Humble Beginnings
The CEOs and senior GovCon leaders of today weren't always sitting in the corner office. They weren't born in suits with a handbook for success and a direct path to leadership. In fact, before many of these executives came into positions of powers, they had rather humble beginnings -- no corporate family tree or unlimited access. Many had to find their way on their own with little to fall back on. This podcast will share the stories of high school part-time work, first jobs and early-career decisions, decades before the CEO appointments and the board memberships. We'll learn about the unconventional paths to success, the ones most of us can relate to.
- Update frequency
- every 23 days
- Average duration
- 37 minutes
- Episodes
- 35
- Years Active
- 2023 - 2025
From Bombay, to Founder & CEO: Rohit Gupta's Journey to Leadership
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 exec…
From Infantry to Innovation: The Story of Parsons Corp.'s Scott Goldstein
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 i…
From Newspaper Delivery Boy to CEO: The Story of Freedom Technology Solutions Group’s Vernon Saunders
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 publ…
Lessons from a Coal Mining Town: How Accenture Federal Services' Garland Garris Draws From His West Virginia Roots
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 j…
Building a Legacy: Brandy Durham Turns Passion for Tackling National Problems to Career Path in Data, AI
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 …
Shawn Purvis' Transformational Leadership Relies on Lifelong Values: 'Family, Faith, Hard Work and Doing Good to Others'
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…
Small Town Values, a Strong Work Ethic and Career Turning Points: Rick Wagner's Rise to CEO
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 wo…
When Paths Cross and Stay on Course: Federal CIOs Mittal Desai, Yemi Oshinnaiye on Family, Friendship and Public Service
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 h…
IntelliBridge's Cass Panciocco on His Unplanned Path to CEO: A Story of Family, Timing & Work Ethic
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 hom…
V2X' Jo Ann Bjornson Finds Her Passion for People After Self Guidance, Life Pivots & Hard Work
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 Wash…
ULTRA Intelligence & Communications' Mladen Brkic on Resilience, Relationships and Well-Rounded Leadership
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 Br…
Leidos' JR Williamson Emerges from Life's Instabilities to Succeed, Supporting Himself and Others Along the Way
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 fam…
Kion's Brian Price Journeys 'Across the Bridge' to Solve Problems with Software
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 197…
From Family Business to 'Fixer-Upper:' LMI's CEO Doug Wagoner Isn't Afraid of the Hard Jobs
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 Ale…
A Story of People, Events and Moments that Changed the Course of Gil Smith's Life
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…
Working Through Life's Challenges: CEO Jon Rucker's Story is 'About the Journey, Not the Endgame'
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 Nort…
Behind Sev1Tech CEO Bob Lohfeld's Reputation for 'Running Towards the Fire'
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…
SPA's Richard Sawchak Shares Generations of 'Humble Beginnings': A Story of Mentorship, Giving Back & Family
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…
From Apartheid South Africa to Stateside CEO: Aarish Gokaldas' Unpredictable Path to Leading with Purpose
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…
Paul Smith's Big Family Roots Fuel a Strong Work Ethic and Focus on Connection
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 sibling…