The finalists for WashingtonExec’s Chief Officer Awards were announced March 25, and we’ll be highlighting some of them until the event takes place live, in-person May 11 at the The Ritz-Carlton in McLean, Virginia.
Next is CEO (Private Company, Annual Revenue >$1B) finalist Mike Kahn, CEO at CAES. Here, he talks key recent achievements, career turning points, primary focus areas going forward and more.
What key achievements did you have in 2021/2022?
In 2021/2022, CAES improved program execution and operational performance across the portfolio to meet key customer needs, and beat our goal to become a $1 billion+ revenue company.
We also announced key partnerships with multiple companies, acquired Colorado Engineering Inc and launched a new name and brand. We decentralized the company by creating divisions directly focused on our customers, and added over 500 new team members to the company.
What has made you successful in your current role?
Our success depends on our people and it is my job to make sure they have the tools and support they need, the clarity to do their job, the relationships across the industry and the trust to be empowered.
We strive to create a sense of belonging and appreciation at CAES, a sense of purpose and a culture of success. My ability to focus on these elements, and keep the leadership team aligned, is what I consider key elements of my success.
What was a turning point or inflection point in your career?
Early on in my career, I was an engineer working on the Shuttle program, and had transitioned to a role in quality which I truly enjoyed. After the Challenger accident, I was offered a job to help another company supporting the shuttle program rebuild. I was hesitant to leave, but realized this was a big stretch assignment opportunity that would enable me to learn much more about our industry.
It was also my first senior leadership role and I learned a lot from that experience. We eventually turned the company around entirely and became a top supplier to NASA.
What are you most proud of having been a part of in your current organization?
There are many things I am proud of: creating a sense of purpose in our industry, realigning the company, rallying around our customers, seeing the relationships grow between employees and customers and overall instilling pride in what we do.
When you have great relationships with your customer, you can work with agility. In a short period of time, we have seen relationships and agility improve. I am very proud of the CAES team for working with our customers to meet their needs in a positive and responsive manner.
What are your primary focus areas going forward, and why are those so important to the future of the nation?
At CAES, our goal is to execute today while solving tomorrow’s problems. We are focused on delivering quality products on time and on budget, while building relationships and trust with our customers so that they can challenge us to innovate and help them in tomorrow’s missions.
How do you help shape the next generation of government leaders/industry leaders?
I speak to students and young leaders often and encourage them to have confidence, speak frankly and the truth even when it is difficult, and to not shy away when someone disagrees with you. Too often, leaders shy away from telling the truth because they are afraid of negative repercussions. We should all challenge that behavior — it makes us all better and stronger.
What’s one key thing you learned from a failure you had?
My philosophy is there is no such thing as failure. If you do not fail, you are not taking any risks or trying anything new. Even when you fall down, there is something to learn from the fall so that you do not repeat it.
If you fail, it means you were trying something new or more challenging and there is a lot to be learned from that experience, and build needed confidence to keep trying. Persevere and being optimistic are important to make progress.
Which rules do you think you should break more as a government/industry leader?
Often in this industry, people get caught up in titles and think that leaders are unapproachable or that executives should only talk to other executives. I disagree. We’re all people, we can all learn from each other. In my opinion, the most successful leaders are the ones who defy this and listen/talk with everyone equally.
What’s the biggest professional risk you’ve ever taken?
Early on in my career, I was working in engineering, which was a highly regarded part of the company. I was offered a job in quality, which was not so highly regarded. The chief engineer called me and asked why a leading engineer would be interested in quality. He said, “If you go to quality, you cannot come back,” as if I would taint the organization. That attitude frustrated me and I questioned if I was throwing my career away.
I decided to go for it anyway and I learned there is more our aerospace industry than just engineering. My quality role touched every part of the company. I built relationships and learned more about how the organization worked, our processes that connect people and many more products.
It turns out that my jump from engineering to quality was one of the best risks I have ever taken as it opened my eyes to other parts of the company, opened doors of opportunity and led me into leadership.
Looking back at your career, what are you most proud of?
If you would have asked me this years ago, it would have been solving launch problems. Now, I am most proud of the people that I have helped along the way. Looking back over my 40-year career and seeing the relationships I have built, people I worked with and mentored and where they are now makes me extremely proud.
What was your biggest career struggle and how did you overcome it?
Throughout my career, I have struggled with seeing key people leave the organization, or having to lay people off because we were not growing as a company. I have come to appreciate that as a leader, our job is to create a culture where our employees become loyal to the organization, and the organization is loyal to them.
I have dedicated much of my time to build teams, growing the business and help our people grow and develop their careers, versus having to leave.
What’s your best career advice for those who want to follow in your footsteps?
Build relationships. Be tenacious and patient at the same time. Get to know the people you are working with and for, and help them be successful. Tell people what is really happening, and make things better every day. Stay young at heart, and don’t complain.