Turning the tables on start-ups

Encore Solutions President Dr. Nicole Priester and TSI President Al Thomas join host John Gilroy on this week's Federal Tech Talk to discuss how the federal gov...

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(This show originally aired on June 5, 2018)

Today’s interview is with Dr. Nicole Priester, president of Encore Solutions Inc., and Al Thomas, president of Thomas Solutions Inc.  Both have extensive experience in complex information technology projects for the federal government.  Dr. Priester’s dissertation has an emphasis on leadership.

During the discussion they expanded upon how to understand requirements for federal projects, the advantages of small business, and some strategic considerations for long term success. They both brought distinct backgrounds to the topic.

Head shots of Priester and Thomas
Dr. Nicole Priester & Al Thomas

Priester’s background includes a serious study or leadership.  She discussed aspects of leadership that apply to the federal IT workforce every day.

One concept she presented was the ability to gain a thorough knowledge of the limits of any given project before one takes a leadership position.  She claimed that leaders maintain contact with like-minded individuals.

Her example was the Retired Military Officer’s Business Association, or the RBA.  They are sponsoring an event called the Business Xceleration Conference  this month.

Al Thomas has 20 years of experience in the military and takes a similar approach when he gives advice on digital strategy.  He is a big believer in redundancy and having a flexible set of plans that can be adapted into a rapidly changing situation.  When it comes to a cloud strategy, Thomas likes a conservative approach stressing redundancy — exactly what you would expect out of a Special Forces veteran.

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