The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Pinnacle Awards were announced Oct. 13, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place virtually Dec. 8.
Next is Supply Chain Executive of the Year finalist Nisa Moore, who’s vice president for diplomacy at GDIT. Here, she talks key achievements, focus areas going forward, learning from failures and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2020/2021?
One of my greatest professional achievements in 2020/2021 was leading a team through the COVID-19 pandemic while continuing to drive innovation in cyber, cloud and supply chain risk.
During these unprecedented times, I successfully pivoted the GDIT business model as it was to provide leadership to our virtual and essential teams worldwide.
Additionally, I reinvested in my career and personal development; I was selected as GDIT’s business area vice president for diplomacy and chosen to be on the board of directors for the Association of Supply Chain Management.
What has made you successful in your current role?
Relationships — years in the making — with my team, our government partners and internal Employee Resource Groups have made me successful. At the end of the day, we are all driving towards the goal of supporting a mission and staying aligned through collaboration. Driving those diverse perspectives is ultimately what drives our/my success.
What was a turning point or inflection point in your career?
Ten years ago, I was heading a functional contracts team for a portfolio of supply chain programs. It was during this time that I saw an opportunity for growth and development not only for me professionally, but for GDIT as well.
This opportunity allowed me to sponsor the implementation of an enterprisewide tier 1 warehouse management system driving IT transformation and reducing supply chain risk. As a result, I successfully established a portfolio valued over $3.5 billion for GDIT.
What are you most proud of having been a part of in your current organization?
I have a huge sense of pride working for GDIT (and the larger General Dynamics). It’s why I have spent my career with a company whose values align with mine. If I had to narrow it down though, I am most proud of the mission support we provide our customers. GDIT is a people company with a culture of honesty, transparency, trust and alignment. It’s a tangible culture that we can bring to our customers.
I am also proud of what we have built internally at GDIT through our eight Employee Relations Groups. I sit on the council for one of them called ForWARD (For Women’s Advancement, Recognition and Development). Through this, I have led and participated in our annual flagship event, Women + Tech, that has grown to over 2,000 participants.
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the future of the nation?
My primary focus going forward is to bring innovation and diverse perspectives to our customers. In these uncertain times, we are facing a talent crisis the likes of which we have not seen before. It’s vital to be able to provide mentorship and contributions to the community, for empowerment at all levels of a person’s career, by providing actionable tools along with knowledge and networking skills to grow their careers. I am laser focused on educating, certifying and giving a career path to those interested.
How do you help shape the next generation of government leaders/industry leaders?
In addition to providing a career path for future talent, industry must remain agile and improve the speed at which they consider hiring talent. At GDIT, we are finding unique ways to drive talent to STEM by seeking various ways of attracting talent, improving the employee experience, immersing new hires in our Employee Relation Groups, and showing how GDIT culture aligns with candidate values.
What’s one key thing you learned from a failure you had?
I have seen failure more times that I can count, but I have learned to carry the valuable lessons learned to each new endeavor I undertake — most importantly, the importance of resilience and empathy.
Being empathetic enables you, as a leader, to get to know your audience and predict how your decisions will impact your team or your customer.
Empathy has also allowed me to build productive teams and improve relationships with my coworkers, clients and customers.
Which rules do you think you should break more as a government/industry leader?
Today, innovation is moving at lightning speed, which means policies and processes become outdated in the blink of an eye. So, I have a rule to never give the answer “because we have always done it this way.”
Be bold and be curious. Ask why and ask questions about change and modernization. I have found with my customers that they are amenable and will partner with you on a disruption and/or change if you can prove mission success in the end.
What’s the biggest professional risk you’ve ever taken?
The biggest risk was pivoting my career path 10 years into my career from a functional leadership role to leading a P&L. As I reflect on this decision, it assures me that there is no single career path to success for women in IT.
Looking back at your career, what are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the collaboration and success of my team. They lead day in and day out to meet a life safety mission. I have been able to empower them by giving them the tools to succeed so that they can successfully lead teams.
I am also proud of my leadership in giving back to my community by mentoring women in tech and driving future generations to STEM careers.
What was your biggest career struggle and how did you overcome it?
The biggest struggle in my career was to learn to lead with a mindset of self-awareness and acceptance of strengths and weaknesses. Although not an easy task, once you become self-aware, it allows you the freedom to strategically understand others and how to successfully lead teams.
What’s your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
Spend time reflecting on developing yourself, your goals and your career so that you can take intentional risks. Take action on your goals to prepare yourself in the best way possible to take those intentional risks. Give back to your community; you will be surprised at how rewarding these opportunities can be!