Mr. Kaplan’s Bio
Mr. Kaplan has over twenty-five years’ experience in executive management roles supporting government contracting and worthy non-profit organizations. He has particular strengths in finance, governance, development (charitable fundraising), operations and contracting; and proven success in business turnarounds, managing change, orderly situation resolution, and team building. Most of his experience has been in maximizing stakeholder value in non-compliant and underperforming organizations by facilitating internal growth and development, assuring regulatory compliance, optimizing venture capital/valuation events, and implementing staff and operational reorganizations and cost-cutting measures.
Mr. Kaplan is currently the President of GBS Solutions Corporation (GBS), a SBA 8(a) certified company that provides support to Federal Government, State and Commercial businesses in the defense and space industries. He is also the Program Manager of GBS Dakota IT, a joint venture between GBS and Dakota Consulting, Inc., for its GSA 8(a) STARS III GWAC. In this role he is responsible for implementing the policies and directives of the CEO, to build and support infrastructure, to develop and manage business, and to oversee finance and operations. In his role as Program Manager, his duties include oversight of solicitations and proposals for task orders, negotiation of subcontracts, recruiting personnel, ensuring proper performance of task orders, and overall management of all joint venture efforts and undertakings for its 8(a) STARS III contract.
He is driven with a passion to support our nation’s sea services and their families. His leadership style and conduct are consistent with our Navy’s core values of honor, courage and commitment, as well as operating throughout all levels of an organization with integrity, accountability, initiative, and toughness. He was named an Honorary Chief Petty Officer of the U.S. Navy by Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, MCPON Smith in May 2019 and was presented with a Distinguished Public Service Award by the Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard, Admiral Schultz, in June 2019.
Mr. Kaplan served his passion to support our nation’s sea services and their families by becoming a full-time volunteer for two years, sacrificing compensation, in the role of National President and CEO of the Navy League of the United States, a non-profit organization comprised of, approximately, 35,000 citizens in more than 200 councils around the world working to support sea service (the U.S. Navy, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S.-flag Merchant Marine) members and their families. Through his committed leadership, teambuilding, financial and operational turnaround expertise, the Navy League’s important mission was elevated to new heights. He is most proud of his “one team – mission-focused” mantra and the restored alignment between the organization’s mission, its members and sea services leadership, as well as leaving the organization at the end of his two-year term positioned to fulfill its mission with renewed agility, sustainability, and superiority. To this day, he serves in a volunteer role on the Navy League’s national Board of Directors as well as the local DC council’s Board of Directors.
Mr. Kaplan founded Kaplan Financial, a niche financial and operational consulting firm. The firm was founded in 2008 and provided subject matter expertise, financial and operational support services, primarily to growth-stage and medium size government contracting companies. He is a Certified Public Accountant by trade and has supported and advised the leadership of many entrepreneurs, and high net worth individuals, in the government contracting space over the years.
Mr. Kaplan’s experience includes prior part-ownership of a Navy missile defense engineering defense contractor, Director for RSM McGladrey, Inc.’s government contracting practice, one of the largest accounting and consulting firms internationally, and Grant Thornton, LLP’s government contracting and non-profit team, another major international accounting and consulting firm. He has also been in other senior and executive roles of various organizations. He has served on private corporations’ Board of Directors and as a trusted advisor to high-level executives. In 2003, he was elected to the Board of Directors of a publicly traded company, where he served as the lead financial member and helped negotiate a successful exit transaction for the company’s majority shareholders. In addition to his service on the Board of Directors of the Navy League of the United States, he was also a board member of a Warriors Oasis, an organization committed to providing a peaceful place where service members with PTSD challenges can recuperate.
Mr. Kaplan graduated from the University of Cape Town, South Africa with a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Accounting. He is a Certified Public Accountant in the state of Maryland and obtained one of the top ten scores in the Maryland May 1994, CPA Board Exam.
Mr. Kaplan is a member of the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants and is a lifetime member of the Surface Navy Association, Association of the United States Army, and the Navy League of the United States.