The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Chief Officer Awards were announced March 25, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person May 11 at the The Ritz-Carlton in McLean, Virginia.
Next is Chief Marketing Officer (Private & Public Company) finalist Melissa Dueñas, who’s senior vice president and chief communications and marketing officer at Leidos. Here, she talks key recent achievements, taking professional risks, primary focus areas going forward and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2021/2022?
The past few years have been an exercise in agility. The achievements I am most proud of are the pivots we’ve made as a team, sparked by the crises and change around us. Our team has shown creativity and a focus on people, making me very proud.
Despite the increased operations tempo, we’ve been able to continue initiatives that are important — like our Mission for the Mind campaign, focused on mental health and well-being and eradicating the stigma around addiction.
As we see the implications for mental health from the pandemic manifest, this will only become increasingly important for our workforce. Another example is setting our “Next Level Leidos 2030 ESG” goals. These goals will continue to challenge us to be the best company we can be. I know when we look back on this time, our team will be proud of prioritizing the right things.
What has made you successful in your current role?
Focusing on talent and building a resilient, high-performing team is the key to success. No one succeeds alone, so it’s about linking arms with other strong individuals and working toward ambitious and inspirational goals.
Also, always keep your values front and center. With the right people and the correct values, anything is achievable. I think table stakes for success means conducting yourself with integrity and caring about those around you while at the same time having a clear focus on what matters — what puts points on the board.
Being successful also means being a continuous learner. Things don’t stand still, so you must keep up —keep up with the industry, your craft and the world around you. I have pushed myself in this regard personally and academically, and I’ve also gained tremendous wisdom from the many talented executives I’ve been thankful to work for at Leidos, including Vicki Schmanske, Roger Krone, Roy Stevens and Paul Engola, among others.
I’ve learned valuable lessons from each that have helped me in my journey. They have also supported me when I have some less than conventional ideas — this has enabled us to collectively push the brand to new heights.
What are you most proud of having been a part of in your current organization?
At Leidos, we do important work for our customers like many in our industry, but I believe what makes us unique is that we also go the extra mile for our people.
We ramped up communication to unprecedented levels during the pandemic, and we took care of the team. Our Leidos Relief Foundation gave more than $3 million to close to 1,000 employees and families in need. These beneficiaries include many who lost loved ones to the pandemic.
We also ran a $1 million vaccination sweepstakes to encourage vaccination among our employees to help create the safest work environment possible for those who could not work remotely. Initiatives like this don’t have clear functional owners — they are important to everyone and require intense collaboration — but they are very gratifying and enriching to lead. Sometimes, they are our ideas, and sometimes, they fall into our laps as an opportunity to serve the team. That is a values-based company in action, and one reason I’m proud to be a part of the Leidos team.
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the future of the nation?
Staying ahead — thinking ahead is the goal. We must have initiatives that are adaptable to what’s next. From a marketing and communications perspective, this means creating scalable campaigns with relevant messaging in the context of the evolving landscape around us. It means being more responsive than ever and working with agility to take advantage of opportunities.
What’s the biggest professional risk you’ve ever taken?
Besides building a company ice cream truck and sponsoring a NASCAR driver, the most significant professional risk I ever took was jumping from military service to industry. I’m an Air Force veteran. I served for 10 years and then took a chance on striking out in the industry.
What I found on the other side was what I had hoped for — like-minded individuals with shared values — all of us collectively wanting to serve our nation and make the world better.
I’m very thankful I made the leap and hopefully was able to build a few bridges along the way.
Looking back at your career, what are you most proud of?
I am most proud of the high-performing teams I have been able to grow. Selecting and developing the right talent and driving the team to new heights is the ultimate — these successes will always make me most proud. I’m fortunate to be a part of a fantastic team that puts in the work and truly cares about our values, and about people.