Veronica Gekhman

Veronica Gekhman serves as a key procurement professional within the Military Sealift Command, supporting the Department of Defense’s strategic sealift mission by managing complex maritime transportation and logistics contracts. She oversees acquisitions for ocean-going vessel services, including deep-sea and coastal freight and passenger transportation, ensuring the timely movement of critical military cargo and personnel across global theaters. Her work directly enables expeditionary warfare readiness by securing reliable, government-chartered and operated vessels supported by integrated engineering and navigational services, aligning with MSC’s mandate for a resilient, responsive sealift capability. Gekhman maintains longstanding partnerships with a network of qualified maritime contractors specializing in vessel operations, crewing, and technical support for U.S.-flagged ships under bareboat charter and time-charter arrangements. While no single contractor dominates her portfolio, her contracting patterns reflect a preference for established maritime service providers with proven experience in military logistics, defense-grade compliance, and U.S. maritime labor standards. She collaborates closely with industry stakeholders to ensure operational continuity and regulatory adherence across the maritime supply chain. Her procurement approach prioritizes open competition, with 92.7% of awards issued under non-set-aside authorities, reflecting the scale and strategic nature of sealift requirements. However, she consistently incorporates socioeconomic programs, awarding approximately 4.9% of contracts to service-disabled veteran-owned small businesses and 2.4% to total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a measured but intentional commitment to small business inclusion within a high-stakes operational environment. Gekhman’s primary focus lies in NAICS 483111 (Deep Sea Freight Transportation), which accounts for over 70% of her acquisitions, alongside significant activity in coastal freight and passenger transport (483113 and 483114). She specializes in procuring commercial vessel services with military mission profiles, including roll-on/roll-off, containerized cargo, and specialized transport for defense equipment, requiring deep expertise in maritime logistics, Jones Act compliance, and DoD transportation regulations.