I use the knowledge and experience gained over my long tenure at Booz Allen to enhance the financial management skills of leaders and staff across the firm—driving exceptional operational performance.
Most recently, I led Investor Relations, a role I had carried out since soon after the firm’s IPO in 2010.
I started my career here in the early 1990s as a software developer, then shifted to contract and operational financial management, and as a result I attribute my passion for the firm to the diverse set of opportunities I’ve had personally and professionally over the past quarter century.
Curt Riggle leads the firm’s financial education efforts. In this role, he develops and delivers financial content designed to enhance the financial management acumen of leaders and staff across the business.
In addition, as part of the firm’s corporate finance function, Curt focuses on transformation of organization, talent, and processes. Since joining Booz Allen in 1992, Curt has held various roles and supported numerous client groups. He began his career as a financial analyst and financial systems developer before moving into financial operations management. He subsequently held leadership positions in pricing, strategic planning, and strategy management.
In 2008 he was involved with the spinoff of the firm’s commercial business and concurrent acquisition of the government consulting business by The Carlyle Group. In 2010 he served in a leadership role helping our firm prepare for and execute its initial public offering.
Prior to joining Booz Allen, Curt worked as a financial analyst with the government services division of a large engineering firm.
He holds a B.S. in finance from George Mason University.
What excites you about working at Booz Allen? It’s a combination of the diverse set of roles and experiences I’ve enjoyed throughout my years with the firm, and the enjoyment I get from working with great colleagues. I get to collaborate with smart people on a wide range of topics within and beyond the corporate finance arena.
Is the Booz Allen approach different from other companies? In my years leading Investor Relations, I spent a lot of time talking with investors and sell-side analysts about the company, the culture, the work we do for clients, and what differentiates Booz Allen from the competition. We’re different because of our collaborative culture and the way our people are encouraged to engage in activities beyond their current role. Our business model, compensation design, and purpose and values all support this.
How do you help your clients prepare for the future? Internally, I help the firm understand what it means to be a public company—how the firm’s performance is reflected in the investors’ perspective and the stock price and how those things come together.
What is one of the biggest challenges you face in your role? Helping to translate the firm’s financial strategy into operational knowledge that empowers exceptional performance.
What are your tips for managing and motivating your people? I tell my team, “You spend too much time at work to not like what you do.” I also talk about building fans—externally, internally, with your colleagues, your clients. You want people to know you, know what you can do, and respect you for your abilities and impact.
What’s the best business advice you’ve ever gotten in your career? To build strong second teams. I’ve adopted it as my philosophy. I want to work myself out of a job and with strong second teams, you have someone that can step into your role, as you get new opportunities.
What’s an obsolete item you can’t get rid of? Old power tools.
What’s the best experience you’ve ever received as a gift? I started scuba diving because of my wife. She said, “If we’re going to be together, you have to scuba dive.” I fought my fears and pushed my limits and I love scuba diving. She “gifted” me by pushing me to do it. We’re now introducing scuba to our daughter.
What can we do to be happier? Define your own success; it doesn’t have to be how other people define it.
Where do you see Booz Allen in the next 100 years? What’s always impressed me about Booz Allen is our ability to shift and change with the market, with our clients, and to be ahead of clients in anticipating their needs. In the past we’ve describe this as “skating to where the puck will be” for any hockey fans out there. We’ve been very good about thinking about new capabilities and investing in and building out those capabilities, so that when the clients realize they need the help, we’re there to help them. We’ll still be doing that in 100 years.
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