
Humble Beginnings
The CEOs and senior GovCon leaders of today weren't always sitting in the corner office. They weren't born in suits with a handbook for success and a direct path to leadership. In fact, before many of these executives came into positions of powers, they had rather humble beginnings -- no corporate family tree or unlimited access. Many had to find their way on their own with little to fall back on. This podcast will share the stories of high school part-time work, first jobs and early-career decisions, decades before the CEO appointments and the board memberships. We'll learn about the unconventional paths to success, the ones most of us can relate to.
Episodes
31 episodes
Building a Legacy: Brandy Durham Turns Passion for Tackling National Problems to Career Path in Data, AI
In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we sit down with Brandy Durham, vice president of Mantech's Data and AI Practice, as she shares of her upbringing in South Texas, and how her family's history of carpentry and military service instilled a...
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Season 1
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Episode 31
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36:56

Shawn Purvis' Transformational Leadership Relies on Lifelong Values: 'Family, Faith, Hard Work and Doing Good to Others'
In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we sit down with Shawn Purvis, president and CEO of QinetiQ US, as she shares her upbringing in Northern Virginia under the values of "family, faith, hard work and doing good to others."Purvis' par...
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Season 1
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Episode 30
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48:20

Small Town Values, a Strong Work Ethic and Career Turning Points: Rick Wagner's Rise to CEO
In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we sit down with Rick Wagner, CEO of Agile Defense, as he shares about his upbringing in a factory town in Pennsylvania surrounded by a large family, strong work ethic and small town values. And while Wag...
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Season 1
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Episode 29
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31:58

When Paths Cross and Stay on Course: Federal CIOs Mittal Desai, Yemi Oshinnaiye on Family, Friendship and Public Service
In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we sit down with two chief information officers in government who share their backgrounds, the lessons they learned early on and the impact their upbringings had on their current roles in public service. ...
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Season 1
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Episode 28
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42:18

IntelliBridge's Cass Panciocco on His Unplanned Path to CEO: A Story of Family, Timing & Work Ethic
In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," Cass Panciocco, president and CEO of IntelliBridge, joins us to share a bit about his upbringing in working-class Boston, what it was like sharing a modest home with seven other family members, the work e...
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Season 1
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Episode 27
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26:30

V2X' Jo Ann Bjornson Finds Her Passion for People After Self Guidance, Life Pivots & Hard Work
In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," Jo Ann Bjornson, chief human resources officer at V2X, joins us to discuss her upbringing in a 900-square-foot house in a low-income suburb of the greater Washington, D.C., area. The daughter of an immigr...
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Season 1
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Episode 26
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53:18

ULTRA Intelligence & Communications' Mladen Brkic on Resilience, Relationships and Well-Rounded Leadership
The Bosnian War, which began in 1992, lasted nearly four years and displaced over 2 million people. In this episode of Humble Beginnings, WashingtonExec's Amanda Ziadeh sits down with guest Mladen Brkic, who came to the U.S. as a refugee in 199...
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Season 1
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Episode 25
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40:16

Leidos' JR Williamson Emerges from Life's Instabilities to Succeed, Supporting Himself and Others Along the Way
WashingtonExec's Amanda Ziadeh sits down with guest JR Williamson as he shares his unique ⏤ and at times challenging ⏤ upbringing, as he moved nearly 21 times by the age of 15, largely due to his family dynamic. Still, the senior vice president...
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Season 1
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Episode 24
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47:52

Kion's Brian Price Journeys 'Across the Bridge' to Solve Problems with Software
WashingtonExec's Amanda Ziadeh sits down with Brian Price, CEO and co-founder of Kion, as he shares his upbringing in the 2,000-person small shore town of Crisfield, Maryland, "still stuck in the 1970s." Price, an only child, gained early work ...
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Season 1
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Episode 23
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42:26

From Family Business to 'Fixer-Upper:' LMI's CEO Doug Wagoner Isn't Afraid of the Hard Jobs
WashingtonExec's Amanda Ziadeh and co-host Mark HuYoung, managing partner of executive advisory firm Northwind Partners, sit down with guest Doug Wagoner, CEO of LMI, to discuss his upbringing in Alexandria, Virginia, and ultimate progression t...
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Season 1
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Episode 22
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45:54

A Story of People, Events and Moments that Changed the Course of Gil Smith's Life
In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we chat with Gil Smith, senior director of Government Health Program Development at Philips (and a rancher), about his upbringing as a latchkey kid in a broken home in Rhode Island. Always the "new kid," ...
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1:00:03

Working Through Life's Challenges: CEO Jon Rucker's Story is 'About the Journey, Not the Endgame'
WashingtonExec's Amanda Ziadeh and co-host Mark HuYoung, managing partner of executive advisory firm Northwind Partners, sit down with guest Jon Rucker as he shares a bit about his upbringing in Northern Virginia as the son of a teacher and ele...
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Season 1
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Episode 20
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56:36

Behind Sev1Tech CEO Bob Lohfeld's Reputation for 'Running Towards the Fire'
In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we sit down with Sev1Tech CEO Robert (Bob) E. Lohfeld Jr., as he shares tidbits about his upbringing in Maryland, the influence his grandmother had on his life and his foundational interest in all things ...
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Season 1
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Episode 19
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49:32

SPA's Richard Sawchak Shares Generations of 'Humble Beginnings': A Story of Mentorship, Giving Back & Family
In this episode of Humble Beginnings, we chat with Richard Sawchak, CEO of Systems Planning and Analysis, about his upbringing in Scranton, Pennsylvania, his very first job as a paperboy, and mentors who influenced his life.Rich also sh...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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38:28

From Apartheid South Africa to Stateside CEO: Aarish Gokaldas' Unpredictable Path to Leading with Purpose
In this episode of Humble Beginnings, we speak with Highlight CEO Aarish Gokaldas about his family history and upbringing in South Africa during the apartheid. We hear how Gokaldas' family immigrated to North Africa from India and eventually ma...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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47:59

Paul Smith's Big Family Roots Fuel a Strong Work Ethic and Focus on Connection
In this episode of Humble Beginnings, we chat with Rancher Government Solutions' CEO Paul Smith about his Baltimore, Maryland, upbringing, and ultimate rise to leadership. Smith and his seven siblings all worked their way through high school an...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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25:04

'I Can Survive Cancer, I Can Go Learn How to Run a Business': John Ustica on Unknowns and Opportunities
For John Ustica, president and CEO of Siemens Government Technologies, his story starts with a medical scare on a soccer field in the first grade. An abdominal pain later proved to be a tumor on his kidney, and he'd spend 65 weeks in chemothera...
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Season 1
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Episode 15
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44:56

Exposure, Loss, Opportunity & Diligence: The Making of Acentra Health's CEO Todd Stottlemyer
WashingtonExec's Amanda Ziadeh and co-host Mark HuYoung, managing partner of executive advisory firm Northwind Partners, sit down with guest Todd Stottlemyer as he shares what it was like growing up in a duplex just outside New York City as the...
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Season 1
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Episode 14
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36:08

DCS Corp.'s Jack Jackson's Journey from Naval Ships and Small Towns to People-First Leadership
DCS Corp.'s Jack Jackson was raised in Baltimore, Maryland, as one of nine kids and the son of a local sports journalist. While Jackson and his siblings all attended Catholic school growing up, he chose a different path when it came time for co...
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Season 1
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Episode 13
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25:19

The Future for XLA CEO Gary Slack Wasn't Always Clear, but Business Made it Bright
XLA CEO Gary Slack is no stranger to entrepreneurship and working for what you want. In fact, he got the business bug around the age of 8, and it stuck with him ever since. In this episode of Humble Beginnings, the Northern Virginia native shar...
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Season 1
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Episode 12
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26:36

Dreams Redefined: Luwanda Jones on Finding Purpose, Education & Leadership
In this episode, Camille Tuutti is joined by Luwanda Jones, the deputy chief information officer in the Office of Strategic Sourcing at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Luwanda's story takes us on a fascinating journey marked by unexpected t...
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Season 1
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Episode 11
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24:18

Pizzerias, Roofing and ROTC: Ed Swallow's Resourceful Ride to Management and Mentorship
If you look up the definition of "resourcefulness," you may find Ed Swallow's story. Today, he's senior vice president, chief operating officer and chief financial officer/treasurer of The Aerospace Corp.; yet the White Plains, New York native ...
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Season 1
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Episode 10
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32:39

From Sharecropper's Son to SVP: Stan Sims' Story of Ambition, Work Ethic and Perspective
For the first time publicly, Stan Sims, senior vice president and chief security officer at CGI, shares his story of growing up in the rural south as an African American during the Civil Rights Movement in the 1950s and 1960s. The son of sharec...
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Season 1
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Episode 9
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50:09

Lawn Care to Leadership: Andy Maner’s Midwestern Journey to White House and CEO Success
While many recognize him as the former CEO of Avantus Federal, few may know Andy Maner’s early beginnings in Lansing, Michigan. From running his own lawn care service to working in a cherry processing plant, Andy learned the importance of hard ...
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Season 1
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Episode 8
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27:26

Former Airman and Accenture Federal Services’ Rick Driggers Shares Candid Story of Loss, Resilience, Pivotal Life Moments
In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we chat with Rick Driggers, Accenture Federal Services' cyber practice lead, as he candidly shares his personal and emotional story of family, loss, resilience and pivotal experiences. Driggers talks abou...
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Season 1
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Episode 7
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37:35
