Sylvia Kilpatrick
Senior Vice President of Human Resources, SMX
One of Sylvia Kilpatrick’s biggest recent achievements was taking a hands-on role in a major contract recompete, providing and analyzing proposal content focused on employee retention and sustaining the talent critical to customer success.
Kilpatrick translated SMX’s people strategies into a compelling narrative directly aligned with customers’ priorities and mission needs. She is especially proud that this work demonstrated how HR can extend beyond traditional support functions to directly contribute to protecting and growing the business.
“(Kilpatrick’s) unique ability to translate our internal people strategies into tangible wins has been a critical driver for our business, directly impacting our customers’ mission success,” said Laurell Aiton, chief administrative officer at SMX.
Kilpatrick is also helping government customers operate more efficiently by strengthening the workforce behind their missions. Through data-driven people strategies, streamlined processes and leadership development, her team helps to build high-performing teams that remain aligned, agile and focused on the customer mission objectives.
“What impresses me most about SMX is its culture of genuinely valuing the People team and other support functions as strategic business partners,” Kilpatrick said. “This partnership mindset ensures that talent, operations and business strategy move in lockstep, enabling faster problem-solving, stronger leadership support, and outcomes that elevate the entire organization.”
Why Watch
In 2026, Kilpatrick and her team are heavily focused on enabling business growth by aligning people, culture and organizational capabilities with SMX’s strategic priorities. They are strengthening leadership, employee performance and organizational effectiveness while leveraging data and technology to create more scalable, efficient HR solutions.
Ultimately, Kilpatrick’s team is building the workforce and organizational foundation that SMX needs to support growth and deliver exceptional value to government customers.
Fun fact: Kilpatrick is a big foodie and loves discovering new restaurants, especially when she travels. Exploring local cuisine and finding local gems is one of her favorite ways to experience new places and connect with different cultures.