ICF International
 | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Template:NASDAQ Russell 2000 Component | |
| Industry | Professional services |
| Founded | 1969 |
| Headquarters | Reston, Virginia |
Number of locations | 90+ offices |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | John Wasson (chair and CEO) James Morgan (COO) Barry Broadus (CFO) |
| Services | Strategic planning, research, program management, business process management, data analytics, technology, cybersecurity, marketing strategy and engagement marketing |
| Revenue | US $1.48 billion (2019) |
Number of employees | 7,000 (2019) |
| Website | icf |
ICF International, Inc. operates as a publicly held American consultancy and technology service provider based in Reston, Virginia. Since its inception in 1969, the firm generated revenues of US $1.48 billion in 2019 and employed roughly 9,000 professionals across over 90 locations worldwide.
1969–2006: Founding and development
Founded in 1969 by Clarence D. Lester, a Tuskegee Airman, the company began as Inner City Fund, initially functioning as a venture capital entity aimed at assisting minority-owned enterprises in obtaining government contracts. During the 1970s and 1980s, it shifted focus toward consulting services centered on energy-related matters for U.S. federal agencies.
The acquisition of Kaiser Engineering in 1988 led to the creation of ICF Kaiser, which went public in 1989. This merger expanded the company’s scope to include consulting, engineering, and construction services. In 1999, the consulting segment was divested to an investment group for approximately $70 million, resulting in separation from Kaiser Engineering.
Rebranded as ICF International in 2006, the company launched its initial public offering on NASDAQ under the symbol ICFI. Its core offerings encompass strategic planning, program management, data analytics, technology integration, and cybersecurity solutions delivered to both government and commercial sectors globally.
Following scrutiny regarding its administration of the Road Home disaster recovery initiative post-Hurricane Katrina, ICF implemented strengthened compliance measures aligned with updated fraud prevention standards. The firm subsequently played a significant role in New Jersey’s Hurricane Sandy recovery efforts, reinforcing its specialization in disaster recovery consulting within its market segments.
2007–present: Growth in commercial sectors
Throughout the 2000s, ICF pursued growth through acquisitions that diversified its service portfolio and boosted commercial business activity. Government contracts accounted for 92% of revenue in 2007, with commercial work representing only 6%. By 2011, commercial revenue had increased to 20%, climbing further to 35% by 2016.
International expansion was facilitated by acquiring London-based GHK Holding Limited in 2012 and Belgian communications agency Mostra S.A. in 2014, enabling access to European Commission contracts. The purchase of advertising agency Olson in 2014 for $295 million added significant campaigns for clients including Belize tourism, Skittles, and Bissell. In 2016, ICF merged its marketing and public relations acquisitions under the ICF Olson brand.
The organization adopted the simplified name ICF in 2016. By the following year, ICF/ICF Olson experienced robust growth particularly within public relations and digital marketing domains.
2019: Formation of ICF NEXT
In 2019, ICF introduced its subsidiary, ICF NEXT, led by John Armstrong, who previously co-founded IBM iX. The subsidiary's UK branch was discontinued in 2023 and officially dissolved the following year in 2024.
Business operations and offerings
ICF is listed on NASDAQ under the ticker ICFI and maintains its corporate headquarters in Reston, Virginia. By 2019, the company had a workforce of approximately 9,000 employees distributed among 75 offices within the United States and another 15 locations internationally. John Wasson holds the positions of chairman and CEO, while Barry Broadus functions as chief financial officer.
The firm provides a broad spectrum of services including management consulting, technology solutions, policy advisory, cybersecurity, and implementation support. These services cater to sectors such as government, energy, environmental management, infrastructure, transportation, healthcare, education, social initiatives, public safety, consumer markets, and financial industries. Although originally concentrated on federal contracts related to energy and the environment, ICF has broadened its reach into commercial markets over time.
Key projects
ICF’s Integrated Planning Model (IPM) aids the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in evaluating policies affecting the power sector, such as the Clean Power Plan and regulations on mercury emissions. Other federal bodies like the U.S. Forest Service and the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission also rely on IPM for their analyses.
The EPA has engaged ICF for technical assistance concerning the Energy Star program. Furthermore, ICF administers the Demographic and Health Survey funded by USAID.
Significant acquisitions
| Year | Company | Sector | Country | Acquisition Price (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Arthur D. Little's Environment & Risk and Public Sector Program Management units | Environmental and energy consulting | USA | $10.5 million |
| 2005 | Synergy | Defense consulting | USA | $19.5 million |
| 2005 | Caliber Associates | Human services consulting | USA | $20.8 million |
| 2007 | Z-Tech | Software engineering and web development | USA | $27 million |
| 2007 | Jones & Stokes | Integrated planning and resource management | USA | $50 million |
| 2007 | Simat, Helliesen & Eichner (SH&E) | Air transportation consulting | USA | $51 million |
| 2009 | Jacob & Sundstrom | Cybersecurity and identity management solutions | USA | $24 million |
| 2009 | Macro International | Advisory services in health and energy sectors | USA | $155 million |
| 2011 | Ironworks Consulting LLC | Web development services | USA | $100 million |
| 2012 | GHK Holding Limited | Consulting services | UK | — |
| 2014 | Citytech, Inc. | Digital interactive consultancy | USA | — |
| 2014 | Mostra S.A. | Communications agency | Belgium | — |
| 2014 | Olson | Advertising and public relations | USA | $295 million |
Other acquisitions encompass The Future Customer (UK), DMS Disaster Consultants (USA), We Are Vista (UK), Incentive Technology Group (USA), along with SemanticBits (USA), acquired collectively for $220 million in 2022.
Industry rankings and accolades
- Positioned at No.186 on Forbes' list of America's Best Midsize Companies in 2017.
- Ranked No.15 in PRWeek's Agency Business report during 2017.
- ICF Olson featured among Advertising Age’s top 50 global agencies in 2016.
Awards and honors
- In 2016, Women in Technology’s The Leadership Foundry honored ICF with its Corporate Leadership Award for promoting diversity, evidenced by having three women on its eight-person board.
- ICF's Olson Engage earned Best in Show at the 2016 In2 SABRE Awards for its creative Skittles campaign during the Super Bowl.
- The company was recognized as a “Fast Moving” brand by GBC in its Leading Brands in Government study in 2017, highlighting its expanding presence within government service markets.