WashingtonExec Annual Greater Washington GovCon Awards Finalist Series
The clock is ticking. With just a few days away from the “Oscars of the Government Contracting Community,” the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce and the Professional Services Council will both share the winners of the 13th annual Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards.
As we count down to the grand event at The Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner, WashingtonExec is interviewing “Executive of the Year” and “Contractor of the Year” finalists about how they’re setting their businesses apart in the government contracting arena, and how they’re attracting a new generation of workers to implement their mission.
WashingtonExec spoke with OGSystems CEO and co-founder Omar Balkissoon; the Chantilly, Va.-based company is a finalist in the Contractor of the Year category for businesses worth $25 million to $75 million.
WashingtonExec: What is OGSystems’ plan for growth during the next three to five years?
Omar Balkissoon: We want to be the leader in everything GeoInt, providing knowledge as a service through our people, processes and technology, allowing us to identify the who, what, where, why and how context for DoD and IC mission needs.
We are innovative and innovation brings new opportunity, but we don’t want to get distracted and lose focus on what we do well and what we stand for. We do not want to grow simply for the sake of growing. Our growth must be aligned to our values, goals and vision.
WashingtonExec: How has your business been able to grow as the federal market contracts?
Omar Balkissoon: While many in the IC are recording negative growth, this year OGSystems has grown positive and in the double digits!
Our growth has been organic through our support the current mission in a nontraditional manner. We immerse our talented people with our customer in order to continuously look for opportunity to innovate and build the confidence of the customer, one problem at a time.
WashingtonExec: What is the fastest growing component of your business?
Omar Balkissoon: Software and analytics as a service.
WashingtonExec: What was your organization’s largest accomplishment in the last 12-18 moths?
Omar Balkissoon: Our partnership with General Catalyst helps us to scale the organization with senior leadership, exquisite board membership and key thought leaders. We have completed a successful acquisition of a key enabler into our emerging GeoInt framework and are actively pursuing others!
WashingtonExec: Given today’s government contracting marketplace, how has your organization’s approach to customers, employees and future customers changed?
Omar Balkissoon: Our philosophy from the beginning has been to do more with less. It is in our DNA with every customer engagement. We challenge the status quo and our employees want to affect positive change in this business space. Mission failure is not an option and we seek out change agents within government organizations.
WashingtonExec: What are the largest challenges that you predict your business will face in the next five years?
Omar Balkissoon: Consistent and focused growth in the areas that we impact daily. We are innovative and innovation brings new opportunity, but we don’t want to get distracted and lose focus on what we do well and what we stand for. We do not want to grow simply for the sake of growing. Our growth must be aligned to our values, goals and vision.
WashingtonExec: We have seen many large, M&A transitions this year, do you anticipate this will continue in the future?
Omar Balkissoon: Yes, there is an insatiable appetite to find the next great company that is actually doing things differently while operating with the tempo of responsibility, accountability and change.
WashingtonExec: How does your organization maintain engagement with all levels of employees?
Omar Balkissoon: We engage our employees through a number of outlets including weekly companywide videos, networking and educational events, tech swap meetings, internal social media platforms, and company outings. We employ the Team of Teams approach as discussed in Gen. Stanley McChrystal’s recently released book of the same name and have an open door policy for all senior leadership across the company.
WashingtonExec: Have millennials entering the workforce changed your company’s strategic plans or corporate policies? If so, how?
Omar Balkissoon: We have a dynamic workforce and understand that not everyone communicates in the same way. We offer rotational assignments to expose employees to new opportunities, and we offer mentorship circles to help shape their career. We empower them to projects and “Own the Outcome.”
WashingtonExec: How is your business involved in the community?
Omar Balkissoon: Our corporate citizenship spans from organized service days with local shelters and foodbanks, to donation matching for causes dear to our employees such as the recent earthquake in Nepal.
But our community involvement isn’t limited to service projects alone. Recently one of our products, Jivango, served as a platform for a technology challenge for Loudoun County Public Schools. Students accessed data and information shared in the platform to develop project concepts that they will apply to provide solutions for the school system including attendance recording and student safety. It was an opportunity to encourage the future generation of innovators.
Related: WashingtonExec Annual GovCon Awards Interview Series: PAE CEO John Heller
