WashingtonExec has awarded SAIC Vice President of Environmental, Social and Governance Integration Jeffrey Raver with the Longevity Award, which recognizes executives who made outstanding contributions to their companies throughout the years.
Raver has been with SAIC for 35 years. Below, he shares how he got started with the company, the impact he has made, mentorship moments and more.
Why did you join in the first place?
I was approached by a small privately held company that was acquired by SAIC in 2004. I was able to continue our work with Navy training in underwater acoustics, oceanography and anti-submarine warfare. I received credit for my time with that company, Presearch Inc., prior to the acquisition leading to my 35-year anniversary in 2023.
What made you stay?
My primary reasons for staying are my coworkers and our leaders within the company. Looking across our industry, I have never seen a company that is more focused on delivering value to our customers’ missions while also striving to always be innovative and do the right thing. That focus on mission and our unwavering commitment to always do what is right is embedded in our DNA and creates an amazing work environment. The incredibly committed leaders at SAIC empowered me, and all of my counterparts, to thrive in our careers and us to make an eminent impact on our nation.
What’s the best part about staying with a company for as long as you have?
There are two aspects that have kept me with SAIC. The first aspect is the diversity of my work experience. Over the course of my 35 years, I have evolved from an analyst and programmer through program management to now serving in a senior leadership role. I worked with the Navy on a variety of immersive training systems, supported the Army Gaming Studio on interactive games for learning, helped capture our initial FAA Air Traffic Controller Training Contract, supported engineering for the MK-48 torpedo and contributed to our citizen services work within the Department of Commerce, Department of Energy and the GSA.
During my tenure, other senior leaders noted my passion around supporting my LGBTQ+ coworkers and communities as well as my dedication to fighting food insecurity through regional and national engagements such as Feeding America. My volunteer work in these areas led our former CEO to offer me the leadership of our newly formed Environmental, Social and Governance Integration office with a focus on our sustainability initiatives and delivering value to our business through diversity, equity and inclusion.
The second aspect are the invaluable relationships I have developed with some of the most talented people in our industry. Over the years, I have learned tremendously from other leaders about how to successfully manage teams, the importance of delivering exceptional solutions to our customers and how to create an engaged work environment that attracts and retains the best talent.
What are some myths you’ve come across relating to long tenures in organizations?
Conventional wisdom notes that the fastest way to advance your career is to move between companies. I would argue that I serve as a counter to that myth. Opportunities exist within all organizations. If you are open to take on these responsibilities, your career can advance without having to “jump ship.” Opportunities can present themselves in many different ways. Keeping your eyes and ears open for projects you can support to help others in the company, including volunteering and “other duties as assigned,” with their success and challenges ultimately can result in more ways for you to engage, leading to opportunities to advance while also creating diversity in the work you do.
How have you changed as a professional from your first years to today?
I have learned a lot! The most significant lesson is the importance of bringing a solution to the problem versus just noting the problem. Even if your proposed solution is not selected or executed, leaders appreciate when members of their team put thought into how the issue you raise might get resolved. This same approach can apply to coworkers as well. Whether selected or not, leaders remember when their employees put the effort into solving a problem and will look to you in the future when they have other issues to resolve.
What’s the most significant impact you’ve had on your company?
My most significant impact is the role I have played over the years in helping develop our employee-focused culture across the company. Creating opportunities for engagement, getting employees involved and tying the importance of our culture to our business goals have all been major contributors to elevating SAIC to an employer of choice where people want to come work and stay for the duration of their career.
What do you wish you could tell your younger self in that first year?
As an out, LGBTQ+ executive, I would’ve loved giving my younger self some insights into how much that decision to come out would become a non-issue, and even help me, over the course of my career. It would have never occurred to my younger self that 1) I would eventually get married to my amazing husband and 2) my husband would be a well-known and respected fixture with my leadership team and coworkers.
I am a huge advocate for individuals coming out on their own terms and try to use my personal experience as a model for how important it is for folks to know other people who are LGBTQ+.
How do you share your institutional knowledge?
Having been with the company longer than most of my counterparts (recognizing that there are many other SAIC employees who have been here longer than me), I strive to help newer employees navigate our SAIC culture. I also try very hard to leverage my relationships to foster a greater sense of engagement and collaboration across the company. My current role as the vice president of ESG Integration provides me numerous opportunities to address coworkers at all levels of the organization. Regardless of what the topic might be, I always try to weave into the conversation some of the lessons I have learned over the years, all while relating them back to my personal experiences within SAIC.
What has been your most significant mentorship moment?
I strive to be a mentor for my teams and sincerely appreciate when I hear that I had an impact on their careers. It makes me extremely happy when I see these aspiring leaders leveraging skills I helped them gain in creating their own success within the company. That is another advantage of being 35 years with SAIC, following the careers of others and celebrating their successes as they advance through the ranks.