WT 360: The market from all angles

On the cusp of taking the reins as CEO of SAIC, Nazzic Keene sat down with us to talk about her new role and where she sees future opportunities for Science Applications International Corp. She replaces Tony Moraco, who retires on Aug. 1. She will lead a company that has seen significant changes in recent years, notably the acquisition of Engility and a bigger footprint in the intelligence market. She talks about how she worked with Moraco over the last two years as COO, how she'll lead the company as CEO, and where she sees their strengths and needs moving forward.

In part 2 of our interview with General Dynamics Chris Marzilli, we dive deeper into the strategic direction of the Mission Systems and Information Technology businesses, including the integration of CSRA and how Mission Systems and IT go to market together. Marzilli shares how the No. 2 company on the 2019 Washington Technology Top 100 sees the evolving opportunities in the federal market.

Listen in on our Top 100 interview with General Dynamics executive Chris Marzilli, who leads the company's MIssion Systems and Information Technology businesses, as he shares the company's strategy and outlook in Part 1 of a two part podcast. In this part, Marzilli talks about the changes that GD has been going through in recent years including acquisitions, divestitures and restructuring of the company. The goal is quality revenue and growth and as he explains that means picking what businesses the company wants to be in and what it doesn't. Marzilli also talks about how the market is changing and what the means to General Dynamics.

Listen to our Top 100 interview with Tom Romeo as he describes how the acquisition of General Dynamics call center business has positioned Maximius for a new era of growth. The deal with GD vaulted Maximus from No. 72 on the Top 100 to No. 25. But beyond its ranking Romero sees opportunities for more citizen engagement work as well as opportunities to its capabilities to deliver more "as a service" solutions to government customers. As it integrates the acquisition, Maximus is building its sales and business development organizations so that it can better compete with the "big boys" as Romeo calls them. He readily admits the company cannot sneak under the radar anymore.

Programs and projects often go off the rails because of a lack of communication between contractor and customer. Learning the skills you need identify and engage with your stakeholders is critical for your customer's success as well as your company's success. We talk with business development veteran Jim Allen about how program and project managers can engage with their stakeholders. Jim also is the lead instructor for a workshop we have produced on mastering stakeholder engagement. As he explains in our interview, the concept is pretty straightforward, but doing it effectively takes a lot of hard work.

Bob Lohfeld Jr. , founder and CEO of Sev1Tech, explains why he sold his mid-tier company to a private equity firm. The decision wasn't about cashing out -- he's not going anywhere -- but the infusion of resources from DFW Capital Partners will give Sev1Tech the ability to accelerate its growth. The acquisition of Sev1Tech is just one of many involving private equity firms buying mid-tier platforms. And Lohfeld's interview gives us unique insights into why more of these deals are happening in today's market.

Washington Technology Editor Nick Wakeman and Senior Staff Writer Ross Wilkers share their insights on the major happenings in the GovCon market during the first two months of 2019. From the end of the partial government shutdown to early M&A activity to the prospects of the return of sequestration and what's next for JEDI, Wakeman and Wilkers talk about some of the major factors driving the government market. These two veteran reporters have talked to some of the leading executives in the market who shared their strategic plans and what might come next in the GovCon space. Listen as Wakeman and Wilker share what they've learned and what they see coming in 2019.

We pay another visit with David Berteau, president and CEO of the Professional Services Council, to get his insights on how the GovCon industry is bouncing back from the partial government shutdown and what might come next. Berteau shares what he has been hearing from his member companies and he puts the recovery into three buckets: Immediate damage caused by lost revenue Lost opportunities because of the shutdown The long-term damage to recruiting and retaining workers There is a silver lining in that the government is fully funded now and there is time to win new work and recoup lost revenue before the end of fiscal 2019 on Sept. 30. But it is paramount for companies to talk to customers now and prepare for any future shutdown, Berteau says. Lay the ground work now for weathering the next shutdown. He also describes other efforts underway that might ease the pain of a future shutdown.

In part two of our interview with SAIC's Tony Moraco he shares his views on the extra value he looks for from merger and acquisition targets and how that creates opportunities for growth. In part one we focused on SAIC's Engility acquisition and in part two we take a broader look at the company's M&A strategy and how SAIC' is organized to pull capabilities from across the company to chase new opportunities. Moraco also explains how critical mass with a customer is defined and how that measure informs the company's strategy. Between parts 1 and 2 of our interview with Moraco, you can gain valuable insights into what SAIC is doing and how it reflects broader trends in the GovCon market.

Listen to our interview with SAIC CEO Tony Moraco as he shares how buying Engility accelerates SAIC's strategy, what its integration plan is, and where he sees opportunities for growth. Moraco shares about lessons learned from SAIC's acquisition of Scitor and how Engility brings SAIC critical mass in the intelligence and space markets. He also talks about what he sees as the key factors that will drive SAIC's success over the next several years. This is part 1 of a two-part podcast. In part 2, Moraco shares more about SAIC's goals and strategic approach to the market.

In part 2 of our two-part interview with former Rep. Tom Davis, the congressman shares his views on procurement, politics and what he would do if he were king. Davis sees some things in the contracting market going well but a lot of things not working. There is paralysis on Capitol Hill but he sees a light at the end of the tunnel -- the return of earmarks. He explains how earmarks can break the gridlock in Congress as well as be a tool for fostering more innovation. He also thinks contracting officers need more authority and the ability to make the best deals for the government and taxpayers. All of this would spell good news for contractors but they need to focus on their business case and the mission of their customer.

Listen in on our recent conversation with former Republican Congressman Tom Davis and get his insights on the government shutdown and what he would suggest as a way out. Davis led a variety of efforts focused on improving contracting and procurement during his time as a congressman from Virginia and he sees the current shutdown as a no-win situation both parties. The dysfunction in Congress being driven by a lack of tools that can foster bipartisanship, such as earmarks, Davis said. Without these kinds of tools, there is no incentive for members to work together on issues and find solutions that can benefit both sides. Davis also describes how the GOP and the Democrats s risk damaging their standing with their base if they give in on funding for a wall along the southern border. An answer could lie in finding something that both parties value and building an agreement from there. Davis has a suggestion but the question is will anyone listen?

In this interview Professional Services Council President and CEO David Berteau shares what he is hearing from industry on the impact of the government shutdown and steps contractors should be taking now to get ready for when the government reopens. Whenever that is. Government contractors have been sharing a sense of confusion and uncertainty with Berteau and PSC as the government shutdown pushes into its fourth week. Contractors who are working are uncertain if and when they'll get paid. Contractors who aren't are faced with the challenge of hanging onto employees while customer sites are shuttered and projects languish. The uncertainty also extends to what to do when the government reopens. As Berteau says, you can stop work in five minutes but it might take days to restart.

Washington Technology Senior Staff Writer Ross Wilkers joins Editor Nick Wakeman in a review of the major trends and issues driving today's market, including major acquisitions, procurement trends and what JEDI says about contracting today. They take a look back at 2018 and discuss how the market is transforming. A major talking point is how the influx of commercial technologies is changing business models and the need for traditional contractors to adapt. They also discuss why having a healthy stable of public companies is important for the government market.

Whether you are talking FTS 2001, Networx or the EIS contract, few people know the ins and outs of the government telecommunications market like Diana Gowen, the leader of MetTel’s federal business and a veteran of CenturyLink, Qwest, MCI and AT&T. She shares her views on how the market has changed and how it hasn't and why partnerships and bringing solutions to your customers are fundamental to success in the government market.

Deloitte's Dan Helfrich shares his views on how the migration to the cloud, blockchain, machine learning and IT modernization will spell the end of traditional IT services. The changes will impact business models, customer relationship, partnerships and hiring for the next decade and beyond. Helfrich shares how Deloitte approaches these trends and how the key to success will be successfully combining people and technology assets. To maintain and gain market share companies need to master that combination.

In Episode 5 of the Project 38 podcast we talk to Steve Harris, senior vice president and general manager of Dell EMC about IT modernization and digital transformation and how the market is changing for primes, their partners and most importantly their customers. Government agencies are desperate to modernize their IT infrastructure and systems and, according to Harris, the solutions are there. But contractors face the challenge of disrupting themselves and their business models to bring next generation solutions to their customers.

In episode 4, we talk to John Wood, CEO of Telos Corp. as we continue our exploration of innovation and disruption in the government market. John shares his views on the challenges and obstacles to bringing innovation to the government market. He brings nearly 30 years of government contracting experience and holds the the point of view that the challenges to innovation aren't about the technology but the culture and the vested interests that resist change.

In this episode, we explore disruption in the market and the keys to managing and thriving through times of great change with our guest is David Kriegman, former executive with SRA International and author of Zero to A Billion, the story of how SRA become a government contractor with more than $1 billion in annual revenue. Many talk about how today's market undergoing great change and disruption. There are new competitors, new customer demands and new technologies that are creating fundamental shifts in how business is conducted in the federal market. But as Kriegman quickly points out, this is the first time the market has undergone a period of disruption. But there are principles for managing change so join the discussion in our latest episode of the Project 38 podcast.

In this episode, our guest is John Hillen, former CEO of Sotera Defense Solutions and current Executive in Residence and Professor of Practice at George Mason University’s School of Business. In our conversation we explore the evolution of the market and how the changes of the last decade are accelerating competition and creating a more open and transparent market as we move forward. But hurdles remain – too many regulations, too many entrenched incumbents, too many customer focused on requirements instead of outcomes – that discourage new entrants and new business models. Hear Hillen’s strategic advice on where CEOs and other leaders should focus their attention and what their priorities should be.

Our guest is Stan Soloway, former president and CEO of the Professional Services Council and founder of Celero Strategies. Soloway sees a market at the crossroads with new ways of doing business emerging and many traditional government contractors being challenged to change their ways or be left behind. Soloway brings a perspective from both inside government based on his time inside government as a high-raking Defense Department official as well as his decade and a half of leading PSC and being the voice for industry. The challenge for customer and contractor is grasping the technological disruptions in the market and understanding what that means for their customers and employees as well as the future.