As acquisition quality director for GSA’s FEDSIM Assisted Acquisition Services, Michael Skorny leads a 40-person sector setting governance and delivery standards for defense acquisition portfolios, ensuring complex federal acquisitions deliver value and mission impact across government.
This summer, Skorny’s schedule reflects a balance of professional growth and personal grounding. Splitting his time between Washington, D.C., and London as part of his Executive MBA program at London Business School, he’s focused on building transatlantic relationships and deepening his understanding of how private capital, technology and government acquisition intersect.
Along the way, he’s also carving out time to recharge with educational and creative reading, and enjoying familiar places like the Chesapeake Bay.
Skorny is the next participant in WashingtonExec’s Summer Q&A Series, where we ask government leaders how they recharge, stay sharp and keep the mission moving during the year’s most relaxed season.
What’s your beach reading for the summer?
Not exactly beach reading, but I am finishing “Chokepoints” by Edward Fishman, which has been a useful companion to my Executive MBA coursework at London Business School. It offers a compelling “how we got here” account of U.S. financial power and its role in geopolitical outcomes. After that, I will probably return to Brian Eno’s “A Year with Swollen Appendices,” to give the creative side of my brain some attention.
Where are you traveling this summer for vacation? What’s your favorite location?
Most of my travel this summer is between Washington, D.C., and London. I may be able to squeeze in a side trip or two, but I am equally happy spending time in Hampstead Heath when I am in London or on the Chesapeake Bay when I am in D.C. I grew up in Maryland and spent a lot of my high school years fishing for rockfish on the Bay with my dad. It still feels pretty perfect to pick crabs at Cantler’s after a long day on the water.
What’s one personal and professional goal you’d like to accomplish this summer?
Through the LBS EMBA, I am focused on deepening relationships with my classmates and other like-minded professionals on both sides of the Atlantic. As AI changes how quickly information moves and decisions get made, trusted relationships will become even more important for solving complex problems and ensuring organizations create meaningful, positive impact. Professionally, I am especially interested in how those relationships can help connect private capital, technology, and shared security interests across the U.S., U.K., and Europe. Personally, I want to invest in the kind of genuine common ground that makes those partnerships durable rather than merely transactional.
Are there any new skills or knowledge you plan to develop during the summer?
I plan to deepen my knowledge of private capital, particularly how investment decisions, market structure, and government acquisition intersect in the defense and dual use technology space. Outside of work and school, I will keep my guitar skills sharp and work on a few new songs and licks.
How do you stay connected with your team and maintain productivity during the summer season?
I try to be clear about priorities, responsive when decisions are needed, and disciplined about regular check-ins. In periods of change, it is especially important that people understand both the direction of the organization and how their work contributes to it. Summer is also a good time to protect focused work time, give people flexibility where possible, and keep the team connected to the larger mission rather than simply the next task.
