Intelligence Career Conversations
This podcast explores the people, paths, and policies shaping today’s intelligence community. Each episode features candid discussions with professionals from across the field—covering career journeys, skill-building advice, and the real-world impact of policy decisions on the IC workforce.
Episodes
79 episodes
Dr. Philip Ritcheson: Never Give Up
On this episode of the Intelligence Career Conversations podcast, host Jim Donnelly is joined by Dr. Philip Ritcheson, Senior VP for Corporate Strategy at Leidos, for a conversation on leadership, service, and navigating a career acros...
John Doyon: Go Where the Action Is
On this episode of Intelligence Career Conversations, host Jim Donnelly is joined by INSA Executive Vice President John Doyon. John reflects on the moments that defined his decades of service at NSA, from supporting treaty negotiations in Genev...
Coming Soon: The Career Playbook
An exclusive preview of INSA’s upcoming nine-episode podcast series, The Career Playbook, explores the mentorship, setbacks, leadership lessons, and career pivots that shape success across the intelligence and national security community. ...
Dr. Linda Bixby: Turning Career Pivots into Opportunity
On this episode of Intelligence Career Conversations, host Jim Donnelly is joined by Dr. Linda Bixby, Chief Research and Partnerships Officer at the University of Arizona. Dr. Bixby reflects on her nonlinear career spanning government, academia...
Robert Goodson: Networking, Networking, Networking
On this episode of Intelligence Career Conversations, host Jim Donnelly sits down with Robert Goodson, Senior Vice President at Booz Allen. Mr. Goodson reflects on his path from Army intelligence officer to private-sector leader, sharing insigh...
Meisha Lutsey: Leading at Scale in National Security
On this episode of Intelligence Career Conversations, host Jim Donnelly sits down with Meisha Lutsey, Executive VP, Mission and Engineering Support, CACI International. Meisha shares how she built her career in the intelligence and national sec...
David Marlowe: Think Clearly, Act Decisively
On this episode of Intelligence Career Conversations, host Jim Donnelly sits down with David Marlowe, SVP, Operations, Intelligence & Cyber, Amentum. Marlowe reflects on his 30-year career in human intelligence, from early field assignments...
Stephen Iwicki: From Desert Strom to AI
On this episode of Intelligence Career Conversations, host Jim Donnelly sits down with Stephen Iwicki, Senior VP and GM, Intelligence Solutions Business Unit, SOSi, and a retired U.S. Army intelligence officer. Mr. Iwicki reflects on his ...
Dr. Deborah Wituski: From Analyst to Academic in the AI Era
On this episode of Intelligence Career Conversations, host Jim Donnelly sits down with Dr. Deborah Wituski, Professor at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced and International Studies. Dr. Wituski reflects on her path from academic resea...
LTG Scott Berrier, USA (Ret.): Adapting to Strategic Competition
On this episode of Intelligence Career Conversations, host Jim Donnelly is joined by LTG Scott Berrier, USA (Ret.), former Director of DIA and Senior Vice President at Booz Allen. He shares hard-won lessons on leadership, the power of ...
Dr. Yevgeniy Sirotin: Trust, Technology, and Decision-Making
On this episode of the Intelligence Career Conversations podcast, Dr. Yevgeniy Sirotin, Scientist Director, SAIC, shares his journey from neuroscience to national security. He discusses the challenges and misconceptions in his field, offers adv...
Gordon Hannah: From Submarines to Cyber, Navigating Cybersecurity
On this episode of the Intelligence Career Conversations podcast, host Jim Donnelly speaks with Gordon Hannah, Principal, Cyber Risk Services, Deloitte, about his extensive career in defense, intelligence, and cybersecurity. Gordon shares insig...
Tonya Wilkerson: Stewardship of People and Mission
On this week's episode of the Intelligence Career Conversations podcast, Jim Donnelly welcomes Tonya Wilkerson, former Deputy Director of NGA. Tonya reflects on her path into the intelligence community and her experiences serving at multiple ag...
ICC Holiday Special
In this special holiday edition, INSA/INSF President Suzanne Wilson Heckenberg, joins podcast host Jim Donnelly to reflect on the key themes and insights from the past year. They discuss the importance of mentorship, resilience, and the human a...
Andrew Hallman: Do Right, Fear No One
On this episode of the Intelligence Career Conversations podcast, host Jim Donnelly welcomes Andrew Hallman, VP and Strategic Account Executive for the IC at Leidos. Mr. Hallman traces his path into the IC, sharing how early academic influences...
Dr. Megan Anderson: Curiosity Meets Mission
In this episode of the ICC podcast, host Jim Donnelly welcomes Dr. Megan Anderson, Executive VP of Capabilities at IQT. Dr. Anderson reflects on her path from academia and biotech to the national security arena and how curiosity has guided her ...
Wendy Noble: Communicate, Adapt, Lead
In this episode of the ICC podcast, host Jim Donnelly welcomes Wendy Noble, former Deputy Director of the NSA. Ms. Noble discusses her journey from the U.S. Air Force to the NSA, the challenges and rewards of leadership, and the importance of m...
The Unredacted Resume: What an Employer Wants: How Employers Can Get High Quality Talent
In the final episode of INSA's limited-run podcast series, The Unredacted Resume, Lindy Kyzer and Brian Drake discuss the evolving job market for national security workers, focusing on the strategies employers can adopt to attract high-quality ...
Horace Blackman: Building a Mission-Driven Career
In this episode of the Intelligence Career Conversations podcast, Jim Donnelly welcomed Horace Blackman, Senior VP/Business Unit Leader, Defense, Intelligence and Space, CGI Federal. He shares insights from a career spanning government and indu...
The Unredacted Resume: The Network Effect: How to Get Noticed and Leverage Your Hidden Network
On this episode of The Unredacted Resume, host Lindy Kyzer is joined by Dr. David Bray (The Stimson Center), Niloo Norton, and Charles Carithers (Cornerstone Government Affairs) to discuss the importance of networking. They explore how to build...
Suzanne White: Lessons on Humility, Mentorship, and Uncertainty
On this week's episode of the Intelligence Career Conversations podcast, Jim Donnelly speaks with Suzanne White, former Deputy Director for the Defense Intelligence Agency. Suzanne reflects on her path from financial management to senior intell...
The Unredacted Resume: Crush the Interview: Strategies for Telling Your Story
In this episode of The Unredacted Resume, co-host Brian Drake (Accrrete), along with guests Kim King (DIA) and Wyetta Morrow (Collins Aerospace, An RTX Business), discuss effective interview strategies for individuals transitioning from federal...
The Hon. Ellen McCarthy: Trust, Leadership, and the Future of Intelligence
In this ICC podcast episode, host Jim Donnelly sits down with The Hon. Ellen McCarthy, CEO and Founder of the Trust in Media Cooperative and a longtime leader in the U.S. intelligence community, as she recounts her unconventional journey, from ...
The Unredacted Resume: Because That's Where the Fish Are! Job Hunting in the NatSec Market
On this episode of The Unredacted Resume, host Lindy Kyzer is joined by Murshed Chowdhury (Founder & CEO, Tech Duels, and Partner, Rapid Talent Group) and Jamie Jones Miller (Regional Dean, Northeastern University Arlington) to discuss what...
