Garry Schwartz didn’t begin his career in a boardroom or even at an intern’s desk, for that matter. He joined the military just in time to spend his 18th birthday at boot camp as a kid seeking structure and a purpose beyond himself.
Turns out, it was exactly what Garry needed. After serving 21 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, Garry left with a passion for mission, children and a wife to support and a deep understanding of the defense world. That’s when he transitioned to industry.
His path had its twists, but the plan stayed the same: stay close to the mission, add real value and keep growing.
“Don’t worry about failure. Don’t worry about not knowing enough, and don’t worry about looking weak,” Garry said.
On this week’s “Rookies to Rockstars,” Amanda Ziadeh sits down with Garry, chief operating officer of HII Mission Technologies, to talk about long-game leadership, turning obstacles into opportunities, learning from mistakes and building a career at the intersection of service, mission and innovation.
Today, Garry works with the executive team to drive performance of Mission Technologies’ business portfolio for customers. But getting there meant being bold, proving himself to leadership and trusting a lateral move to eventually lead to bigger and better opportunities.
We also talked about:
- The mindset shift that helped him transition to industry
- The emotional reality of leaving the military
- Why he now makes himself available to help other transitioning veterans
- The power of lateral moves
- The hiring mistake he still thinks about
- His advice to those who think their moment has passed: redefine success — because “it’s never too late” if you stay flexible, and
- How industry can better support both early-career professionals and transitioning service members.
Tune in for an honest, mission-driven conversation about service, ownership and the mindset that turns rookies into leaders in GovCon.