The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Chief Officer Awards were announced April 15, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place virtually May 27.
Next is Chief Financial Officer finalist John Ustica, who’s senior vice president and CFO at Siemens Government Technologies. Here, he talks professional achievements, shaping the next generation of industry leaders, career advice and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2019/2020?
We developed an innovative financing model for Energy Savings Performance Contracts, where our internal financing arm, Siemens Financial Services, can finance projects for the customer. This ensures the government gets the best price on the financing and we close the transaction smoothly.
Using this model also benefits the company as we can claim free cash flow, which is a critical metric for the market. It’s a great win-win solution.
What was a turning point or inflection point in your career?
About 6 years ago, I participated in an intensive leadership assessment. It included personality profiling, observation in pressure situations and a significant leadership analysis from my peers and team. I learned so much about myself and the impact of my actions on others. I always want to help people achieve more then they think are capable of.
After learning about myself, I made it my mission to use feedback to improve my leadership style and to help those around me.
How do you help shape the next generation of government leaders/industry leaders?
Through my early career, leaders pushed me to do things that I didn’t think I was ready for in order to learn and grow. They also gave me the grace to make mistakes. I feel like I must do the same for upcoming leaders, to help them understand what they want to do and create opportunities for them to learn.
I want them to know if they stumble, there’s an entire team and myself behind them because we want them to succeed. We also push to train our team on leadership and not just technical skills. Those skills need to learned and developed as well.
What’s your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
Never stop leaning in. People want to work with others who help them. Help doesn’t mean doing it for them; it means really taking the time to understand what someone needs and offering servant leadership. This is not always easy, but it paves the way for learning on both sides.
Also, don’t be afraid to listen when your mentors and peers push you to take a stretch role. If they see something in you, they want you to succeed, don’t fight it! They will be just as vested as you are in making sure you make a difference.