The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Pinnacle Awards were announced Oct. 11, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person Nov. 30.
Next is Cloud Industry Executive of the Year (Private Company) finalist Matthew Shaver, who’s co-founder & engineering fellow at BrainGu. Here, he talks key achievements, primary focus areas going forward, success in his current role and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2021 / 2022?
BrainGu as an organization is transitioning from a time and materials based approach to a product based approach, and it’s gratifying to see contract officers and leadership see the value in our new approach.
Additionally, it’s been a big year for our flagship Mission Application WIDOW. WIDOW has effectively reduced mission planning time allowing warfighters to spend more time on tactics and fallout plans. It was also exciting to see WIDOW be used as a Joint Application in JADC2 with the U.S. Air Force and Navy.
What has made you successful in your current role?
There are a lot of different lifestyles one can live but those who choose to be truly mission focused can see significant impact. I choose to be 100% invested in advancing BrainGu’s mission. This level of mission focus does come at a personal cost, but I believe that the long term impact will outweigh those costs. However, this trust in yourself is only successful if you also have a keen understanding of what you’re capable of, and if you lean on other experts and rely on your colleagues.
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the future of the nation?
Going forward, BrainGu is moving all of our services into a product type offering. By having configurable products versus customized service offerings, the government can leverage more benefits with more volume. We strongly believe that the more contracts and processes that can move into being deliverable based rather than time and materials based will greatly improve every aspect of delivery.