On this monthly column, Defense Every day highlights individuals from across the federal government, industry and academia whose efforts contribute each day to national defense, from this system managers to the human resource leaders, to the engineers and logistics officers.
Bob Stevens is the VP of Public Sector at GitLab Inc. He has over three many years of experience in government and personal industry working with the federal government, particularly on federal sales of for technology corporations. This includes experience within the DoD software factories of the Air Force’s Platform One and Kessel Run and overall DoD software factory strategies.
How did you get entangled within the defense industry or community?
I started my profession as a tech controller within the U.S. Air Force, and I even did a stint as a communications specialist within the basement of the White House. The way in which that technology impacts the DOD’s mission has all the time been fascinating to me, and that fascination has guided my profession to the current day. After leaving the USAF I desired to proceed to follow my passion to serve the federal government holistically, including each defense and civilian communities, by moving to a systems integrator and ensuring agencies had access to the technology needed to effectively meet their mission-critical operations.
Now, as GitLab’s VP of Public Sector, I even have the chance to proceed supporting federal missions through rapid, secure software development enabled by DevSecOps. Using technology, I’m capable of help empower federal missions including the U.S. Navy’s Black Pearl software factory and the U.S. Air Force’s Platform One. It’s incredibly fulfilling to know that my work is making an impact and contributing to the success of necessary missions.
What are some challenges you faced working through your profession?
Working in the general public sector brings high responsibility and high reward. Government agencies need the perfect technology available to successfully complete their missions, which ultimately supports and protects U.S. residents. Helping government agencies navigate the complexities of selecting the fitting technology and ensuring it drives mission success is a frightening task. Throughout my profession, I’ve embraced the challenge of providing federal and civilian agencies with the most recent technology in a secure manner while contending with ever-fluctuating government regulations and budget allowances. The most effective solution to approach this challenge is to collaborate closely with customers and keep an in depth grasp on their needs and overarching goals.
It is simply possible to explore the most recent and most modern methods to support complex requirements when you have got a robust comprehension of mission requirements. For instance, GitLab supports the software factory model of development for a lot of federal agencies, which allows us to offer more creative and accessible paths to assist IT leaders navigate the complexity of technology procurement, while remaining committed to the mission.
Did you are feeling like you mostly had sufficient mentors and leaders to assist guide you? Why/why not?
Over the course of my profession, I’ve been lucky enough to have a various group of mentors that were instrumental to my growth and who helped me develop my skills and transform my profession path.
A few of these mentors were peers and leaders at my organizations, and others even got here from competing organizations. It has all the time been special to me that a member of a competitor’s organization took me under his wing and helped me change into a greater leader. He didn’t have to present me the time of day, but he selected to take a position in me, and we’re still friends today, almost 25 years later.
No matter where they got here from, each mentor has offered me a fresh perspective and unique insights which have helped me change into a greater skilled.
How do you’re employed to be a mentor yourself to younger counterparts?
When guiding younger colleagues, I draw from my background and the experiences of respected industry peers. All of us have areas for growth, and mentor helps discover and overcome these. Initially of a mentoring engagement, I work with individuals to discover areas for improvement, create a plan to handle them and set goals that reveal growth in those areas.
When one in all my young mentees expressed interest in becoming a CEO, we broke down the necessities of a leadership role, determined where the white space was and started addressing each aspect to fill of their skills gaps. This included strengthening leadership skills, effective team management, high-level and direct communication, creative problem solving and more. Together, we worked on getting him out of his comfort zone, gaining knowledge in all features of the business, and ultimately, he became a successful CEO.
Energetic listening and open dialogue are critical to mentorship. Sharing knowledge and offering guidance are also core tenants of my mentoring strategy. My personal goal is to all the time leave a mentorship session having given my mentee recent information, which provides them a skillset or idea they will construct on.
What does it mean to achieve success in your profession field?
Achieving success in my profession is all about understanding my customers’ goals, what drives them, and the way we are able to deliver. It’s not nearly having product but additionally about listening to and understanding their mission needs so I can offer support tailored to their unique situation. This is very crucial when working with DOD.
When the mission impacts the protection of our nation and the fitting technology can impact lives, understanding exactly what my end user needs is of utmost importance. There’s rarely a one-size-fits-all solution. A tailored approach enables cutting-edge application development that may be accomplished in only days, fairly than months, allowing defense leaders to make higher informed decisions and protect our service members. To me, that is true success.
What are among the under-appreciated positions within the defense field, the unsung heroes or essential cogs within the machine that help the job get done with less recognition?
Government contractors and behind-the-scenes technical employees are sometimes the unsung heroes within the defense field. While their roles will not be flashy, they’re instrumental to mission success.
Government technology professionals ensure access to potentially life-saving data, develop software that allows missions and ensures privacy that protects national security. Acknowledging the work of expert IT professionals and contractors who perform essential functions can empower them to achieve their roles and even transform them into future leaders.
How can the industry improve in promoting these individuals and constructing them up?
Promoting and increase folks in under-appreciated positions starts from the highest down. Leadership must recognize the importance of technical and contract work to assist members of their team gain a greater understanding of, and alter sentiment toward, their work. Changing the perception of those essential staff takes commitment and executive buy-in, and as such, it sets a brand new standard of recognition.
To reveal the importance of those individuals, leaders should expand recognition and praise beyond the standard scope. Organizations should proceed to acknowledge officers and executives for his or her contributions, and as well as, they need to honor enlisted personnel and technology professionals for the work they do to support the mission. Taking motion to acknowledge these unsung heroes will help reshape the perception of their efforts.
What do you see as the longer term of your sector in national defense?
Technology will proceed to play an important role in safeguarding our nation’s defense. The advancement of AI and other cutting-edge technologies might help us higher protect our country and its people.
At GitLab we see significant value in AI’s ability to rapidly create customized applications for our national defense agencies. We’re infusing AI across the software development lifecycle to enhance security and operations, while accelerating the event lifecycle. By repeatedly innovating and staying ahead of the curve, we are able to ensure our nation’s security.
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