Ann Waynik, senior director of business development and capture at Day & Zimmermann, was recently featured in an Executive Spotlight interview with the Potomac Officers Club. She spoke on establishing a voice in the government contracting sector, fostering stronger and more diverse networks and optimizing the federal solicitations process.
Waynik discusses her strategies for accelerating professional development and advice for growing a personal brand in this excerpt from the interview:
“My advice would be to step into every role you can and learn as much as possible. I started out as a project scheduler at Martin Marietta and then grew into a systems and test engineer at Ford Aerospace on the U-2 Ground Station (DCGS). I’ve supported Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) contracts in directorates that included AS&T, COMM, SED, GED and satellite programs as a systems engineer across the IC. My line management included a contract of over 500 people. As I ventured into the roles of capture and business development, I learned more about the connections of those critical aspects in our business. Today, I understand the entire acquisition, program, engineering, and business development life cycles because of my drive to learn.
I also suggest volunteering across a wide variety of groups. This not only helps you learn more and get broader exposure, but most importantly, it expands your credibility and builds a powerful network. I have led monthly business development meetings and forums for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) and the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) for years. I am the co-lead of the United States Geospatial Intelligence Foundation (USGIF) NRO working group with Nick Buck, and I participate in the NGA working group. By immersing myself in these groups I have gained a better understanding of these agencies, their needs and their future strategies, while fostering connections with their executives.”
Visit PotomacOfficersClub.com to read the full Executive Spotlight interview with Day & Zimmermann’s Ann Waynik and learn more about the platform’s membership options and benefits.