Michael Palensky has over three decades of experience on the government side of contracting, serving as a contracting officer with the departments of Agriculture and Commerce and its U.S. Census Bureau. For more than two years, he has brought that expertise to Maximus to help improve its approach to contracting through improved communication.
Since joining Maximus, Palensky has fostered an environment of open communication, both internally between divisions as well as externally with federal agencies. The goal of his push is to ensure Maximus becomes nimbler and more flexible when it comes to contracting. The rapid growth of the company that coincides with his arrival reveals that approach is working.
In particular, the culture he fostered has turned into a huge benefit as the company and the government work through the COVID-19 pandemic. Changes to the normal contracting approach in 2020 included the need for remote work, as well as the need for quicker timetables, both of which Maximus has executed flawlessly.
Why Watch
Palensky says he’s been able to retain key employees since he joined Maximus, and that continuity has strengthened the efforts of the contracts team. Looking to the future, he expects growth to continue and the policies already implemented to provide even further value from a collaboration standpoint. Though uncertainty remains because of COVID-19, Palensky is confident the flexibility built into his team has it prepared for anything.
See the entire Top 10 Contracting Execs to Watch in 2020 list here.