Humble Beginnings

Warren Kohm didn’t grow up with a silver spoon — he grew up learning how to make things work, and how not to take anything for granted.  In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we sit down with Warren, CEO of Aurex Defense, to trace the formative experiences that shaped his leadership philosophy, from growing up as the youngest of five in a modest Long Island home to leading a private eq...

In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we sit down with Deb Alderson, CEO of ViaPath Technologies, as she shares of her upbringing in Norfolk, Virginia; and how she'd later turn every challenge into an opportunity. Deb was raised by her mother and grandmother in a farming community near a military area, where she learned early lessons in hard work, giving back and breaking barriers...

In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," host Amanda Ziadeh sits down with Rohit Gupta, CEO of Aretum, as he shares his extraordinary journey leading a major GovCon company in the U.S. Before the executive title, before the acquisitions and AI strategies, Gupta's journey began in a one-bedroom apartment in Bombay — and a one-way ticket to the U.S. with just enough money to support hi...

In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," WashingtonExec's Amanda Ziadeh interviews Scott Goldstein, senior vice president and fellow at Parsons Corp. Goldstein shares his unique journey from an Army infantryman to a major general in the Air Force, and finally to his current role in the private sector. Goldstein's story is marked by academic achievements, significant pivots in hi...

In this episode of “Humble Beginnings,” we sit down with Vernon Saunders, CEO of Freedom Technology Solutions Group, as he shares how he journeyed from grappling with a nearly paralyzing fear of public speaking to communicating boldly and effectively while leading with intention. His story is one marked by life in the military, navigating the transition to civilian life, and now bringing all of hi...

In this episode of “Humble Beginnings,” we sit down with Garland Garris, Associate Director - Lead for Quantum Science, Zero Trust and Cloud Security at Accenture Federal Services, as he shares his journey from growing up in the coal mining town of Eccles, West Virginia, to finding a place in state and federal IT leadership. Through foraging with his dad, adopting a love of reading from his mom an...

In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we sit down with Brandy Durham, vice president of MANTECH's Data and AI Practice, as she shares of her upbringing in South Texas, and how her family's history of carpentry and military service instilled a strong work ethic and adaptability that shaped her career path. Growing up in a family of builders and as the first person in her famil...

In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we sit down with Shawn Purvis, president and CEO of QinetiQ US, as she shares her upbringing in Northern Virginia under the values of "family, faith, hard work and doing good to others." Purvis' parents both worked for IBM, introducing her to computers and the world of technology around the age of 7. Outside of academics -- which cam...

In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we sit down with Rick Wagner, CEO of Agile Defense, as he shares about his upbringing in a factory town in Pennsylvania surrounded by a large family, strong work ethic and small town values. And while Wagner appreciated his small town and worked in nearby factories throughout college (amongst many other odd jobs during his youth), he knew he'd...

In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we sit down with two chief information officers in government who share their backgrounds, the lessons they learned early on and the impact their upbringings had on their current roles in public service. Mittal Desai ⏤ CIO of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission ⏤ and Yemi Oshinnaiye ⏤ CIO of the Transportation Security Administration ⏤ moved u...

In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," Cass Panciocco, president and CEO of IntelliBridge, joins us to share a bit about his upbringing in working-class Boston, what it was like sharing a modest home with seven other family members, the work ethic values he learned at a young age helping his father at carpenter job sites, and more.  Panciocco has worked most of his life ⏤ including thro...

In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," Jo Ann Bjornson, chief human resources officer at V2X, joins us to discuss her upbringing in a 900-square-foot house in a low-income suburb of the greater Washington, D.C., area. The daughter of an immigrant and U.S. military veteran, Bjornson connects her experiences to her sense of independence, work ethic and passion for supporting the military....

The Bosnian War, which began in 1992, lasted nearly four years and displaced over 2 million people. In this episode of Humble Beginnings, WashingtonExec's Amanda Ziadeh sits down with guest Mladen Brkic, who came to the U.S. as a refugee in 1996 from Bosnia at 18 years old.  Today, Brkic is chief financial officer and senior vice president of ULTRA Intelligence & Communications, but prior...

WashingtonExec's Amanda Ziadeh sits down with guest JR Williamson as he shares his unique ⏤ and at times challenging ⏤ upbringing, as he moved nearly 21 times by the age of 15, largely due to his family dynamic. Still, the senior vice president and chief information security officer at Leidos considers himself a native Northern Virginian. He candidly discusses the role his mother played in hi...

WashingtonExec's Amanda Ziadeh sits down with Brian Price, CEO and co-founder of Kion, as he shares his upbringing in the 2,000-person small shore town of Crisfield, Maryland, "still stuck in the 1970s." Price, an only child, gained early work experience and people skills at his uncle's coffee shop in high school. Gordon’s Confectionery, 100 years old and still running today, s...

WashingtonExec's Amanda Ziadeh and co-host Mark HuYoung, managing partner of executive advisory firm Northwind Partners, sit down with guest Doug Wagoner, CEO of LMI, to discuss his upbringing in Alexandria, Virginia, and ultimate progression to the corner office. Wagoner, an only child, grew up in and around his parents' family business. He learned the meaning of hard work at an early a...

In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we chat with Gil Smith, senior director of Government Health Program Development at Philips (and a rancher), about his upbringing as a latchkey kid in a broken home in Rhode Island. Always the "new kid," Smith attended nearly nine different schools growing up before settling in a welcoming high school while living with his grandparents in...

WashingtonExec's Amanda Ziadeh and co-host Mark HuYoung, managing partner of executive advisory firm Northwind Partners, sit down with guest Jon Rucker as he shares a bit about his upbringing in Northern Virginia as the son of a teacher and electrical engineer, and how these experiences impacted him.  Rucker, CEO of Ultra Intelligence & Communications, also discusses the life lessons he c...

In this episode of "Humble Beginnings," we sit down with Sev1Tech CEO Robert (Bob) E. Lohfeld Jr., as he shares tidbits about his upbringing in Maryland, the influence his grandmother had on his life and his foundational interest in all things international.  Lohfeld talks about the impact transferring from a big university to a private liberal arts college had on his education, his urge...

In this episode of Humble Beginnings, we chat with Richard Sawchak, CEO of Systems Planning and Analysis, about his upbringing in Scranton, Pennsylvania, his very first job as a paperboy, and mentors who influenced his life. Rich also shares the "humble beginning" of his father, who was a banker without a college degree and ended up retiring as the CEO of a small regional bank. He also s...

In this episode of Humble Beginnings, we speak with Highlight CEO Aarish Gokaldas about his family history and upbringing in South Africa during the apartheid. We hear how Gokaldas' family immigrated to North Africa from India and eventually made their way south, and what it was like growing up in a racially segregated country.  Eventually, Gokaldas and his family would move to the States, st...

In this episode of Humble Beginnings, we chat with Rancher Government Solutions' CEO Paul Smith about his Baltimore, Maryland, upbringing, and ultimate rise to leadership. Smith and his seven siblings all worked their way through high school and college after attending Catholic parochial school as children for its values, proximity and affordability. While Smith's first job after graduat...

For John Ustica, president and CEO of Siemens Government Technologies, his story starts with a medical scare on a soccer field in the first grade. An abdominal pain later proved to be a tumor on his kidney, and he'd spend 65 weeks in chemotherapy, endure several surgeries and visit doctors for years to come for checkups. Ustica fully recovered, but this experience (and the restrictions that c...

WashingtonExec's Amanda Ziadeh and co-host Mark HuYoung, managing partner of executive advisory firm Northwind Partners, sit down with guest Todd Stottlemyer as he shares what it was like growing up in a duplex just outside New York City as the son of a U.S. Foreign Service member and stay at home mom.  Stottlemyer is the CEO of Acentra Health, and his perspective is heavily influenced by his...

DCS Corp.'s Jack Jackson was raised in Baltimore, Maryland, as one of nine kids and the son of a local sports journalist. While Jackson and his siblings all attended Catholic school growing up, he chose a different path when it came time for college. Rather than head to a state university, Jackson chose to attend the U.S. Naval Academy. This would be the start of his professional journey. In...