Sonny Bhagowalia

Golden Gov: Federal Executive of the Year

Nearly four decades into his career as a federal official and technology executive, Sonny Bhagowalia has spent the past four years leading a $1.8 billion IT portfolio for U.S. Customs and Border Protection as chief information officer, enhancing the nation’s security through innovation, intelligence, collaboration, and trust. In this role, Bhagowalia oversees a staff of 2,200 federal employees and 3,900 contractors to support CBP’s 24-7 mission. Before this, he spent three years as CIO of the Treasury Department and had a short stint as a senior adviser on tech and cyber with the Bureau of Fiscal Service. Prior to joining the Treasury, Bhagowalia led IT teams at various levels around government, including stints as CIO of the Interior Department and the state of Hawaii, and as a deputy associate administrator with the General Services Administration.