Editor’s note: The winner of the Chief Officer Awards Public Company COO Award announced June 17 is Brian Sandager of Cerner.
On June 17, WashingtonExec will be virtually celebrating the most impactful and innovative C-suite executives in government and industry. These chief officers work in technology, security, data, operations, finance, business and more, excelling on both sides of the government contracting sector. Our team of judges have chosen the finalists for the inaugural Chief Officer Awards, so before we announce the winners during the event, we wanted to get to know the finalists a bit better. This Q&A series highlights their careers, successes, proud professional moments and notable risks.
Alan Bloodgood is chief operating officer at Siemens Government Technologies and a finalist in the Public Company COO Award category
What key achievements did you have in 2019?
In 2019, I was proud to be named COO of Siemens Government Technologies and to help lead our team that secured the largest federal energy savings performance contract in history at Naval Station Guantanamo Bay.
What has made you successful in your current role?
What has made me successful is that I have an open and direct style and bring a range of experience from both large businesses and small businesses. Siemens Government Technologies is really a small business inside of a large company and my range of experiences make me well suited for the environment at SGT.
What was a turning point or inflection point in your career?
The turning point in my career was at Lockheed Martin when I went overseas to support a project in the UK called the New EnRoute Center. In this environment, I was sent over to help fix a program that had challenges. It was a difficult program in an overseas location so it was critical to learn to manage in a different culture in an environment where there was a small group to support you day-to-day. The program ultimately became very successful and I was glad to have a hand in what is one of the premier air traffic control locations in the world today.
What are you most proud of having been a part of in your current organization?
I am most proud of our ability to grow the business. When I took over the Energy Services Company in Siemens Government Technologies in 2016 the business was less than $100 million in orders. In four years, we have grown that significantly and built an execution team that is one of the best in Siemens. We were given the challenge to grow the business and we were successful in doing so through good execution and strong customer relationships.
What’s the biggest professional risk you’ve ever taken?
The biggest professional risk I took was leaving Lockheed Martin after 24 years and going to a small business called Metron Aviation. I was hired to help win a research contract with the Federal Aviation Administration called SE 2020. I was hired to lead the proposal and to lead the oral presentation to the customer. It was a big risk for me to take when I had kids in high school and college. In the end, we were successful in winning the contract and we sold the company. It was a big risk, but one of the defining moments in my professional career.
Looking back at your career, what are you most proud of?
Being able to balance work and home. I’ve had difficult and challenging jobs but I made it a point to balance work and family. I was able to support my wife and family through my career and spend time traveling all over the world as a family. I coached both my kids in sports through high school. I coached my daughter in baseball and travel softball and coached my son in travel baseball. Work, family and travel-sports coaching take time and focus and I was able to balance and prioritize it all. I could not have done it without the support of my amazing wife Laura.
What’s your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
Balance your work and your family. Address issues head on since bad news doesn’t get better with age. The sooner you address issues, the better. Be honest and transparent.