Interviews with Leaders: a conversation with Bob Costello

The Business of Government Hour

Interviews with Leaders: a conversation with Bob Costello

This content is provided by the IBM Center for the Business of Government. Mondays at 11:00 a.m. & Fridays at 1:00 p.m. The Business of Government Radio Hour,...

July 27, 2020 11:47 am

3 min read

This content is provided by the IBM Center for the Business of Government.

Mondays at 11:00 a.m. & Fridays at 1:00 p.m.

The Business of Government Radio Hour, hosted by Michael J. Keegan, features a conversation with a federal executive who is changing the way government does business. The executives discuss their careers and the management challenges facing their organizations. Guests include administrators, chief financial officers, chief information officers, chief operating officers, commissioners, controllers, directors, and undersecretaries.

ON THIS WEEK’S SHOW:

What does it take to scale evidence-based programs successfully? What combination of federal, state, and local public policy changes are needed to scale evidence-based programs? What management strategies and resources are needed to scale these programs effectively? Join host Michael Keegan as he explores these questions and more with Patrick Lester author of the IBM Center report, Scaling Evidence-Based Programs in Child Welfare.

LISTEN TO THE FULL SHOW:

GUEST BIOGRAPHY:

Executive Director, Enterprise Networks and Technology Support, Office of Information and Technology

U.S. Customs and Border Protections

Mr. Robert Costello joined U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) in 2012. He currently serves as the Executive Director (XD) of OIT’s Enterprise Networks and Technology Support Directorate (ENTSD) and as the Acting XD of the Border Enforcement and Management Systems Directorate (BEMSD). Mr. Costello is responsible for the execution of combined budgets of >$500M. His personnel are located in Virginia, New Mexico, and Florida.

ENTSD manages the largest data network in DHS by providing support to over 1,500 CBP locations worldwide; this includes providing all cloud connectivity, supporting four datacenters, as well as the world’s largest Land Mobile Radio (LMR) network. The team also provides mobility solutions, maintenance on non-intrusive inspection equipment, LMR infrastructure support, and solutions for the effective deployment of new technologies at CBP. ENTSD is made up of over 500 federal and contract staff.

BEMSD provides all management systems’ support for CBP including financial systems; in addition to all software development for the U.S. Border Patrol, Air and Marine Operations. BEMSD is comprised of over 600 personnel involved in application development and system security work for the agency.

Prior to serving as the XD of ENTSD, Mr. Costello served as the Deputy Executive Director (DXD) for OIT’s Field Support Directorate (FSD), where he oversaw over 900 personnel. FSD supports information technology, radio systems, and enforcement technologies worldwide. He also served as the Regional Director for FSD’s Northeast Region prior to becoming the FSD DXD.

Prior to joining CBP, Mr. Costello worked at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as the Director of Network Engineering. His primary duties included overseeing ICE networks worldwide and implementing solutions for mobility and datacenter migrations, e-discovery and collaboration solutions.

Mr. Costello is a veteran of the U.S Air Force and U.S Air Force Reserve. He served in a variety of commands supporting information technology, cybersecurity, and tactical communication systems. Mr. Costello also has experience in private industry, where he worked for large telecommunication firms that provide support to the Department of Defense and Intelligence Community.

Mr. Costello holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Organizational Leadership from Fordham University.