The finalists for WashingtonExec’s 2024 Pinnacle Awards were announced Sept. 20, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person Nov. 21.
Next is Rik Ebbesen, vice president of enterprise enablement at Amivero, and finalist in the DHS Executive of the Year, Private Company, category. Here, he talks about recent achievements, shares career advice and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2024?
Rik’s leadership enabled navigation of the complex challenges of introducing hyperautomation within Federal Government offices. He successfully educated stakeholders, gained crucial buy-in, and drove adoption of 100+ hyperautomation solutions across multiple offices. His approach has yielded exceptional results, demonstrating both technical expertise and strategic acumen. Hyperautomation is leading the way in developing sophisticated, living dashboards that enable government agencies to predict outcomes – an innovation which allows for more responsive government operations, particularly in workforce management and budget forecasting. Rik has led teams to implement over 100 hyperautomation solutions, saving government employees more than 10,000 hours in 2024 alone. It’s more to Rik than the productivity numbers, it’s the improvement on federal employee job satisfaction and mission value contribution.
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the mission?
Firstly, we aim to catalog and disseminate our successful hyperautomation and predictive analytics implementations across various government offices. By creating a comprehensive repository of use cases, we can enable other departments with similar operations to rapidly adopt these proven solutions. This knowledge-sharing initiative is crucial as it maximizes the impact of our innovations, allowing multiple offices to benefit from increased efficiency without reinventing the wheel.
Secondly, we’re committed to expanding the scope of intelligent automation within ICE and beyond. There remain numerous offices and operational processes that can benefit from these technologies. By continuing to identify and implement automation opportunities, we’re effectively ‘leveling up’ a government workforce that can better serve its citizens and respond to evolving challenges.
These focus areas are vital to our mission for several reasons:
- Efficiency at scale.
- Resource optimization allows valuable employees to focus on more complex, mission-critical activities, thereby getting more value for the taxpayer dollar.
- Enabling federal employees to engage in more meaningful, high-value work, potentially increasing job satisfaction and retention.
- Predictive analytics will allow for more proactive decision making and resource savings.
- Each new implementation provides insights that can be applied to future projects, creating a cycle of ongoing enhancement in government operations.
What is your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
Act as if you’re the CEO. This mindset shift can dramatically accelerate your career and impact.
Instead of waiting for permission or step-by-step guidance, take initiative. Identify problems, envision solutions and start building. Begin with what you have, where you are. When you have an idea, don’t just present the concept ⏤ build a prototype. This approach accomplishes two crucial things: it demonstrates your commitment and capability, and it makes it infinitely easier for your manager or stakeholders to understand, see your vision, and provide feedback. Of course, this doesn’t mean acting recklessly. It means being bold, proactive, and solution-oriented. If you overstep, be ready to apologize and adjust course. More often than not, you’ll find that your initiative is appreciated and your impact magnified.
Fun Fact: What is something about you that most people do not know about?
At 14 years and 8 months old, I convinced my mother to get me a school-approved work permit. I started flipping pizzas for Brad Biggers, who told me: “The customer is always right.” My entrepreneurial, customer-centric passion was sparked and has driven my human-centered, data-driven approach to innovation.