About

Meet Gervais Group & Maria

About
Gervais Group

Gervais Group was founded by Chris and Maria Gervais who served their country for 28 and 37 years respectively. Chris served as an Armor and Signal Officer retiring as a LTC in 2016. Maria served as a Chemical Officer with assignments on the Joint and Army staffs along with assignments in Infantry, Aviation, Artillery, Logistics, and Chemical units at all echelons in the Army. She has 13 years of experience as a General Officer serving as the Deputy Commanding General of Cadet Command; Commandant of the Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear School; Deputy Commanding General of Combined Arms Center-Training; Director of the Synthetic Training Environment Cross Functional Team; and as the Deputy Commanding General for Training and Doctrine Command. Chris and Maria are Soldiers for Life and are passionate about solving the toughest challenges for our most important Service Members who are defending our freedom.

Inspiring Leadership, Innovation & Transformation

Lieutenant General Maria Gervais is an accomplished senior executive whose leadership, training, and workforce development skills were refined during 36+ years of Army service. Serving at all echelons and in diverse positions has provided her strong backgrounds in problem solving, training, leader development, education, finance, and budget, along with Army requirements and acquisition processes.

Maria is known to be a transformational leader with a wealth of executive leadership and training experience. She prides herself on being an authentic leader who is passionate about leadership, innovation, and technology integration into training, education, workforce development, and recruiting. Before retiring, Maria served as the #2 Executive at the US Army Training and Doctrine Command where she was responsible for leading the talent acquisition, workforce development, and strategic communication for a 1.2M member organization with a program budget of $5.1B. She directed the recruitment, on-boarding, and training of 100K employees and the workforce development (leader development and education) of over 800K employees each year. Hailed as an Innovative Visionary Leader who drove change for the Army, she led the effort to solve the Army’s toughest recruiting challenge since the inception of the All-Volunteer Force. Efforts immediately mitigated the downward trend in recruiting.

Significant Achievements

During her 37 year career, Maria was a trailblazer as she was the first female to serve as the Commander, HHC 101st Airborne (AASLT) Division; Commander, Army Environmental Command; Deputy Commanding General, Combined Arms Center-Training; Director of the STE CFT, and Deputy Commanding General Training and Doctrine Command.

Deputy Commanding General at TRADOC

Lt. Gen. Gervais broke barriers by becoming the first woman to hold this prestigious position within TRADOC, where she led efforts to modernize training programs and reintegrate the Army into communities post-COVID-19.

Development of Synthetic Training Environment (STE)

As Director of the Synthetic Training Environment Cross Functional Team at Army Futures Command, she played a pivotal role in advancing virtual and simulation-based training tools that integrated seamlessly with live exercises, revolutionizing how soldiers prepare for combat.

Establishment of Future Soldier Preparatory Course (FSPC)

Maria helped launch this innovative program aimed at helping recruits overcome academic and physical fitness challenges to meet Army entry standards. The program successfully graduated over 21,500 recruits who went on to join the Army.

Legacy of Leadership and Mentorship

Throughout her career, Maria Gervais emphasized mentorship by fostering growth among soldiers under her command and building a family legacy of service with her husband and daughter also serving in the military.

Innovating for Tomorrow: Lessons from a Military Visionary

Beyond her role as a keynote speaker, Maria is also an exceptional trainer who specializes in helping organizations unlock their full potential through customized workshops and seminars. With decades of experience leading large-scale operations both domestically and internationally, she understands what it takes to cultivate high-performing teams capable of tackling even the most daunting challenges.

Maria’s training sessions focus on practical tools for success:

Developing effective communication skills that enhance collaboration.
Implementing strategic planning techniques for long-term growth.
Cultivating inclusive environments where every team member feels valued.
Leveraging technology to streamline processes and improve outcomes.

Whether you’re looking to strengthen your leadership pipeline or foster innovation within your organization, Maria’s hands-on approach ensures lasting impact.

“I would offer three words that describe Maria: Focused, Committed and Authentic. Focused on the Army, not self. Committed to excellence and readiness. Authentic leader, caring and transparent with her intentions---- a true selfless servant.”

General Gary Brito, Commanding General Training and Doctrine Command

- United States Army -

Service Beyond the Uniform: Building Community and Purpose

In her post-retirement keynotes, Lt. Gen. Maria Gervais focuses on the enduring value of service and community engagement. Drawing from her own experiences transitioning out of active duty, she encourages individuals to find purpose beyond their professional careers by giving back to their communities. Whether mentoring high school students or supporting local recruitment efforts as a Soldier for Life, Gervais exemplifies how leadership extends far beyond the battlefield, leaving a lasting impact on society.