The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Chief Officer Awards were announced April 8, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person June 4.
Next is Frank Russo, chief growth officer at Pegasus Support Services, and a finalist in the CGO or BD Executive of the Year (Annual Revenue Less than $100M) category. In this spotlight, he reflects on key achievements, offers advice for those following a similar path, shares current priorities and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2024 / 2025?
There were a lot and yes, we had double digit percentage increases in win rates, triple digit percent increase in win revenue year over year and were recognized as one of Atlanta’s Best Places to Work.
But what I am really most proud of is what I found out when I looked back at my nomination submission so I could quantify for my department all of the great achievements we made over the past year. What I found were twenty-six measurable achievements, four of which were things only I could do like hiring and entering into Joint Ventures. Twenty-two were directly attributable to the efforts of an individual team member or the entire business development team. I would have to say that giving my team the independence and support they need to excel, then watch them do it is the single best key achievement for the year.
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the mission?
When I started at Pegasus we were going to become a large business in three years no matter what we did. So, my immediate action was to start operating like we were large and get the systems and people in place to enter that space ready to win. That planning resulted in a small business that is winning large business work.
Now, my goal is tripling revenue in three years, so I am implementing more sophisticated capture software, hiring higher level capture talent and staffing up for two new vertical markets through our Pegasus Technical Group and Building Construction and Management Group. My focus is always on operating today like the company we want to be three to five years out.
What is your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
I think about that a lot lately. There’s a great scene in Ted Lasso where he uses a quote attributed to Walt Whitman: “Be curious, not judgmental.” There are so many lessons to be learned in that scene and I highly recommend watching it.
I am in a curious and not judgmental company and that is 100% why I received this nomination. Our leadership, especially our CEO, is always asking, “How can we achieve our goals and what we need to do it?” Then he just cheers you on success. When that permeates the organization it generates some exceptional ideas, places value on individual contributions and creates accountability through healthy pride of ownership. I try to emulate that culture everyday.
Conversely, I’ve been in a judgmental culture and sat in C-Suite meetings where the CEO was constantly on the hunt for blame. That company had $400 million in revenue in their primary business space. Today they are a third the size, lost all their best talent and have none of those contracts. Those losses were all about culture.
So, I would say be curious about your people, learn their talents, understand their motivation and give them whatever they need to excel in their positions. As they succeed you will succeed. Again, the only reason I get to answer these questions is because of what my team achieved last year, all I did was give them an opportunity to execute and support to succeed.
Fun Fact: What is something about you that most people do not know about?
I have a bad habit of buying and wrenching on old cars.