Before I joined Booz Allen, I was COO of a small Internet technology company. I was impressed with how similar Booz Allen operations were to those of the smaller company, despite the differences in size—both were collaborative and mutually supportive, and both insisted on the same high principles I placed on my leadership team and the core values that were engrained in my DNA during my Navy career.
For the same reasons I stayed with the Navy: Every day is different and exciting. I work with positive professionals, who focus on making our clients successful in some of the most challenging environments around.
I concentrate on growing the firm’s functional cyber technology capabilities in the defense market and growing our business in the expanding international market. As a member of the management team, I support Booz Allen’s projects for the Joint Combatant Commands, and I’m part of the Cyber Technologies Center of Excellence. I am a leader in our defense-based identity and access management (IdAM), biometrics, and cloud computing service offerings, as well as our Biometrics Community of Interest. These roles allow me to apply and refine the leadership, management, and business skills I’ve developed supporting a wide range of initiatives, from tactical military operations to enterprise-level IT environments.
Simply put, the people—our staff and clients. Our staff is eminently qualified to solve our clients’ problems. I’ve never known a company that could attract such great clients. And we’re mutually appreciative of each other. There’s a nurturing environment at Booz Allen. When challenges arise, the first question my colleagues ask is, “how can I help you?” That speaks volumes about the firm’s culture.
Booz Allen provides a suite of capabilities that no other single entity offers. We develop strategy, implement it, and do the nuts and bolts of making it all work. For example, I’m working with a federal client to develop a cloud computing capability. We’re building a business case for it, and we’ll build the capability itself. But we’ll also help them communicate their capabilities to the entities they serve to encourage greater adoption, and create an economic model so they know how to charge for the service. We can wargame it, we can do trade-off analysis—we can modify the business and technical options or create new ones as needs evolve. Client needs in the international market are similar in many ways; other countries have business and process problems to solve, and we offer the full range of capabilities they require. And by adapting what we’ve already accomplished for the U.S. government, we don’t have to start from scratch to meet international needs.
I’m excited about coming to work every day because Booz Allen provides me with challenges that push me to the edge of my capabilities, and gives me the tools I need to successfully meet those challenges. I flew planes and commanded organizations in the Navy, but I find the responsibilities and challenges I have at Booz Allen to be every bit as deep and often more complex. The demand on my performance is at a higher level, and I’m using my experience and knowledge in ways I haven’t done before. I’m inspired by the critical contributions our team makes to support our clients. And I’m jumping with both feet into our opportunities abroad, where the landscape is constantly changing. I’m honored to be part of the team that will help realize the enormous potential of our international clients.
My team’s work in identity and biometrics has already saved the federal government millions through consolidation, efficiency, updating processes, and more. We can take these services to countries with tight budgets that are struggling to provide their citizens with services. For example, a paper-based residency application process for one international client can take months to complete. But by tailoring the full range of Booz Allen’s capabilities to that country’s specific needs, we can streamline the process so it takes only one-fifth of the time it takes now. We can repurpose the successes we’ve had with our commercial and federal clients for the international space, and provide hands-on support to ensure it all operates properly.
