Alin Popescu
Co-Founder & Managing Partner
Alin Popescu
Co-Founder, CEO & Managing Partner
Alin Popescu is a Partner at 11th Hour Service. He is responsible for executing 11th Hour’s Strategic Plan – including alignment of Mission and Vision across delivery, business development, operations, employee development, client satisfaction and the overall growth of the business lines.
Mr. Popescu’s passion lies in creating the Best-In-Class Customer Service Models, along with spearheading continuous process improvement across all business units. His unrelenting focus on quality and efficiency – combined with a genuine concern and commitment for all who work for him – has earned Mr. Popescu a reputation for outstanding client service. At 11th Hour, he brings that same precision to detail and Client Value-Focus which has generated a prestigious client base that have come to rely on 11th Hour’s ability to bring the highest caliber professionals to every engagement.
Prior to 11th Hour, Mr. Popescu was a Staffing Manager for CSC Federal Consulting Practice, and previously was a key figure in the growth of Bearing Point’s SAP Public Services practice.
David Koch
Partner & Director, Growth & Strategy
David Koch
Partner & Director, Growth & Strategy
Dave Koch is a Partner and Director of Growth and Strategy within our Federal Advisory Practice. He is responsible for driving growth, developing innovative solutions, and managing project and business development performance and delivery across the public sector and the public sector teams. Dave’s considerable experience spans consulting, project and program management, business leadership, client relationship management, business development, and market strategy with 30 plus years of experience.
With an extensive background in developing and delivering solutions within technology and professional services, including financial management and accounting, IT, and business transformation, Mr. Koch has successfully supported Federal government clients in the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, and Civilian Agencies. His experience with government agencies and contracts, leadership and relationship management has consistently enhanced the growth of the organization and the performance of our teams, processes, and systems through effective problem-solving and collaboration.
Before joining 11th Hour Service, Mr. Koch held significant roles at Kforce Government Solutions (KGS), including Senior Vice President overseeing a portfolio of business units, Vice President of the Financial Management & Accounting Solutions business unit, and Director of multiple Finance & Accounting and IT projects. His initial consulting, management, and leadership experience was with Bradson Corporation, which was acquired by Kforce to form KGS.
Sharon Ridley
Partner & Executive Vice President / Client Relations
Sharon Ridley
Partner & Executive Vice President / Client Relations
SES (Retired)
Sharon L. Ridley is a Partner and Executive Vice President of Client Relations, where she leads new business development and drives organic business growth. She works closely with government stakeholders to build meaningful connections that help 11th Hour Service better serve its current clientele and forge better paths forward for the new clients we meet.
Sharon is a results-driven and proven transformational leader passionate about building relationships, empowering people, and growing communities. A former U.S. Senior Executive Service (SES) member with 22 years focused on leading change, Sharon has a broad range of successful work experiences with Veterans, military members, civilians, and contractors, both domestically and abroad.
In her most recent Federal position as Executive Director of the Office of Small & Disadvantaged Business Utilization (OSDBU) for the U.S. Dept. of Veteran Affairs (VA), she led the migration of the Veterans verification program to the Small Business Administration by the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, enabling 35,000 veteran business owners to navigate the federal procurement system for government contracts effectively.
In FY 2023, Ms. Ridley’s legislative proposal to increase women-owned small business (WOSB) participation in VA contracting was adopted and included in the President’s budget for FY 2024 for approval. This Federal legislation would elevate the selection preference order for WOSBs in the Department’s acquisitions, thus creating more opportunities. Sharon also successfully led VA’s national small business programs, with annual small business contract awards totaling over $15 billion. Her contributions to the federal government earned her the 2024 VA Distinguished Career Award.
Prior to her role leading OSDBU, she served as Executive Director, Network Support, leading initiatives to advance Secretary of Veterans Affairs priorities. Ms. Ridley reported directly to the Deputy Under Secretary for Health for Operations and Management of the largest integrated healthcare system in the nation ($70B budget, 1250 sites of care, and more than 300,000 employees). In this role, she provided healthcare operations guidance and information on strategic initiatives to regional leadership including 18 Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) directors and 172 medical center directors.
Throughout her career, Ms. Ridley has shown a commitment to effective leadership and helping veteran and small business communities thrive.
Ms. Ridley will be key to enhancing our client engagement strategies and building more meaningful partnerships. We are excited to see her passion and leadership drive continued success with our teams, teaming partners, and clients.
Norbert Howard
Partner & Director of Operations
Norbert Howard
Partner & Director of Operations
Norbert Howard is a Partner and Director of Operations for 11th Hour Service where he leads the Federal Practice, Client Delivery and Operations. Works closely with federal sector clients advising CFOs and other agency executives on strategic and tactical digital and organizational transformations. He brings over 30 years of in-depth federal sector experience focused on financial management, data analytics, intelligent automation, optimization of financial and administrative systems/programs and shared services. His extensive career includes tenures at Big 4 accounting/consulting firms (PwC, KPMG, BearingPoint), small/mid-size boutique consulting firms, and federal banking and financial organizations. Mr. Howard holds professional credentials including CPA, CISA, CGFM, CMA, CIA, CFSA and PMP. Education includes BS Business Administration – Accounting and MS Technology Management. Mr. Howard is active in industry associations including the AGA, ASMC and Shared Services Leadership Coalition.
Prior to joining 11th Hour Service, Mr. Howard was a Director in CGI Federal’s Management Consulting Practice leading Financial Management and CFO Advisory Services domains. Other roles included Partner, Digital Transformation at Sehlke Consulting (Aeyon), where he led an RPA Center of Excellence driving innovative automation solutions for federal agency customers; Vice President, Financial Management at PotomacWave Consulting, Inc. (PotomacWave), led Financial Management Practice growth large portfolio of high performing federal financial projects and programs; Senior Manager in BearingPoint’s federal practice leading systems and financial management projects for civilian/defense agencies; Principal Consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP supporting federal financial systems integration programs.
Chloe Thares
Partner & Director, Accounting & Finance
Chloe Thares
Partner & Director, Accounting & Finance
As Director of Accounting and Finance, Chloe Thares has overall responsibility for the Finance and Accounting functions, including payroll, account reconciliations, internal controls, financial reporting, financial statements, P&L, cashflow forecasts, variance analysis, cash receipts, cash disbursements, data integrity, and accuracy. Ms. Thares joined 11th Hour Service in 2013 as a Staff Accountant and has evolved within the firm. She has developed an expert knowledge of the firm’s accounting and back-office operations. She is a strong people manager who leads and manages the accounting organization with an open, direct, and informal management style. Demonstrated planning, organization skills, customer service skills, and skills in establishing and maintaining relationships with financial institutions.
Prior to joining 11th Hour Service, Ms. Thares was with Montana Department of Corrections in charge of processing a high volume of accounts payable. She was an Accountant with a public traded company, in charge of accounts receivable for 28 commercial real estate properties and maintaining relationships with all the clients. She managed over 20 Customer Service Representatives and Online Marketing Specialists and worked with IT professionals during her tenure with a web development company, Interweb Tech Services Corporation. Her over 13 years of professional experience in accounting, customer service, and information technology has made her a unique member of 11th Hour Service’s leadership team.
David Emmanuel
Director, Client Services & Recruitment
David Emmanuel
Director, Client Services and Recruitment
David Emmanuel is the Director of Client Services and Recruitment within the 11th Hour Service Talent Management Center (TMC). David is responsible for client satisfaction through innovative recruitment strategies, creative client-focused solutions and client relationship management practices which lead to a refined and enhanced client engagement experience. With these focuses, David ensures delivery of exceptional talent to meet the evolving needs of federal and commercial clients. David’s leadership is marked by a proactive approach to client service and a deep understanding of the sectors that 11th Hour Service serves.
Mr. Emmanuel’s expertise spans several critical sectors, including Clinical Healthcare, Finance & Accounting, Technology and Federal Government Contracting, among others. Over the past eight years, his efforts have led to the successful placement of top-tier talent, particularly in strategic roles within Global 500 firms. His deep knowledge coupled with his experience in advisory services, has been instrumental in enhancing the capabilities of Government Contractors, Consulting Firms, Hospital Systems, and other high-stake industries.
Prior to his current position, Mr. Emmanuel has held various roles within 11th Hour Service, demonstrating a consistent track record of market mastery and growth. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Saint Vincent College. When not at work, Mr. Emmanuel enjoys physical activities such as jujitsu, golf and snowboarding, and values the clarity these pursuits bring to his professional endeavors.
Ryan Clemons
Director, Recruiting
Ryan Clemons
Director, Recruiting
Ryan Clemons serves as the Director of Recruiting for the 11th Hour Service TMC (Talent Management Center) with over two decades of experience leading recruiting teams for consulting startups to Fortune 50 Organizations and Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO) engagements in government and commercial sectors. Mr. Clemons is passionate about building comprehensive total talent solutions and teams to support our clients. His expertise covers a broad spectrum, including executive and contingent search, staff augmentation, consulting, VMS/MSP, and fully outsourced RPO programs, specializing in scalable niche and high-volume discipline workflows.
Before his current role at 11th Hour Service, Mr. Clemons spent almost 10 years managing one of the most extensive corporate RPO engagements in North America at Marriott International. His responsibilities encompassed overseeing the permanent hiring for the managed hotels, call centers, sales centers, franchise recruiting, and corporate disciplines at Marriott’s headquarters. Prior to working in the RPO industry, Mr. Clemons helped launch three consulting startups in the Washington DC area, focusing on enterprise data management, capital markets consulting, fintech recruiting solutions with key service drivers in data architecture, data governance, data quality solutions, and secondary mortgage market business solutions specific to audit readiness, process efficiency, compliance, capital markets, credit risk, and interest rate model validation.
Throughout his career, Mr. Clemons has demonstrated a capability in business development, sales lifecycle, capture management, recruiting processes, project delivery operations, compliance, and team management. His unique experiences across different business groups, operations, and technology have equipped him with a distinctive perspective, enabling him to effectively address small to large-scale workforce challenges. His strategic approach and leadership have significantly contributed to the success and growth of the organizations he has been part of, marking him as a leader adept at navigating complex recruiting landscapes.
Mr. Clemons grew up in Charlotte, NC, earning a Bachelor of Science in Marketing from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His educational background laid the foundation for his career in the finance and technology sectors.
