2014 GovCon Award Nominee Interview with Millennium’s President and CEO Patrick Murphy

On Sept. 4, the finalists for this year’s Greater Washington Government Contractor Awards were announced, and WashingtonExec is bringing you its annual series with the nominees.

The winners will be unveiled on Nov. 13 at The Ritz Carlton in Tysons Corner by the Fairfax County Chamber of Commerce and the Professional Services Council. With more than 1,000 business and public sector leaders attending the event, our series will keep you up-to-date about all the finalists for this year — who they are, what they do and why they are worthy of winning.

Our next interview is with Patrick Murphy, President and Chief Executive Officer at Millennium Engineering and Integration Company. Millennium is nominated for “Contractor of the Year” in the $75 million to $300 million category.

WashingtonExec: How would you describe your business strategy during the past 3-5 years, and what is your organization’s plan for growth during the next 3-5 years? How has your business been able to grow as the federal market contracts?

Patrick Murphy: Providing value to our customers has been Millennium’s core tenant since its inception. Our focus remains quality over quantity, but we have honed our ability to convey that value proposition through compelling proposals to maintain a high win-rate. We have also opened up our aperture and invested in pursuing new customers that align with our core disciplines. We have been very aggressive in going after full and open opportunities, as well as small business set asides and contracts in areas we have not previously bid – seeking new customers in new regions and applying new capabilities.

As budgets continue to shrink during the next several years, the ability to find the right balance between value and cost will continue to be a challenge. Our customers will have very tough decisions to make when tightening their belt. We will help share that burden, but will continue to provide value for mutual success.

WashingtonExec: What is the fastest growing component of your business?

Patrick Murphy: We have seen our highest growth in the civil and military space sectors, where we have won nearly $500 million worth of contracts in the last two years. We are also seeing increased success in our DoD markets, specifically in the Missile Defense Agency and Air Force markets.

WashingtonExec: What was your organization’s largest accomplishment in the last 12-18 months?

Patrick Murphy: During the last two years, we have completely refreshed and added to our backlog with new prime contracts, recompete wins and new customers. Also, we have invested in scalable business infrastructure and processes that facilitates growth while capitalizing on economies of scale.

WashingtonExec: Given the current state of the federal contracting market, how has your organization’s marketing approach to customers, employees and future customers changed?

Patrick Murphy: More than ever, we are talking with our customers and listening intently to understand their challenges. We recognize our customers’ fiscal and staffing challenges and devise solutions that are responsive and innovative, yet implementable. We provide them with specific information and approaches that is aligned with their needs.

WashingtonExec: What are the largest challenges that you predict your business will face in the next five years?

Patrick Murphy: As budgets continue to shrink during the next several years, the ability to find the right balance between value and cost will continue to be a challenge. Our customers will have very tough decisions to make when tightening their belt. We will help share that burden, but will continue to provide value for mutual success.

WashingtonExec: How does your organization maintain engagement with all levels of employees?

Patrick Murphy: We are a very close knit team – our executives maintain personal relationships with nearly everyone in the company. We get to know our folks and spend our time giving them what they need to get the job done.

WashingtonExec: Have millennials entering the workforce changed your corporate policies? If so, how?

Patrick Murphy: Not necessarily, we have flexible programs and policies in place that appeals to our diverse workforce. We understand that motivations can be different for various segments of our workforce, and we attempt to appeal to their desires and passions in providing them with exciting, challenging work that rewards their performance. We continuously seek and receive good feedback from our employees that we are a great place to work, often citing our ESOP, our total compensation, our benefits and corporate culture.

WashingtonExec: How is your business involved in the community?

Patrick Murphy: We focus on serving others. We have strong relationships with economic development foundations, chambers of commerce, roundtable organizations in the communities where we have offices. We have strong support for universities, with more than $500,000 in corporate profits invested in the University of Texas, University of Maryland, Syracuse University, Rensselaer Polytechnic and other universities to fund scholarships and research.

WashingtonExec: What would you say are the top one or two leadership qualities necessary to be a great leader?

Patrick Murphy: In addition to strategic vision, a good leader needs to have a keen sense of situational awareness. He/she needs to understand the environment around him/her – both internal and external to their organization. From an internal perspective, this requires a leader to be a part of their organization’s community to listen and understand various perspectives. Externally, a leader needs to know the marketplace in a macro-sense and, specifically, their current and future customer needs and challenges. Understanding both the internal and external landscape allows leaders to devise, implement and communicate effective growth strategies.

A great leader also needs to be an effective communicator through their verbal and written communications and actions. Frequent and effective leadership communication is critical to disseminating information necessary for the coordination of the business operations, to reinforce and energize the broader team, and to strategically align the employees and their leadership to the company’s vision.

WashingtonExec: If we were to speak directly to your leadership team, what would they say is your management style?

Patrick Murphy: We have assembled some of the best executive talent in the business and their fresh and innovative solutions are key to the success of Millennium. My leadership team would likely say that I capitalize on their skills and talents and empower them to innovate and grow, with expected results. They would also say that I lead from the front – I am not afraid to roll up my sleeves and work alongside them to achieve our goals and objectives.

WashingtonExec: How would your team describe your leadership qualities?

Patrick Murphy: My team would describe my leadership qualities as direct, fair, collaborative and open to new, sometimes contradictory, ideas. With my analytical background, I frequently invite various perspectives from my team to gain as much information as possible before deciding on a course of action.

WashingtonExec: What was a turning point or inflection point in your career?

Patrick Murphy: While there was no real turning point, my first position as a simulation analyst with a local government services firm set me on a trajectory to my current position. My direct supervisor provided frequent and insightful mentoring guidance that instilled in me the business ideals of integrity, team/customer loyalty and a continuous desire to improve. In large part, I attribute these to my career successes. I have never strayed from these ideals and I continue to instill them in our employees at Millennium.

WashingtonExec: What is the No. 1 book that you gift to individuals?

Patrick Murphy: I am a huge George Washington fan. I gift and recommend the book, His Excellency: George Washington by Joseph Ellis to nearly everyone I meet. Washington’s selfless leadership among his (self-admitted) more educated peers is an inspiration for all. His unwavering integrity, ability to adapt to situations and aptitude for sensing the tenuous political and socio-economic landscapes are qualities that are still required of today’s leaders.

WashingtonExec: What advice do you have for aspiring leaders in the government contracting industry?

Patrick Murphy: I would advise aspiring leaders to find and pursue their passion. I would also recommend they continuously pursue new ways to serve their customers and pursue new opportunities. Don’t be afraid to change to the demands of the market, but never compromise your integrity.

WashingtonExec: What was your first job?

Patrick Murphy: My first job was a dishwasher at a local restaurant. I worked nights and weekends to make extra spending money as a teenager.

WashingtonExec: Overall, how did that experience shape your career?

Patrick Murphy: While not glamorous, not to mention hot, I approached my job with a sense of purpose and responsibility. There were some pretty ugly messes and huge banquets to clean up. I always approached these with a positive attitude and determination. Within a few months, I was moved up to become a short order cook – a big step up for a teenager. I realized that hard work, dedication and positive attitude are keys to advancement and betterment.

WashingtonExec: What three pieces of advice would you give your kids?

Patrick Murphy: I have three kids in elementary and high school. I routinely tell them to stay true to who they are, let your moral compass guide you, not others. I also remind them that effort and dedication are as important as sheer brilliance. Study hard, but be passionately persistent. Finally, I tell them to never stop learning. Learning is life skill that open new doors and continuously provides new perspectives and insights in all facets of life.