John Heller, PAE
What’s coming next? The key government contracting leaders aren’t just asking the question, they’re shaping the conversation. In WashingtonExec’s inaugural list of Top 30 Executives to Watch, we turn the spotlight on industry leaders who are positioning their companies for greater growth and relevance ahead. Selected by industry colleagues, these leaders hail from a diverse range of companies, where they’re fueling new ways of thinking and responding to the many challenges faced by their government customers. From cybersecurity to national defense, healthcare IT to big data, the needs will only grow as we settle into this Presidential election year and beyond. Throughout this alphabetized list, we’re placing our bets that these industry leaders will continue to drive value and exceed expectations across all levels of government.
Top 30 Execs to Watch Spotlight:
The task couldn’t have been more daunting: In 2014, as Ebola spread throughout West Africa, the U.S. government called upon PAE, a leading provider of enduring support for essential missions, for assistance.
Under the leadership of CEO John Heller, the company rapidly mobilized more than 1,600 people – several from within the executive ranks of PAE, who personally volunteered to travel to Liberia — to staff and support nine Ebola treatment units and the Monrovia Medical Unit (a specialized Ebola treatment facility) with life support, logistics, aircraft and medical services. That critical work led PAE to win the first-ever GovCon Program of the Year award in late 2015.
Helping the U.S. government maintain a state of readiness to meet future challenges in places like Liberia, and in over 60 countries worldwide, has been central to PAE’s leadership under Heller since he came onboard in December 2013. In keeping with that vision, Heller led the company through the January 2015 acquisition of USIS’s Global Security and Solutions division and the June 2015 acquisition of A-T Solutions, further expanding PAE’s National Security Solutions’ reach into law enforcement, homeland security, defense and intelligence customers, supporting their most complex national security missions. *Platinum Equity announced Jan. 19 that it signed a definitive agreement to acquire Arlington, Va.-based PAE from Lindsay Goldberg. The transaction is expected to close by the end of February 2016, subject to regulatory approvals. Financial terms were not disclosed. Read on here.
Reason to watch: For Heller, the need is clear. “The U.S. government has to respond quickly,” he said, “and we, in turn, will maintain our agility and capability to respond quickly and effectively – wherever and whenever our customers need assistance.”
Read the full top 30 list on WashingtonExec.com.
