Stephen Ehikian leaves GSA to lead enterprise AI firm

Stephen Ehikian, the deputy administrator of the General Services Administration, has left the agency to take over as chief executive officer at the enterprise AI application software company C3 AI. 

Ehikian told GSA staff Tuesday in an email obtained by FedScoop that he would “transition out” of the agency’s deputy administrator role, but remain an adviser to the leadership team during the transition process. On Wednesday, C3 AI announced Ehikian’s hiring as CEO. He said in a statement he is “honored” to join the company “at such a pivotal time in the AI era.” 

He served as the GSA’s acting head for the first half of this year until July, when President Donald Trump tapped State Department leader Michael Rigas for the role and Ehikian moved into the deputy spot. 

“I want to thank Stephen Ehikian for his service and wish him well,” Rigas said in a statement shared by GSA. 

Edward Forst, a longtime financial services executive, was nominated by Trump in July to serve as the next administrator of the GSA. A nomination hearing date has not been scheduled, according to congressional records. 

Ehikian, who was considered one of the key figures for carrying out the Department of Government Efficiency’s cost-cutting efforts, used his departure letter to staff to reflect on the agency’s changes under his leadership. 

“As someone who spent most of my career in the private sector — co-founding AI startups, scaling high-performing teams, and solving complex problems through technology — I was drawn to public service by the promise of impact at scale,” Ehikian wrote. “Since joining GSA, I’ve enjoyed the opportunity to bring that mindset to bear across the federal enterprise.” 

Ehikian, referred to as a “serial entrepreneur” by the GSA, helped found two artificial intelligence-powered platforms that were both acquired by Salesforce. Previously, he worked in finance at Morgan Stanley, Westbrook Partners and SRS Investment Management. 

Ehikian pointed to the GSA’s overhaul of the Federal Acquisition Regulation, which is a more than 2,000-page document detailing the regulations and rules for federal agency procurement. He further mentioned the FedRAMP 20x revamp program, which aims to reduce the FedRAMP approval timeline from months to weeks. 

During his time at GSA, the agency has also rolled out a series of deals under the OneGov procurement strategy, involving major tech companies like Microsoft, OpenAI, Anthropic and Google. 

“These are not just volume deals — they’re future-proofing the way government works by ensuring agencies have access to the latest tools at the best value,” Ehikian told staff. “In addition to allowing agencies to focus on their critical missions, instead of duplicating the work of GSA, these agreements will deliver billions in savings to government and hardworking taxpayers.”

Ehikian concluded the email with a “looking ahead” section, stating “government doesn’t need to be slow, it doesn’t need to be wasteful. And it certainly doesn’t need to be stuck in the past.” 

“I extend my deepest gratitude to my colleagues, partners, and stakeholders for their support and collaboration throughout my service,” he wrote. 

Ehikian’s transition follows that of various other DOGE-aligned figures at federal agencies who have departed some roles or entirely left government. 

This story was updated Sept. 3 with details on Ehikian’s new job.