Roela Santos

Roela is a global communications and marketing executive with a 28-year record of advancing business strategy and building brands. She operates with a holistic approach to stakeholder communications, including customers, investors, employees, media, and market influencers, mobilizing experience in marketing, digital and social media, public relations and advocacy, M&A communications, crisis management, and corporate social responsibility.

Throughout her career, Roela has been recognized for elevating corporate reputations and creating a unified brand presence from acquired companies, advancing commercial success and employee engagement. In 2020, she was awarded WashingtonExec’s 2020 Chief Marketing/Communications Officer of the Year and named a Top 25 MarCom Leaders to Watch. In 2021, she was recognized for her leadership and contribution in expanding the global cybersecurity talent pipeline by the (ISC)2 Center for Cyber Safety and Education.

Roela is the Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing and Communications officer at Amentum, a global leader in managing and modernizing critical infrastructure, logistics, business process and engineering solutions for defense, intelligence and civilian agency customers. She is responsible for strategy and execution of Amentum’s marketing communications, advertising, employee engagement, executive communications, digital and social media, and tradeshows/events initiatives.

Prior to her current role, Roela served as Vice President of Communications at BAE Systems Intelligence & Security, a global leader in defense technology and systems integration for the U.S. government and one of the largest aerospace and defense companies in the world.

Before her role at BAE Systems, she served as Chief Communications and Marketing Officer at SAIC, a $7.1 billion leader in digital transformation solutions for the U.S. government, where she built account- and deal-based marketing functions that meaningfully contributed to increased RFP win rates and improved awareness and favorability of SAIC.

As Chief Communications Officer of Engility Corporation, she was part of new leadership that transform Engility’s brand positioning, reshaping its reputation from a LPTA (lowest price, technically acceptable) government contractor to a trusted partner and provider of high-end engineering solutions.

Roela has also served as Global Communications Director at Raytheon, where she expanded the company’s global brand reputation in cybersecurity, and Global Marketing Manager at Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), leading marketing programs for a $3.5 billion global IT and business outsourcing business unit.

Roela holds a Master in Public Relations and Corporate Communications from Georgetown University, an MBA from the University of California Irvine, and a Bachelor in Business Administration from Loyola Marymount University. Roela is one of the co-founders of VOICES, the national organization of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in communications roles. She currently sits on the Board of Trustees for the (ISC)2 Center for Cyber Safety and Education.