Rocio Bauer’s profile over at WashingtonExec is worth your time if you’re thinking about what leadership looks like when you’re serving the Army through technology. The through-line matters: it’s not about the tech stack or the latest platform — it’s about understanding the mission first, then building or buying accordingly.
I see this gap all the time in searches. A candidate can map an enterprise architecture in their sleep, hold the right clearance, and still miss the job because they lead with solutions instead of questions. The best technology executives in the federal space — especially Army and DoD — start by listening to the warfighter or the operator, then work backward. That’s the fit we’re after in a retained engagement, and it’s harder to surface than you’d think.
If you’re a senior technology leader and you’ve spent more time in vendor briefings than in user interviews lately, it’s worth a reset. The market’s tight for cleared talent who can do both.