Chris Gros spent 20 years in the Marine Corps before a friend talked him into HR — and he never looked back.
As chief people officer at Crimson Phoenix, Gros has dedicated the last several years to integrating seven acquired companies into a single culture — what the company calls The Crimson Way — while competing for some of the most sought-after talent in GovCon: cleared technical professionals. His background is unconventional by any measure: surface-to-air weapons, a literature degree, adjunct professor.
In this Q&A, Gros talks about building culture across a growing company, why HR is a business function first and a compliance shop second, and how military leadership translates to the national security contractor space.
Can you provide a brief overview of your professional background and career progression?
I spent twenty years in the United States Marine Corps working in surface to air weapons and aviation command and control. That experience shaped how I view leadership, accountability, and teamwork. In the military you quickly learn that mission success depends on people and building teams that trust each other.
After retiring from the Marine Corps, I did not originally plan to work in Human Resources. A good friend of mine brought me in to run the talent organization at NT Concepts. He believed my leadership background would translate well because, at its core, HR is about leadership, culture, and developing people.
What started as a leap of faith quickly became a passion. Today, as Chief People Officer at Crimson Phoenix, I focus on building strong teams, developing leaders, and creating an environment where employees can do their best work supporting national security missions.
Why was this the path you chose, and how influential was it to your career?
At first, I was hesitant because it meant stepping into a completely different field. HR is not the typical career path for a Marine.
However, HR is not just about compliance and policies like many people assume. Compliance matters and we take it seriously, but HR should not operate as a back-office compliance shop focused only on rules. At its core, it is a business function that needs to deliver value to the organization.
Helping companies build strong teams and grow talent turned out to be both challenging and rewarding. Over time it became clear that the people side of an organization is often its greatest competitive advantage.
Do you have a personal connection to the current mission you support?
Yes. Most of the programs our company supports are tied to national security missions. I went to VMI, spent twenty years in the Marine Corps, and the last dozen years in GovCon. Supporting national security is something I have either prepared to do or have been doing for my entire adult life.
While I am not on the client site every day anymore, our team takes pride in making sure our employees have what they need to support our government customers. When we talk about recruiting, retention, and building strong teams, it is not just about business metrics. It is about ensuring the people supporting these missions are the best in the field and have what they need to be successful.
What are your current top priorities and responsibilities? How do these relate to your company’s overall mission and growth strategy?
Just like during my time in uniform, we try to keep things simple at Crimson Phoenix. We focus on people and the mission.
A major part of my role has been integrating the seven companies we have brought together. That meant aligning healthcare plans, 401k plans, HR systems, policies, and cultures to form one team and one culture that we call The Crimson Way.
At the same time, we are focused on leadership development and building career paths that prepare the next generation of leaders across the company.
Where do you and your team see growth opportunities, or what do you anticipate to be your customers’ top pain points?
One of the biggest challenges in the national security space is competition for cleared technical talent. There are simply more mission requirements than there are people with the clearances and expertise needed to support them.
Customers also want partners who can move quickly, innovate, and bring new ideas to complex problems. Companies that recruit well, develop talent internally, and retain people who understand the mission will have a real advantage.
How are you and your team preparing for these opportunities?
We are investing in leadership development, team development, and internal career growth so employees see a future with the company, not just a role on a contract.
We are also fortunate to have an both an outstanding HR and an outstanding recruiting team. Pound for pound, we have the best team in GovCon. Our recruiters build relationships within the cleared community and understand the missions our customers support.
Our HR team focuses on supporting employees once they join the company. Responsiveness is a big part of our culture. Some companies operate with service models where responses take several days. Our small but dedicated HR team usually responds to employee questions within the hour, which builds trust across the organization.
How important is mentorship and networking in GovCon? Were they influential to your career?
Mentorship and networking are everything, not just in GovCon but in life. Both have played a major role in my career.
From leaders during my time in uniform to the friend who encouraged me to move into HR, people offered guidance and opened doors. Nearly every position I have held, both in the military and in GovCon, came through relationships and networking.
Because of that, I try to give back by mentoring veterans transitioning from the military and encouraging leaders across our company to invest in developing their people.
What is something most people do not know about you personally?
My background is a bit unusual. I worked with Stinger missile systems, earned a degree in literature, and somehow ended up in HR. Until a few years ago I was also teaching writing and literature as an adjunct professor at Northern Virginia Community College.
Studying literature teaches you to understand people, their motivations, and how they see the world. It turns out those skills translate pretty well to leadership.