’s a tough question to answer, especially with the new Presidential administration. However, I do believe we’ll see a stronger focus on data security, which aligns well with our cybersecurity expertise.

There’s a clear push toward greater efficiency – whether through government initiatives or broader industry trends. We’re seeing efforts to eliminate on-prem equipment, move to the cloud, improve data sharing, and leverage analytics. These are all areas where Makpar has strong capabilities, but cybersecurity will be even more critical as data becomes more accessible and interconnected.

This presents an opportunity to evolve beyond just being known as the IRS company. In my time at Leidos, we partnered closely with Makpar, so I’ve seen firsthand the strong reputation in that space. The next step is positioning the company as a broader capabilities and services company, known for modernization, cybersecurity, and our full range of expertise.

Q: Any personal information about yourself you would like share with our readers?

I have two young kids, almost 3 and 5 years old, and we're a big CrossFit family. I'm a certified CrossFit coach, and coach CrossFit Kids on weekends.

In addition to that, I’m surrounded by around 20 animals. Our home is basically a small zoo. We have four dogs, eight cats, five ferrets, and two lizards. And my husband has some fish—though, to be honest, I’ve lost count of how many are in the tank (said with a laugh).

And for some more fun about my background, I used to play roller derby in Maryland.