James O’Neill Appointed CEO of Siemens Enterprise Communications

Jim O’Neill, former president of Northrop Grumman Corporation’s $4.5 billion Information Technology sector, which provides advanced IT engineering and business solutions for government, has been appointed to head Siemens Enterprise Communications Group. O’Neill will be based in Munich and have responsibility for the 14,000 person worldwide operation with 2007 revenues of 3.2 Billion Euros ($4.49B).

Siemens Enterprise Communications is a joint venture between the private equity firm The Gores Group, a leading private equity firm, and Siemens AG. Read the press release

A native of Ireland who became an American citizen in 1976, O’Neill, 54, has extensive international executive management experience with an emphasis on networks and electronics as well as large system integration, communications and computer technology. He most recently served as CEO of CompuDyne Corporation, a leading provider of products and services to the public security market. CompuDyne is also owned by The Gores Group.

Read our recent interview with Jim O’Neill.

For those who follow Siemens locally, they know the government sector is managed by Dave Patterson. Read David Patterson’s interview

$55 Trillion is the real number

Do you know what a Credit Default Swap (CDS) is?

You should. It just paralyzed the financial markets and crushed your retirement account’s growth. It was the second explosion you heard just after the price of oil blew through the sound barrier. According to Fortune, the CDS market is estimated at $54.6 Trillion. Basically, the idea behind the writing of many risky loans was that they would be insured in the event of a default. The CDS’s are exchanged privately, according to Fortune, and therefore are not publicly regulated.

“This has become essentially the dark matter of the financial universe.” said Chris Wolf, of Hedge Fund Cogo Wolf. Read the Fortune article here.

While you were busy losing money in the stock market . . .

The super rich Russian’s were busy spending their vast resources of petro dollars. As reported by Reuters, one Russian paid the equivalent of $99 Million dollars for a townhome within walking distance of the Kremlin.Think about that the next time you fill up. Read more.

Governor Tim Kaine Talks Technology

Register now for the Potomac Officers Club upcoming (members only) event about the technology that is impacting the presidential campaign. Governor Kaine will be joined by Julius Genachowski and Virginia Secretary of Technology Aneesh Chopra.

This Week’s Interview, Senatorial Candidate Jim Gilmore

ExecutiveBiz spoke with former Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore about his current race for the Senate. He talks about the three most common issues he is hearing about from Virginians. Read the interview

For anyone considering an education at the college level, they should look no further than their own backyard. US News & World Report has ranked George Mason University #1 (out of 70) on the “Up-and-Coming” list of national universities, ahead of such distinguished institutions as the University of Southern California (U.S.C.) and Clemson. Being a local, state institution of higher learning, the benefits of attending George Mason can be realized in cost, quality, and connections to the powerful job market of the D.C. region.

Leading academics were asked to peer evaluate schools from across the nation that were rapidly evolving in various areas: diversity, academics, campus life, faculty, facilities, and student body. Dr. Alan Merten, President of George Mason, said, “Being recognized by the nation’s university presidents and U.S. News & World Report for our innovative programs and culture is an honor and validation of our efforts. Our faculty, staff, students, alumni, and corporate and community supporters have made this possible. With their continuing support, the best is yet to come.” Read the rest of this entry »

When PV Puvvada was a student at Indian Institute of Technology, a premier university in India for up and coming engineers, he knew he had the academic record to land a great job in the IT field one day, but wasn’t so sure he had the skills to make it as a leader. Fast-forward to today and Puvvada has more than risen to the challenge. As vice president and chief technology officer of federal systems for Unisys in Reston, Va., Puvvada oversees a team of 500. So, how does he do it? A key to his leadership, he says, is emotional intelligence. In the following Q&A, Puvvada offers this and other tips on ways to leverage one’s team and rise to the challenges and rewards of leadership.

Any tips on providing a team with strategic direction?

PV Puvvada: Typically, people on a team may have the idea that technology is great because of cutting edge features. But “cutting edge” in and of itself isn’t enough; the product has to offer tangible benefits. So, from the start, I get my team to ask themselves, “How will the technology reduce costs for our client and make their operations more efficient and secure?”

Let me give you an example: We implemented a groundbreaking system called Call Data Report (CDR) for regulating the health of more than 7,000 financial institutions governed by the Federal Reserve Board, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., and the Office of the Controller of Currency.  We came up with a very innovative solution for these agencies to monitor financial institutions, which is a very critical function given the current financial turmoil.  We leveraged an innovative technology called Xtensible Business Reporting Language, which dramatically altered the outcomes for our clients by giving them accurate data right at the source and the ability to approve financial reports much faster.  These days, more than 90 percent of CDR reports using the new technology can be processed and certified in days, not months — as was the case before.

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For anyone like me who needs superb food and a fine glass of cabernet to survive, a year-old wine bar in McLean is wowing critics and patrons and received the ‘Top Rated Newcomer’ award. Evo Bistro, at 1313 Old Chain Bridge Road, offers a refined and inviting tapas menu—with main courses as well—that spans Greek/Mediterranean, Portuguese/Spanish, and spicy Moroccan. The Zagat guide awarded Evo Bistro top marks and recently gushed, “‘Hip and trendy’, this ‘small’ but handsome wine bar in McLean draws ‘contented oohs and aahs’ with its ‘delectable’ Med-style tapas…”

Breaking the mold of traditional wine bars, this bistro orchestrates a warm and inviting atmosphere in a stunning dark wooded space, centered on an automated wine dispensing machine. Guests can purchase a debit card and choose between 32 stellar wines that are poured by the ounce at the push of a button. The beauty of this system lies in the opportunity to sample very pricey wines that many patrons might not wish to purchase as a bottle. I have found heaven! Beyond the list offered from the machine, 18 more are by the glass. The wine list boasts selections from both large and small producers spanning the world.

Chef Driss Zahidi has created a menu that runs the gamut of eclectic and eye-catching. Some morsels that beg to be eaten are the mussels with shallots, Evo crepes with lump crab, the chicken and Serrano ham croquettes, and the Moroccan-influenced lamb shanks. Every dish serves as a work of art and offers something for everyone.

The gentlemen behind this culinary landmark are Sidney Sakho, Driss Zahidi, Jacques Rebibo, and Michael Rebibo. Patting these men on the back for this achievement is not really enough. You should give them a hug.

 Both presidential candidates are calling for cuts in government contractor spending. Get an idea of what Obama and McCain are calling for and how it will affect the greater-Washington market.

What do all three of these recognizable writers have in common? Shannon Henry, Ellen McCarthy and Kim Hart? Well…

They are All women, all Washington Post reporters, all have Irish names and starting this Monday, Kim will join Shannon and Ellen on the list of those who have written the very popular Washington Post Download column.  If you’d like to know what Kim thinks is a good story, read our exclusive interview with the area’s newest Download.

Virginia Secretary of Technology Aneesh Chopra and Technology Advisor Julius Genachowski will be joining Governor Tim Kaine at the Potomac Officers Club event on October 28th. Potomac Officers Club is where “Headline Speakers Speak on Headline Topics“. If you are an executive and want to meet other executives you should become a member, applications are now being accepted. Read qualifications here. Email info@potomacofficersclub.com with questions.

Do you know Jerry Briggs? He’s been with Accenture for more than 20 years, the last 12 with a focus on serving the U.S. federal government. Read more.

Several years into writing Washington Post’s “The Download” column, Shannon Henry published an entry in December of 2004 that queried local technology players on what trends might emerge during the coming year. More specifically, Henry addressed how, depending on the prevailing economic and entrepreneurial climate, the region’s tech identity wavered between that of a government town and one pushing to “develop a separate identity for the region built on ventures in software, telecom, the Internet…”

Sure, today you could probably swap out “software, telecom and the Internet” for “SaaS, green IT and social media” but the identity challenge is in some ways still the same: is this a government town or has it tangibly evolved into something more? And if it is going to evolve into something more, does it require a unified effort by industry segments that historically operate in walled gardens? More succinctly, if a tourist asked for directions to the epicenter of technology innovation in Greater Washington, what would you say? Head towards Northern Virginia, hang a right at New York Ave., and then hop on the I270 Corridor?

The latter question was recently brought to light by Washington Post writer Zachary Goldfarb, one that spawned a pioneering July event developed by the NVTC and folks like Peter Corbett at iStrategyLabs known simply as Twin Tech. And unlike the Caddyshack II abomination, Twin Tech’s sequel event (Twin Tech II) that took place last week to the tune of 1,200+ attendees, was a smash hit.

With word (via ExecutiveBiz’ exclusive interview with Washington Post writer Kim Hart) that the publication is resuscitating “The Download” column starting Monday, I am reminded why it was both incredibly popular and infinitely valuable to the Greater Washington technology and government community.

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Remember the Washington Post’s Download column? Up until its hiatus in 2006, Download offered readers the inside scoop on the tech community’s major players and trends. This coming Monday past readers of the column have reason again to rejoice; that’s when the Post’s Kim Hart kicks off the columns long-awaited return. In an exclusive interview with ExecutiveBiz, Hart tells us about her background, the trends she hopes to cover in the column, and the kinds of pitches she and her colleagues can’t resist.

What is your background? How did you end up at the Washington Post?

Kim Hart: I have always been drawn to journalism. I received a degree in it from the University of Florida, and then a master’s degree from the University of Maryland. That’s how I ended up in the Washington area. Soon after graduating, I was an intern at the Post and have been at the paper for a little over two years now, covering various areas of technology. I covered the local business community for nearly a year before switching to cover telecommunications and then Web 2.0. I’m now shifting my focus back to the local players in the area.

You will be restarting the Download column. Tell us about the goals of the column and the focus.

Kim Hart: The Download column has been dark for more than two years now, and I’ve heard from many people in the tech community that it is missed. I think reviving the column will shed light on all the activity going on in region, some of which has gone uncovered in the Post’s pages. I’m especially interested in chronicling the deals getting made and companies being created, as well as the personalities behind them. I also hope the column will help readers understand how the Washington tech scene has evolved and where it is headed.

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He’s been busy hitting the campaign trail both in his bid for the U.S. Senate and on behalf of the McCain-Palin ticket. But Jim Gilmore, who served as Virginia’s attorney general and later governor, recently sat down for a candid interview with ExecutiveBiz. In the following Q&A, Gilmore talks about the issues he’d tackle as Virginia’s next senator, as well as his response to three key issues on the minds of Virginia’s business community: gas prices, taxes, and the union check card.

What issues would you would focus on if elected Virginia’s next senator?

Jim Gilmore: We certainly want the participation of the contracting community.  The philosophy behind this is that that work can be done cheaper and more efficiently if private business people are involved in a way to make their services effective and efficient for the United States government.  That’s what the classic outsourcing philosophy is and I support that.  We obviously want to make sure  we have good competition in that area and that there is good oversight on behalf of the public.  We want to avoid all of these allegations you see from these Washington politicians  trying to exploit the situation that say that somehow it is all “pork barrel” or it’s all “earmarks” or it’s all special interest groups.  We want to make sure  the public is being well served and the best way to do that is to have proper oversight and accountability.  Again that is a key point. 

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He’s been with Accenture for more than 20 years, the last 12 with a focus on serving the U.S. federal government. Throughout, Jerry Briggs has been recognized for expertise in large program management. In the following Q&A, Briggs shares some of the secrets to his longevity at Accenture, managerial best practices, and how he maintains his discipline at the office and beyond.

What are some secrets to your longevity?

Jerry Briggs: Great question. What has kept me with Accenture for the long haul is that we have really great people here.  I know it sounds like a cliché but we’ve got exceptionally good people, very motivated. This is a place where you can be recognized for your performance, and that keeps you motivated.

What are some challenges as managing director of Accenture’s government practice?

Jerry Briggs: It’s been a really austere time in terms of the market. We’ve had to come to grips with that in our organization, what we investment in and what kind of work we pursue.

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It’s the height of Presidential election season and you know what that means: an endless stream of inane campaign ads centered around themes about as relevant to one’s Presidential timber as the candidates’ average bowling score. And with barbs flying it is easy to forget that there are policy issues of tremendous importance to the Greater Washington community (and nation as a whole of course). One area of particular interest to executives and the area workforce is each candidate’s technology strategy and views on the role technology will play in fostering innovation and preserving and improving U.S. competitiveness.

Little has been covered in the press on Sen. Obama’s technology strategy, which is why the Oct. 28 Potomac Officer’s Club (POC) event at the Ritz Carlton, Tyson’s Corner featuring Virginia Governor Tim Kaine and LaunchBox Digital co-founder Julius Genachowski (an advisor to the Obama campaign) is sure to be informative and provocative for those who attend.

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