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 Technology Officer Award finalist Cameron Chehreh, who’s CTO and vice president of pre-Sales engineering at Dell Technologies Federal. Here, he talks key achievements, primary focus areas going forward, career advice and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2019 / 2020?
A key achievement that I can humbly say I was a part of is the transition of over 2 million civilian and contractor workers for the Department of Defense to a work from anywhere environment, safely and securely.
My team and others worked to ensure that agency missions continued throughout every step of the transition to remote work. At the beginning, each agency needed to assess its IT infrastructure and expand it as needed to support remote work including implementing or increasing cloud capabilities, establishing an internal and external access portal with virtual desktops, device enrollment and more, and securing all devices from end to end.
As remote work continued, this also meant educating remote workers on secure practices while at home and reassessing IT solutions and applications and adapting as needed.
For government — especially DOD — the mission is critically important. I work in our federal business because I feel called to duty and service of those who serve in government positions so I’m proud to have contributed to government’s continuity plan and continued operations during the pandemic.
I’m especially proud of our efforts outfitting the USS Comfort and USS Mercy in less than two weeks in spring 2020, getting the ships’ digital infrastructure ready so they could respond to the global pandemic.
What has made you successful in your current role?
One simple philosophy — seek to understand before being understood — has made me successful in my role. I believe strongly in the power of listening and learning how to be a true servant leader. This means listening objectively to the critical needs of our customers in support of their mission, the critical needs of my team — the employees I have the good fortune to be responsible for — and being sure that those needs remain aligned.
As a member of the Dell Federal team, I strive to impact to our customers and their missions through our work. I have learned how to listen carefully and then find a path to yes or to a solution that benefits all.
What are you most proud of having been a part of in your current organization?
I am proud to be a member of an exceptional executive leadership team that successfully executed the largest IT merger in the modern history of our business — bringing Dell and EMC together to create Dell Federal.
We had to merge the cultures of two of the largest IT companies in the world. Acknowledging the similarities and finding common ground between the two cultures was powerful. And in the differences, I found great competitive power. We could act like the world’s largest start up with a renewed sense of culture that looked at the industry today and provided a perspective on the next 10-20 years.
Today, in the era of cloud computing, we’re a powerhouse due to the breadth of our portfolio. Dell Technologies Cloud includes a set of cloud infrastructure solutions, combining the industry leader in cloud IT infrastructure (Dell EMC) and cloud software (VMware), backed by our global services and flexible consumption financing capabilities. And most importantly, we’ve established a strong cultural focus on our customer and their mission outcomes.
What are your primary focuses areas going forward, and why are those so important to the future of the nation?
Moving forward, I’m focused on what I call the architects of innovation — edge computing, 5G, data management, hybrid cloud, artificial intelligence/machine learning and intrinsic security.
These technologies will be the underpinning of modern digital infrastructure for mission-enablement. As our nation continues to not only modernize but seek opportunities to leapfrog ahead to deliver better constituent services or create a more efficient military, those primary tenants will be vital.
How do you help shape the next generation of government leaders/industry leaders?
One-on-one interaction is crucial. I find great value in mentor/mentee opportunities and social engagements where I can provide the next generation of industry leaders a forum to freely exchange ideas with more experienced leaders and colleagues.
It’s important to provide opportunities to learn about current digital innovation efforts and the art of the possible — how current technology that can be securely leveraged to help them realize their vision. A lot of that comes from through thought leadership sessions, white papers, one-on-one meetings, mentor/mentee relationships and anywhere that we can collaborate.
As the proud father to two girls, I am also passionate about supporting up-and-coming women in technology. At Dell, we have an outstanding women in technology employee resource group and other professional groups that I support. Making sure we support all future leaders is crucial.
Which rules do you think you should break more as a government/industry leader?
I am used to breaking rules. It’s really about challenging conventional thinking and culture as we bring solutions to government.
Working in a highly regulated environment can be limiting, but too often, the focus is on why things can’t be done, rather than how they can be done. Consistently being a different and sometimes provocative voice driving to yes keeps government moving forward.
By breaking down decades of a risk-averse culture to better focus on secure mission execution, risk can be a strategic advantage.
What’s your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
Understand there are no rules. You need to set a course and command your own career.
Being in the technical ranks of an executive leadership team is challenging because most people assume you are just a smart engineer. You need to accept being uncomfortable and push yourself to learn other aspects of the business. You need business, financial and sales acumen along with your technical understanding. To learn these skills, you should push yourself to build strong relationships with your contemporaries and leaders on the teams you contribute to.
Break all the rules, define your path and career, and most importantly, define your personal ethos. This is what you want to be known for — keep it simple, document it and live by it. That’s been the most important advice that I have followed all along that has allowed me to humbly put myself in circumstances and situations that I only dreamed would happen.
Surround yourself with great people and get out of their way.