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Event Details
Between the Stimulus Package and the increasing need for more sophisticated government processes, the two certain growth industries in the DC market are government and government contractors. On July 9th, the Chicago Booth and Columbia Business School Clubs will assemble a panel of high-level Columbia and Chicago Booth MBAs who work for government contractors.
The panel will address the following “takes” on government contracting:
The Contractor Ecosystem
· Defense (Hardware) Contractors (e.g. Northrop Grumman; Lockheed)
· Civilian IT/Process/Analysis Contractors (e.g. IBM, SAIC, BAH)
· Small, niche specialty shops
Getting a job:
·The Large Contractor Experience
·The Small Contractor Experience
Becoming a Contractor
· The Entrepreneurial Experience
Registration
Register By Email
Please say that you are a Booth Alum to get the $20 price
Deadline: 7/8/2009
Speaker Profiles
Art Medici (Moderator)
Investor and Acting CEO, eNTEGRITI
Dan Dzenitis (Panelist)
COO, LogicStudio
Paul Harrington (Panelist), CGI
Claudia Herbert (Panelist)
Federal Compliance Officer, IBM
Les Johnson (Panelist)
Principal, Les Johnson & Associates
Les is a Principal at Les Johnson & Associates and has worked with government contractors in a variety of capacities during his career. While working for the government, Les initiated and oversaw an array of contracts including food delivery, technical/computer, business process re-engineering, short term technical training projects, and financial services. He was one of the government managers who contractors used to visit and solicit. Les currently works in the private sector where he has performed contract work with both SAIC and Booz Allen and now advises companies selling food products to USDA.
Jay Marwaha (Panelist)
Co-founder, Absolute Business Solutions Corp (ABSc)
As Co-founder of Absolute Business Solutions Corp (ABSc), a government contracting firm providing intelligence expertise, professional services, IT services and quantitative analysis, Jay brings over 20 years of experience in commercial and public sector finance, technology, and customer relationships. Jay established ABSc at The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business. Drawing on a distinguished career as a senior executive at American Express, Jay brings that same success and focus to ABSc where he drives strategy and business development across each of ABSc's products and services. He believes that customer and employee satisfaction are critical to the company's success. Under Jay's leadership, ABSc has grown tenfold in four years. Jay holds a M.S. in Computer Science from the University of Maryland, and an MBA from The University of Chicago Graduate School of Business.
John Soldner (Panelist)
VP, SAIC
John Soldner is Vice-President of SAIC, where he manages an organization that provides education and training services to a number of government agencies within the intelligence community. He joined SAIC in 1980 and has spent his entire career with the company in support of the federal government. He launched his career supporting civil space programs for NASA, in Chicago, at Johnson Space Center in Houston and at NASA headquarters in Washington, D.C. Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, Soldner transferred to the Mission Integration Business Unit within SAIC to focus on national security issues. He holds Bachelor of Science and Master of Science degrees in aerospace engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Chicago. He is also an adjunct professor at George Washington University, where he teaches graduate-level courses within the aerospace engineering department.
Tashu Trivedi (Panelist)
CEO, TFC Consulting, Inc
Tashu Trivedi is the founder and CEO of TFC Consulting, Inc. TFC Consulting, with a staff of 20+, assists Federal agencies address financial management and regulatory compliance needs. It helps Federal clients enhance the accuracy, reliability, and integrity of their financial data and internal controls. TFC supports its Federal clients with teams of seasoned, experienced Federal audit managers, accountants and subject matter specialists. It also serves as the proxy for internal audit functions, assisting management to detect and prevent problems in advance of audit review.
Mr. Trivedi has an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Prior to obtaining his MBA, Mr. Trivedi was at KPMG where he rose to Senior Manager. With his experience in establishing TFC, Tashu can provide the panel with a perspective on what it takes to become a government contractor.