I'm sad. Maybe as a journalist I shouldn't be sad over an executive departure, but I am.

The departure is Stan Soloway, who has headed up the Professional Services Council for 15 years. Most in government circles would regard him as the voice of government contractors. A strong voice at that. As other associations representing government IT and procurement shrank or faded away entirely, PSC has managed to grow under Soloway's leadership – buying up some competitors along the way, and striking a workable balance between advocacy and market education.

For me, he is the source I've spoken to more than any other during my own 15 years in this market. I've come to regard him as a friend both for that reason and the simple fact that he's a fascinating person. He describes himself as a Truman Democrat – quite liberal on social issues, more moderate on fiscal, national security and defense. He was nearly a sportscaster. He pitted American comedians against British ones on public television to debate who's funnier. He could have gotten in on the ground floor of the Staples empire. And he arranged a trip to Africa for D.C. teens through a foundation he established with his family. (You can read a profile I did at Washington Business Journal to find out more).

And he's a good sport, having accepted my water bucket challenge with dignity (even if he made his entire staff partake as well.)

But his departure took me by surprise. I had questions. And he was gracious enough to provide me some answers.

I admit, I'm a little sad.

You shouldn't be. I'm not leaving the industry.

So tell me what spurred the decision?

I've always known I wanted to do something else. I don't want to retire from here. There's another [job] in me. So it was timing. It was a really hard decision. This has been an unbelievably great job. But as much as I know I'm going to regret days not walking through the door, I'd regret more not doing something else.

So be honest – do you have another job already lined up?

No. I'm going to stay in the industry, but I haven't figured out in what capacity. With a job like this, you can't explore opportunities until it's public. I'll be here several months, and I'll figure it out during that time.

Do you envision going to a contractor?

I'm not ruling anything out. Where I add value is in the strategy, market insight. What that looks like – I can't prejudge that.

So what would you regard as your biggest accomplishment during your PSC tenure?

I haven't even had a chance to think that through. At some point I'll make a list for you. But it's not how I operate. I feel good that we've had not only incredible growth, but we stayed true to the mission, we built an incredible team. One of our [member] CEOs said we've gone from being one of several associations [for government contractors] to the lead. I'm proud of that. But I'm always looking forward. I think that's a good thing.

What events would you say shaped how government operates most?

There have been a series of events that have been formative, each in their own way. It's part of what's made a job like this so fascinating. You go from 9/11 to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, to Katrina – many disasters and tragedies. And then Snowden. They all focused attention on that public-private nexus. That's where the rubber hits the road in how government operates. It's fascinating but also important. And then you think about the way technology evolved – nobody would've anticipated that 10 or 12 years ago. It feels trite to say, but government is trying to figure out what this means for how they operate. The digital revolution -- it's changing everything.

We've talked before about how your government tenure compared to your time at PSC. Tell me now, as you prepare to move on, where do you think you had the bigger impact?

I've had the benefit of being in this position for 15 years. When you're any place for that long, and if you're passionate, you hope you had an impact. When I was in government it was for just under four years in a highly politically charged environment. I had incredible support, brought in to do [acquisition reform, which] was the top priority of my three bosses. And I like to think I made an impact, though I can't define what it was. I'm frustrated we seem to be regressing on progress we made years ago.

Any advice to contractors?

Nothing profound. It's not an original thought, but those best at adapting are those that will survive and do best. I'm not suggesting they haven't figured that out, but this is a changing market. The ones that are most adaptable are the ones that are going to succeed.

Jill Aitoro is editor of Defense News. She is also executive editor of Sightline Media's Business-to-Government group, including Defense News, C4ISRNET, Federal Times and Fifth Domain. She brings over 15 years’ experience in editing and reporting on defense and federal programs, policy, procurement, and technology.

Share:
In Other News
Load More