Innovation, Inclusion, and Impact: 2021 at Booz Allen

In 2021, Fast Company named Booz Allen a Best Workplace for Innovators, recognizing a culture that “empowers employees at all levels to improve processes, create new products, or invent new ways of doing business.”

Booz Allen has been putting its innovative culture to work for clients across the civil, defense, and private sectors. One example: using DevOps, where new features and fixes are deployed almost as quickly as they’re developed, for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Benefits Integration Platform. This accelerated delivery enabled the use of automation, which reduced backlogged burial claims by 89%.

“Federal agencies are under pressure to increase the pace of mission impact and responsiveness to citizens. DevOps can accelerate these impacts,” said Senior Vice President Jeff Fossum.

Where should federal agencies focus their modernization efforts? How can they improve their chances of success?

Vice President Patrick Kuo provided guidance in a Nextgov Future Focused Tech panel about fintech for government. Integrated delivery systems can help organizations leverage new technologies, he said, with end-to-end DevSecOps to provide “lift.”

“This isn’t as big of a leap as you think,” he said, adding that government agencies often have the tools they need—like cloud and DevSecOps—already in place. “It’s an evolution, not a revolution.”

Principal Kathleen Featheringham spoke in another Nextgov panel about AI’s potential for transportation. This includes proactive maintenance for aging infrastructure, predictive analytics for traffic flows, data fusion for weather alerts, and automated object recognition to improve safety on transportation surfaces like runways.

“Every mile traveled produces data that can be harnessed for safety, efficiency, and mobility for all,” she said.

Innovative solutions begin with employees empowered to be their best selves, and examples of this abounded throughout Booz Allen in 2021. 

Irik Johnson and MR Blank used their passion for cycling to train warfighters, first responders, and athletes. Josh Carroll pursued a career as a physicist and technical support engineer after serving in the military and teaching himself math online. And Rachel Tao followed in her parents’ footsteps. Twenty years before she started work at Booz Allen’s McLean, Virginia, headquarters, her parents—both Booz Allen employees—dropped her off at that very same facility to attend the firm’s new Bright Horizons child care center.  

Booz Allen has a long history of helping employees live their best lives in and outside of the workplace. In response to recent world events and challenges, the firm elevated its mental health support. This included adding PTO hours and family support services for both children and adult dependents, hosting symposia that stressed the importance of healthy boundaries and community networks, and encouraging dialogue amid the “double pandemic” of COVID-19 and systemic racism and inequality.

“We’re transitioning from being in an acute state of stress in 2020 to being in more of a chronic state of stress today,” said Dr. Sonja Batten, a senior associate and psychological health advisor. “Hopefully things are better than last year, but there’s still quite a road ahead of us.” 

Booz Allen’s Business Resource Groups (BRG) and employee networks helped make the path smoother in 2021:

• The Asian Pacific American Network hosted an employee giving campaign for nonprofits dedicated to protecting the humanity and rights of the Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) community. The group also hosted workshops and sessions for employees to have open discourse about AAPI events and to engage with AAPI culture.
• The African American Network hosted a virtual cookout for the firm’s second annual Juneteenth celebration, which included guest speakers and personal reflections.
• The Global Latin American Network celebrated National Hispanic Heritage Month with “Inspiremos: Inclusivity and Belonging,” a month of events focused on career development, community engagement, giving back, contributions, and culture.
• GLOBE+, Booz Allen’s LGBTQ+ BRG, recognized community, connections, and chosen family for June 2021 Pride month. Events included a “Whatever Makes You Happy” Hour, which Associate Dominique Chamely called “a tongue-in-cheek way to say, ‘come as you are, you’re welcome here.’”

As a result of these and other initiatives, Booz Allen remained an award-winning workplace of choice, even during the “great resignation.” Global career intelligence company Vault named Booz Allen a Best Consulting Firm to Work For. The firm ranked second among 500 companies on the Forbes “America’s Best Employers for Diversity” list, and Glassdoor—one of the world’s largest job and recruiting sites—ranked President and CEO Horacio Rozanski 10th out of 100 top-rated CEOs of large U.S. companies.

Booz Allen was also busy cultivating the next generation of leaders, working with groups like Girl Up, an initiative of the United Nations Foundation.

The firm’s efforts to build more diverse talent pipelines and stronger communities extended from coast to coast.

In Central Georgia, under the leadership of Principal Lizz Said, Booz Allen has been working with girls to build robots and with warfighters on the weapons systems of the future, aiming to turn the region into a “digital center of excellence.” In Hawaii, Booz Allen has continued a longtime partnership with nonprofit Hawaii FIRST Robotics to introduce students to STEM projects. The goal: keep tech talent in Hawaii and grow the state’s innovation ecosystem. 

“There’s a communal responsibility to help develop meaningful and well-paying jobs for people in Hawaii,” said Booz Allen Principal Michael Collat. “It’s good for our business, but our business is also about taking care of the community.” 

In 2021, taking care of the community included responding to COVID-19. Throughout the year, Booz Allen helped Feeding America® provide food to people in need in local communities, use data science to source food donations, and increase its resilience against cyber threats. 

Finally, the firm’s commitment to a stronger, safer world extended across the globe. From streamlining disaster relief to strengthening national security, members of Booz Allen’s Pacific Rim team applied their expertise in cybersecurity, data science, threat reduction, special operations, and more to projects that impact lives, businesses, and governments. Many received recognition in 2021 for their efforts:  

• Associate Derek Furman was recognized by the U.S. Army’s Asia Pacific Counter-Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Fusion Center for his efforts related to a significant IED event in the Philippines.
• Lead Associate Andy Mukk received a signed memorandum from a U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for his efforts with the Treaty on Open Skies Implementation Working Group.
• Jay Land, a senior planner for countering weapons of mass destruction, received a letter of commendation from the Republic of Korea Minister of Defense for his work with the Ministry and the Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Finally, the year culminated in the publication of Booz Allen's 2021 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Impact Report, “The Future Can’t Wait.” The report highlighted the firm’s commitment to key areas of impact including mission and innovation, employee experience, and community engagement, and offered new insight into the firm’s journey to build a more digital, secure, resilient, and equitable future.

Learn more about Booz Allen’s leadership in innovation, employee experience, and community impact. Read the full 2021 ESG Impact Report.