On Sept. 4, the finalists for this year’s Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards were announced and WashingtonExec is bringing you its annual series with the nominees.
The winners will be unveiled on Nov. 13 at The Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner by the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce and the Professional Services Council. With more than 1,000 business and public sector leaders attending the event, our series will keep you up-to-date about all the finalists for this year — who they are, what they do and why they are worthy of winning.
Our next interview is with MAXIMUS Inc. CEO Richard Montoni. MAXIMUS Inc. is nominated for “Contractor of the Year” in the greater than $300 million category.
WashingtonExec: How would you describe your business strategy during the past 3-5 years, and what is your organization’s plan for growth during the next 3-5 years? How has your business been able to grow as the federal market contracts? What is the fastest growing component of your business?
Richard Montoni: During the past five years, our business strategy at MAXIMUS has focused on providing best-value solutions to government health and human services agencies in an ever-changing and evolving global marketplace. Government reform initiatives, such as health care reform in the United States and welfare reform in the United Kingdom, have played a major role in our growth.
We also completed several strategic acquisitions, including Policy Studies Inc., one of our largest domestic competitors, and Health Management Ltd., the largest provider of occupational health services in the U.K. At the same time, we expanded our federal services business through new contracts that apply our core capabilities to a wider set of federal agencies.
Looking ahead, our long-term growth plans are based on three platforms: supporting our U.S. clients through the ongoing implementation and stabilization of the Affordable Care Act; continuing to grow our federal business; and expanding our international operations through new health and human services opportunities. As a trusted partner to governments worldwide, we look forward to continuing to provide our clients with innovative ways to reform their social programs and achieve the outcomes that matter most to citizens.
The ability of MAXIMUS to help our government clients successfully navigate the implementation of the Affordable Care Act is one our greatest recent accomplishments. We currently operate customer contact centers for six state-based exchanges and are part of the contact center services team for the federal marketplace.
WashingtonExec: What was your organization’s largest accomplishment in the last 12-18 months?
Richard Montoni: The ability of MAXIMUS to help our government clients successfully navigate the implementation of the Affordable Care Act is one our greatest recent accomplishments. We currently operate customer contact centers for six state-based exchanges and are part of the contact center services team for the federal marketplace.
As governments faced problems with the technology side of their exchanges during the first open enrollment period, MAXIMUS provided alternatives and implemented contingency plans. Our solutions allowed exchange workflows to continue while our clients and their systems vendors addressed the technology issues. These technical deficiencies created the need for direct consumer contact in order to continue the application and enrollment process.
For example, we quickly ramped up staffing and trained workers to address the need for more paper applications and additional assistance for consumers who were completing online applications. These actions helped bridge the gaps in the exchange workflows and allow enrollments to continue. We were so pleased that we could provide our clients with a scalable operational model that quickly added incremental capacity by leveraging existing overflow capabilities in other MAXIMUS contact centers.
WashingtonExec: How does your organization maintain engagement with all levels of employees? Have millennials entering the workforce changed your corporate policies? If so, how?
Richard Montoni: With a passion for public service, our 12,000 employees worldwide share a common commitment. At MAXIMUS, we are driven by the desire to provide our clients with critical services that improve the quality of life for disadvantaged populations around the globe. Our employees, particularly those of the millennial generation, enjoy being part of an organization that is making a meaningful impact on society.
MAXIMUS is committed to giving our employees opportunities to develop new skills, advance in their careers, and receive recognition for superior performance. We know that professional development is important to all of our employees, but especially for millennials. We provide formal training and on-the-job guided learning, as well as opportunities to connect with key leaders and subject matter experts. The MAXIMUS CORE (Career Opportunities Recognition & Engagement) program reinforces our commitment to employee growth by leveraging our internal talent as our organization continues to expand. It offers our employees with opportunities to assume positions of greater scope and responsibility by matching them with open positions.
WashingtonExec: How is your business involved in the community?
Richard Montoni: At MAXIMUS, we hold a strong sense of corporate responsibility and desire to give back to the communities in which we live and work. As the philanthropic arm of our company, the MAXIMUS Foundation extends our mission by providing financial assistance to organizations that support many of the same populations and communities served by the public programs we operate.
The MAXIMUS Foundation supports non-profit programs that promote personal growth and self-sufficiency through improved health, augmented child and family development, and community development. Through a competitive grant program, we provide financial support for non-profit organizations and charities that share our commitment in helping disadvantaged populations and underserved communities.
The Foundation is funded by charitable gifts from our employees and supplemented by grants from the company. Since 2000, the Foundation has provided financial support to more than 160 non-profits across the nation.
