Traci Cooke built her career on negotiation, collaboration and mission support. As principal director of contract management for Accenture Federal Services, she draws on years of experience in both commercial and government contracting to help teams deliver value and stay flexible in a fast-changing environment.
After co-founding her own GovCon firm, she brought that entrepreneurial perspective to Accenture where she’s focused on driving efficiency, strengthening compliance and empowering her team to support the mission with clarity and speed.
In this Q&A, she shares how mentorship, family influence and a commitment to public service continue to shape her work today.
Can you provide a brief overview of your professional background and career progression? Please include what ultimately landed you in your current role.
My early career was as a commercial contractor where I helped an HMO network contract with a diverse array of healthcare providers and hospital systems. Then I worked in contract management and negotiated software implementation and services contracts with financial institutions. Then, marking a major shift in my career, I co-founded a small government contracting company – moving my focus from commercial contracting to government contracting.
In this new venture, I leveraged my extensive experience to navigate the unique challenges and opportunities within the government contracting landscape while learning a lot! This led me to Accenture Federal Services, where I currently serve in a leadership role within the Contract Management organization. At Accenture, my commercial background is an advantage – especially with contracting and negotiations – I am empowered to help drive the growth and success of the organization.
Why was this the path you chose, and how influential was it to your career?
Living in the Washington, DC area, opportunities to grow are tremendous. We are always learning something new as we work with our government customers and pivot to help them fulfill their mission and requirements.
Do you have a personal connection to the current mission you support? If so, please explain.
My father served in the Army for over 20 years, and each member of my husband’s family has dedicated their careers to the U.S. government. I deeply respect government employees who work diligently to further the mission of the government, often without recognition. Their dedication and focus inspire me in my current role, to find efficient, innovative, compliant, and productive ways to support government project needs.
What are your current top priorities and responsibilities? How do these relate to your company’s overall mission/growth strategy?
My top priorities include ensuring my team has the tools and training to be nimble and flexible in how they respond to the needs of our internal and external customers. In an environment where changes occur at a rapid pace, it is crucial for us to be ready to deliver the highest levels of support and value in everything we do. We are extremely committed to ensuring that we drive value and success for our customers and internal stakeholders. By focusing on these priorities, we help drive our clients’ mission success.
Where do you and your team see growth opportunities in your current field or portfolio you support, or what do you anticipate being your customers’ top pain points?
I see significant growth opportunities in improving efficiency, clarity, simplicity, and compliance of contracting through tools and artificial intelligence. Leveraging technology can enhance consistency and expedite processes within this space. A common challenge in the government is moving quickly to gather market input and execute solutions to support agency missions. While the human element is crucial, adopting technology to operate at scale and speed will streamline contracting procedures and achieve desired performance outcomes.
How are you and your team planning to address/prepare for these opportunities?
Accenture Federal has embraced a company-wide vision set by our CEO, Ron Ash, called RISE (Reignite, Innovate, Simplify and Empower) which is a strategy focused on helping to reinvent our clients, our company, and ourselves for the new wave of emerging growth, transformative technology, operational excellence, and employee empowerment. As leaders, we are providing employees with innovative ways to think about how we can perform our work better and how we can drive value and engagement in all that we do.
How important is mentorship & networking in GovCon? Were they influential to your career?
For me personally, mentorship and networking are incredibly valuable. My network of accomplished peers and mentors has been instrumental in my growth, both as a professional and an executive. These connections provide invaluable guidance, validate the importance of our work, and offer crucial insights into navigating career shifts and excelling in federal contract management. The give and take of mentorship also helps me stay energized. I have learned so much from people I have mentored and I hope they have benefited from my support. We can learn together and keep our careers exciting and fresh while grounding us in our mission to best serve government customers.
What is something most people don’t know about you personally?
Most people don’t know that I am a big college football fan! My husband and I, along with all three of our children, have attended or are attending Clemson University, where football is a way of life. On any given Saturday, you’ll find me either at a game or watching one. Tailgating and attending the games are way more fun!