How did you become a business leader at Booz Allen?
I graduated with a Computer Science degree from Penn State University and joined Booz Allen as an entry level engineer. While I did have prior professional experience, my career really started and cultivated during my tenure at Booz Allen. Early on, I didn’t quite know where I wanted my career to go; however, I was drawn to the notion of solving challenging technical problems, and providing thought leadership and innovation to missions that really mattered. I joined a highly technical team delivering Hybrid Satellite Communication Systems primarily in the Air Force Account. After that, I served in a broad set of technical roles, ranging from requirements analysis, testing, systems engineering, and systems integration across multiple initiatives and markets. My experience at Booz Allen and the plethora of technical training opportunities I was provided gave me the fundamental building blocks to eventually transition into a technical leadership role, overseeing both a functional capability for our market and a technical delivery team for a key client engagement.
“My experience at Booz Allen gave me the fundamental building blocks to eventually transition into a technical leadership role.”
What is the most satisfying work you’ve done at Booz Allen?
I’m the program manager for a $35M task order, supporting the transport and dissemination of intelligence surveillance reconnaissance (ISR) data worldwide. Our team quickly engineered and deployed a quick reaction capability providing standard and High Definition (HD) video for conventional and special forces in Southwest Asia. This scalable solution distributes piloted and remotely-piloted aircraft sensor and imagery to commanders, intelligence analysts, and deployed forces, providing soldiers with the necessary visibility and tools to support counter-Improvised Explosive Device (IED) initiatives—and ultimately saving countless innocent lives.
Is there any advice that you would offer someone looking to grow within the firm?
We are just at the beginning stages of a major evolution in how Booz Allen delivers engineering solutions to our clients. By diversifying our portfolio and adapting our engineering strategies, we’re positioning ourselves not only for long-term success and growth in our evolving market, but also to be ready to address the future challenges and requirements our clients will face in the upcoming years. Historically, one of our major challenges we’ve faced is retaining highly technical talent that weren’t necessarily interested in the traditional Booz Allen career progression model, but still wanted to advance their careers. Recent changes to the engineering career model provide staff with the ability to choose a technical career path and still have opportunities to advance to the highest levels within the firm. This fundamental shift will be critical in attracting and maintaining the talent pool we need to realize our vision to grow Booz Allen’s engineering business.
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