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 Brent Cunningham, senior director of services at Red Hat, and finalist in the Business Development Executive of the Year, Public Company, category. Here, he talks about recent achievements, shares career advice and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2024?
As I look back on 2024, I am most proud of how my team and I have helped government customers accelerate their journey to cloud and container adoption, enabling them to build, test, and launch applications faster, more securely, and reliably. I’ve also worked closely with US government agencies to explore cost-saving opportunities and modernization alternatives for their legacy virtualization systems.
This year has been highly impactful, balancing today’s mission needs with future-focused conversations on how automation and AI can further enhance service delivery to the American people. Implementing new technology takes time – we must understand the use case applicability, investment alignment and the skills required to design, implement and deploy systems and maintain them in a way that is cost-effective and impactful to business needs.
By leveraging automation — a critical, long-standing foundation — we’re now enabling advanced data and algorithm implementations into application platforms, paving the way for successful AI use cases in the future. Helping customers assess new technologies that align with their business goals and guiding them through the implementation process is a passion that drives my work.
What is your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
My best advice for future leaders is to recognize that your greatest asset is the people around you. Provide strategy, guidance, focus and goals, but give your team the space to spread their wings, lean into their strengths and focus on customer outcomes. Great individuals make even better teams, and when aligned, they can achieve amazing things. Invest in your people; foster a culture of empowerment, communication, collaboration and accountability, and you’ll be amazed at what they accomplish. The Red Hat Public Sector Services team I lead is a testament to this, and they inspire me daily to do more.
Fun Fact: What is something about you that most people do not know about?
My biggest passion is my family. I have an amazing wife and three incredible kids under 10, and I dedicate most of my time outside work to them. My wife and I are a team, with our ultimate goal of raising our kids to be successful, kind humans, which would be my greatest accomplishment. Throw in a round of golf now and then, and I’m happy!