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.
Humble Beginnings
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 experience and people skills at his uncle's coffee shop in high school. Gordon’s Confectionery, 100 years old and still running today, served about a third of the town daily and was Crisfield's gossip center.
After graduating as Valedictorian of his class, Price knew he wanted to expand his horizons "across the bridge," as there were very few technology opportunities nearby, other than the ones he made for himself (like creating software to track his DVD inventory as he lent them out to neighbors and friends). He loved to build applications that could improve quality of life. So, armed with a computer science degree as the first person in his extended family to graduate college, he started his career at Northrop Grumman as a Java developer. In this episode, Price shares his career journey to CEO of a software startup ⏤ a position he never thought he'd be in ⏤ by forging his own path and relationships, while keeping his hometown humbleness.