Steve Barish

Steve Barish joined CNF in 2015 as Chief Operating Officer and led the transformation of the company from a San Antonio field engineering firm into a national security technology company with applied R&D, engineering, and mission operations capabilities. CNF now has offices and personnel deployed across the country, wherever they are needed by the Unified Commands, Services, and Intelligence Community. Air Force clients expanded to include AFRL, AFLCMC, and 16 AF (AFCYBER), and the company also earned contracts with USCYBERCOM, CNMF, MARFORCYBER, FLTCYBER, DARPA, US Space Force, and in the Intelligence Community.

As Chief Strategy Officer since 2022, Steve leads corporate strategy, growth, corporate development, and CNF's IR&D program, advancing capabilities in AI/ML, OT/ICS cybersecurity, converged RF/Cyber, and Cyber Operations Tradecraft. He has grown CNF's contract portfolio to include JCWEF OTA, OASIS+, and multiple IDIQs; opened secure facilities and research labs in Annapolis Junction, MD and Colorado Springs, CO; and is leading the firm's deliberate transition from small business to mid-tier competitor. A U.S. Air Force veteran, Steve served eight years as an engineer, program manager, and flight test engineer. He is a DAU-accredited PM and systems engineer and a 2018 San Antonio Business Journal C-Suite of the Year honoree.

When asked why CNF is special, Steve focuses on its mission-first, people-always culture. The team brings genuine passion to the nation's hardest national security problems. That starts with how CNF invests in its people. Competitive compensation, strong benefits, educational reimbursement, and in-house training drive retention consistently above 90%. People stay because they're valued, and the nation benefits because of it.