When it comes to government contracting, women have arrived. Look at any major government contractor, and the proof’s in their executive ranks. But that ascent hasn’t come easily. It’s involved its share of hard work, of course, as well as the task of balancing other life pursuits. Recently, ExecutiveBiz asked some of the Washington, D.C., area’s top women executives one simple question: How’d you do it? Here, in their own words, they offer tips and insights about how they’re contributing to an industry they describe as ever-changing and exciting, and how others — regardless of gender or background — can do the same.

Teresa Carlson, vice president of Microsoft’s US federal government business: “I think women were always here. We didn’t have to arrive. The reality now is we’re taking the driver’s seat much more and taking on bigger and bigger challenges.” Read more >>

Cheryl Janey, vice president of operations, Northrop Grumman’s information systems sector’s civil systems division: “Being a female leader in government contracting is exciting. We’ve seen more and more females coming in on both the contractor’s and government’s side who have so much to contribute.” Read more >>

Judy Marks, vice president of strategy and business development for Lockheed Martin’s Electronic Systems business: “The whole federal contracting world offers everyone opportunities for leadership and contributions. There are so many talented people coming off today’s campuses. I’m encouraged and I’m excited.” Read more >>

Stacy Mendler, COO, Alion: “I really think the industry has changed and companies want women to perform and take on higher level positions. Companies want women to succeed and help drive growth.” Read more >>

Suzan Zimmerman, senior vice president of corporate development, QinetiQ North America: “The only glass ceiling is the one you put over your head. If you work hard, and people know you’re interested in what you’re doing, there is no glass ceiling.” Read more >>

CHERYL JANEY

In just a few short years, Cheryl Janey helped Harris Corporation grow more than 20 percent a year. Now she’s bringing that same competitive edge to Northrop Grumman. As vice president of operations for the Information Systems sector’s Civil Systems division, Janey oversees a business sector worth $2.5 billion. “It was an offer I couldn’t refuse,” says Janey, who accepted the role in June 2009. Next up: Janey is busy tapping into the division’s core strengths to build on solutions offered to federal, state, and local government customers.

Janey’s Top Tips:

• Accept that things happen. “Have a solid plan of what you want to accomplish, then be flexible to the dynamic nature of the work we do,” says Janey. “Adjusting to competing but important priorities is the foremost role of a leader.”

• Play to your strengths. “It’s incumbent on anyone, male or female, to recognize their strengths and choose assignments that play to them,” says Janey.

• Know your limitations. “Be very honest with yourself about your limitations and surround yourself with people who are good at what you’re not,” says Janey. “That’s been my mantra for years and it serves me well.”

• Show strength of conviction. “As leaders, we are looked to for those hard decisions – sometimes the right thing to do isn’t always the easy one. By believing in our vision, we can get along and still show that strength at the same time ,” says Janey.

What Janey is saying:

BEST CAREER ADVICE: “Share bad news. Someone told me a long time ago: ‘Never be the highest ranking person to know bad news.’ I didn’t understand what that meant at the time. Now that I’m in an executive position, I do. Very clearly. When times get tough you want a lot of people and different perspectives to come up with creative ideas and approaches. Sharing challenges up and across helps to build support, resources and focus to resolve difficult problems.”

LEADERSHIP STYLE: “My leadership style is one of, ‘Roll up your sleeves, let’s pitch in, and work together.’ I’m very participative in my style, not at all hierarchical. I think that, particularly in challenging situations, it’s important you demonstrate you’re part of the team, you’re not just sitting back directing the show. I also like to solicit different points of view. Hearing those points of view, identifying new options, debating them and then reaching consensus, helps build a sense of ownership and buy-in amongst the team.”

WORK-LIFE BALANCE: “Balance doesn’t happen in any one day, it occurs over time. So, widen the camera shot; you’ll see that over a week or month we really can — and do — achieve balance. In my case, I constantly evaluate. There are sacred things professionally and personally that are non-negotiation points. If my son is performing at school, I’m going to be there. Similarly, if an executive council is being held at work, I’m going to be there.”

ON STAYING POSITIVE: “I train my brain with positive messages on an ongoing basis; from the moment I wake up in the morning. It could take the form of passwords or little sayings by my computer. I like to say, ‘Dream big dreams.’ You may not reach your dreams, but you’ll get further along than if you dream small ones. So dream big! Tell yourself — tell your brain every day, in lots of ways — the positive messages you want to hear and that you need to hear that strengthen you. I believe those words do penetrate in ways we can’t even describe.”

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We all know that 2009 will be shaped by significant events — a new administration, the pending drawdown of the Iraq war, and of course the economy. But how will it all play out, and how will it affect the federal marketplace? For the top 2009 predictions, we went straight to some of the area’s leading executives. In our first installment — yes, more predictions to come next week — we got their predictions on everything from how government IT dollars will be spent to which trends in Gov 2.0 technology will see the most traction. So, without further adieu, here are their predictions — tell us if you agree:

“There will be no decrease in contracting of services by the federal government. The government might move some functions in-house, but overall, the need for private-sector support will continue. This will be accompanied by a demand for greater accountability and increased pressure to demonstrate value and reduce costs. I also expect a re-examination of the procurement process to reduce the number of protests and build the capacity and skill of the federal contracting corps.” — Bill Ballhaus, President & CEO, DynCorp International

“Given the unprecedented challenges facing the nation, federal government leaders will accelerate the adoption of innovative and cost-effective technology solutions to drive performance, increase transparency and reduce costs. New security and procurement policies will clear a pathway for creative solutions, streamlining the process for government agencies to use cutting-edge technologies. Government will make more data available to the public in formats that allow easily development of websites and applications that further engage citizens.” — Mike Bradshaw, Head of Federal Enterprise, Google

“This will be a year of optimism and accountability. The new administration, coupled with economic recovery plans, will create new dynamics. Cost effectiveness, avoidance and containment will be required for new initiatives. We expect to see continued growth at DHS, HHS, and federal healthcare programs, including VA, DOD Health, and Medicaid and Medicare. We’re also predicting a renewed focus on alternative energy and healthcare reform, as well as additional expenditures for infrastructure and transportation improvements.”
— B. Chatterjee, President, CNSI

“President Obama’s decision to include health IT in the economic stimulus package will provide a big boost to healthcare reform efforts.  Those companies with the experience and expertise in health IT, healthcare policy and citizen-centric systems will be well-positioned to provide the support needed to make reform a success. Greater collaboration in 2009 between government and the private sector, leading to secure exchange of interoperable health information across the nation, will represent a big step forward to achieving
true reform.” — Mac Curtis, President & CEO, Vangent, Inc.

“Facing reduced revenue, agencies that examine their business processes and engage companies with innovative solutions and proven experience in business change will be rewarded with efficiencies and increased focus on key projects.  Industry will also benefit with sustained business for companies, such as ACS, that offer diversified portfolios. Every government executive I’ve spoken with is open to building a business case for investing limited dollars in improvements to processes and reduced cost of ownership.”
— Joe Doherty, EVP/Group President, ACS Government Solutions Group

“GWACK IDIQ vehicles will continue to gain popularity, especially with GSA, as contract shops struggle to keep up with requirements and growing protests.  SBA will consider and debate modifications to the small business rules and categorization, as well as take a firmer position on the share of work going to small business.  M&A deals will be challenging due to the financial market constraints and valuations of non-specialized organizations will continue to fall.”
— Scott Goss, President & CEO, Preferred Systems Solutions

“2009 will be a year of caution and confidence rebuilding. Economic implications will affect all governments. Industries and individuals ‘campaign promises’ will succumb to ‘governing realities.’ Government services sector will be the nation’s ‘anchor to windward.’ In chaos, there is opportunity.”
— Bill Hoover, President & CEO, AMERICAN SYSTEMS

“I think we could see efforts at modernizing our nation’s air traffic control system included in the stimulus plan the president proposes.  Much like the roads, bridges, and other critical infrastructure throughout our country are reaching the end of their useful lifespan, the nation’s air traffic control system is in dire need of an overhaul and modernization.”
— Cheryl Janey, President Civil Programs Business Unit, Harris

“With the change in administration, the influx of private sector leaders into appointed positions, and the continued focus on cutting costs and increasing efficiencies, there will be increased emphasis on overcoming both cultural and policy barriers to allow better information sharing across government.  The ability to securely access, share, and collaborate will become increasingly important across federal, as well as state and local governments, as agencies aim to accomplish mission objectives while being challenged to do
more with less.” — Mark Johnson, Senior Vice President, Oracle Public Sector

“We’ll see a more efficient government in 2009 alongside a dramatically empowered constituency. Even as the federal government tightens budgets, it is simultaneously setting unprecedented goals around performance, transparency and citizen engagement. Technology – and software specifically – is critical to delivering on this vision, which some are calling Gov 2.0. Mission solutions using commercial-off-the-shelf technology along with cloud-based services will gain a foothold, demonstrating the ability to reduce costs yet exceed expectations. Government will also confront its legacy system challenges, using new software capabilities that perform with minimal disruption or expense.” — Curt Kolcun, Microsoft’s Vice President, US Public Sector

Over a year ago, Cheryl Janey became president of the Civil Programs at Harris Corp. She had come to Harris from Northrop Grumman where she served as vice president of business development and strategy for the commercial, state and local group of the company’s information technology sector. In the following Q&A, Janey fills us in on what accomplishments she’s met along the way in her new position, and where she’d like to help steer Harris Civil over the coming year.

We last spoke to you in April of last year. What’s new since then?

Cheryl Janey: We’ve got and continue to have great relationships at the FAA, where we’re helping them think through their long term challenges. Not only do we have good work there, but this past year we took FTI — the FAA Telecommunications Infrastructure — from deployment into operation. That’s been years in the making, and one that’s been well recognized inside the FAA. I would put that high on my list of accomplishments over the last year.

What do you make of the “green” movement in the government? Are you focusing on that?

Cheryl Janey: Absolutely. We believe the “green” movement has considerable potential, not just within in our domestic government but worldwide and we’re very excited about the market. The energy crisis we’re seeing right now with oil prices is underscoring the timeliness of the issue and highlighting the need for focus. The market appears to be in the early stages and may allow us to bring some of the technologies Harris already utilizes in supporting our many weather customers. We already run weather ground systems and do a lot of weather work for the FAA. Bringing solutions to the whole “green” movement in the environment in general is something we believe has definite growth potential.

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