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byline: Sydney Lake

Sentara hires supply chain exec

-based announced Thursday it has hired Jennifer McPherren as its vice president of , effective March 15.

She succeeds Doug Farley who retired in May 2020.

McPherren serves as the vice president of supply chain management and procurement services with Northwestern Memorial Healthcare in Chicago. In her new role, she will focus on the supply chain for the system that includes 12 hospitals in Virginia and North Carolina, more than 300 care sites and 30,000 employees.

“The pandemic revealed the choke points and weaknesses in the worldwide supply chain,” Terrie Edwards, corporate vice president who oversees supply chain, said in a statement. “We’re taking a more strategic approach to purchasing in the future and we believe Jennifer is the person to take us there.”

McPherren specializes in strategic sourcing, service line contracting, value analysis, enterprise resource planning and system integration.

“The Sentara system’s desire to invest in a progressive supply chain platform really drew me to them,” McPherren said in a statement.  “It was clear from every conversation that the organization is open to a fresh approach to solving complex procurement challenges.” 

McPherren earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Massachusetts and her executive master’s degree in business administration from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University.

 

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Fairfax tech company names growth VP

Fairfax-based tech company Pyramid Systems announced Wednesday it has hired Art Boghozian as its vice president of growth.

Boghozian most recently served as the director of business development for strategic accounts for -based ‘s () National Security Group. In his new role, he will focus on the company’s growth strategy, business development, proposal and marketing activities.

“Creating a capability-centric pipeline will be essential to ensure Pyramid’s strategic growth in the coming year,” Pyramid Systems CEO and co-founder Jeff Hwang said in a statement. “Art’s track record speaks for itself, and we couldn’t be happier to have him as a member of our executive team.”

Before his time with SAIC, Boghozian had held leadership positions with Unisys, CSRA Inc. (now part of Information ) and MicroStrategy. He earned his master’s degree in business administration from Loyola University Maryland Sellinger School of Business and Management.

For 25 years, Pyramid Systems has provided digital transformation services for federal agency clients including the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the General Services Administration.

 

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Va. unemployment claims remain high, but new claims drop

Although the number of initial jobless claims filed last week dropped relative to the previous week, unemployment numbers remain high, according to figures released by the Virginia Employment Commission on Thursday.

During the week ending Jan. 16, 21,073 Virginians filed initial claims, a 25.3% decline from the previous week, which saw 28,227 file new claims, the highest number since July 2020. 

“Elevated levels in recent weeks may have, in part, reflected seasonal spikes in layoffs often seen after the holidays, as well as reapplications for benefits following the government’s renewal of supplemental benefits until March 14 as part of the latest stimulus package,” according to the VEC.

Last week, 63,839 Virginians remained unemployed, a 0.2% increase from the previous week and 41,621 higher than the same period in 2020. People receiving unemployment benefits through the VEC must file weekly unemployment claims in order to continue receiving benefits.

The regions of the state that have been most impacted continue to be Northern Virginia, and Hampton Roads. 

Below are the top 10 localities, listed by number of initial unemployment claims, for the week ending Jan. 16:

Nationwide, the advance figure for seasonally adjusted initial claims for last week was 900,000, a decrease of 26,000 from the previous week’s revised level, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. There were 282,088 initial claims during the same week last year.

 

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CACI International executive chairman dies at 83

-based federal announced Wednesday the death of J. Philip “Jack” London, the company’s executive chairman, at age 83. He served as chairman, president and CEO of the company from 1984 to 2007 and as executive chairman since 2007. 

“All of us at CACI are deeply saddened by Dr. London’s passing,” CACI President and CEO John Mengucci said in a statement. “It was our great privilege to know and work with him, and he leaves a legacy of outstanding success and accomplishments. He was a true pioneer in the federal contracting industry, drawing from his military service to set the standard for leading with ethics and integrity.”

London spent 50 years in the technology and federal government contracting industry. Michael A. Daniels will succeed London as chairman of CACI’s board of directors. Founded in 1962, CACI specializes in enterprise and mission technology. The company has approximately 23,000 employees and is on the Fortune 1000 list.

London oversaw major company strategic initiatives and transactions, including a merger and program he began in 1992 — which has resulted in 79 company acquisitions. He also established the company’s culture, character, integrity and ethics committee in 2015 and in 2018 the company opened the Dr. J.P. (Jack) London Shared Services Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, in honor of London, an Oklahoma City native.

London earned a bachelor’s degree in naval engineering from the U.S. Naval Academy and a master’s degree in operations research from the Naval Postgraduate School. He served 12 years of active duty with the U.S. during the Cold War and received several awards and recognitions for his service. He earned his doctorate in business administration from The George Washington University.

“He set the bar high for business leaders across our industry, developing a successful business that continuously excelled and stayed strong through more than 50 years of changes in the federal landscape,” Mengucci said in a statement. “Jack London was one of a kind, and all of us at CACI are grateful to have been a part of his life.”

 

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Genworth notifies employees of job cuts

-based Financial Inc. has notified some employees of job cuts, a company spokesperson confirmed Wednesday.

The job cuts come on the heels of the company’s Jan. 4 announcement that its planned $2.7 billion by China-based Oceanwide Holdings Group Co. Ltd. has been frozen. Company spokesperson Julie Westermann declined to share the number of planned job cuts or the estimated timeline for eliminating positions.

“This is not something we take lightly and we are committed to providing affected colleagues with the utmost care, compassion and support during this transition,” Westermann said in a statement. “Out of respect for our colleagues who are losing their , we will not be providing any other details at this time.”

Oceanwide’s acquisition of the company — first announced in 2016 — had been reapproved in late November 2020 and was delayed until Dec. 31, 2020. However, on Monday, Jan. 4, with the acquisition still not finalized, both companies said that “the merger agreement remains in effect,” although the deadline was not extended. 

While the merger finalization remains in question, Genworth announced Jan. 5 during a special investors call that it would focus on a contingency plan that includes a partial initial public offering (IPO) of the company’s mortgage insurance business. This would help the business meet its $1 billion in debt obligations due this year. 

Genworth CEO Tom McInerney on Jan. 5 said that the company is planning the IPO for the first half of 2021. Additional details will be shared “as soon as possible,” according to the company. Genworth will hold its fourth quarter 2020 earnings call in early February.

Genworth employs approximately 3,500 , according to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings made in 2018. In 2019, the company reported $343 million in net income.

 

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Transurban names new Va. exec

Jennifer Aument, president of ‘s -based North American operations, will leave to become chief executive of AECOM’s global business.

Aument will be succeeded by Pierce Coffee, who currently serves as Transurban’s vice president of customer experience and operations, according to an announcement Monday from the Australian company that operates the dynamically-tolled Express Lanes along high-volume interstates 95, 395 and 495.

Aument will leave Transurban in February and on April 5 will join AECOM, a Los Angeles-based infrastructure consulting firm. She will be based in AECOM’s office, according to the company.

“We thank Jennifer Aument for her transformational contributions to Transurban and wish her the best in her next role,” Transurban Group CEO Scott Charlton said in a statement. “Together, Jennifer and Pierce were among those who pioneered the first dynamic Express Lanes in North America nearly a decade ago.”

Coffee has been with the company for more than 11 years and has been involved with the $4 billion Virginia Express Lanes network of interstates 495, 95 and 395. A Virginia native, Coffee  was named as head of marketing for Transurban in Australia in 2015 and later returned to the company’s North American operations. She assumed her role as vice president of customer experience and operations in 2019. Coffee earned her bachelor’s degree in commerce with concentrations in marketing and international business from the University of Virginia.

“With her tenured commitment to Transurban and our partners, I am confident that Pierce is the right leader to continue to build on our track record of success as we look to realize an exciting pipeline of opportunities in North America,” Charlton said in a statement.

In Aument’s new role, she will oversee AECOM’s global transportation business, which provides transportation solutions. AECOM provides planning, design and engineering services for program and construction management for projects focused on transportation, buildings, water, energy and the environment. The company reported $13.2 billion in 2020 revenue.

Aument joined Transurban in 2006 and has overseen transportation projects including the 52-mile network of in the Greater Washington area, which includes 31 reversible miles on Interstate 95. She was also involved with the Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project. She also serves on the boards of the Eno Center for Transportation, the American Road & Transportation Builders Association and the Highway Users Alliance.

Before her time with Transurban, Aument worked with Bechtel Infrastructure to develop the Washington Metrorail Silver Line. She earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism and political science from West Virginia University and her master’s degree in business administration from The George Washington University. For nearly a decade, she served as a Virginia Port Authority commissioner and executive committee member.

 

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General Dynamics Information Technology lands $695M task order

-based Information Inc. (GDIT) announced Tuesday it has been awarded a $695 million Europe (USAREUR) Enterprise Mission Services (EMITS) task order.

Under the five-year task order, GDIT will deliver enterprise information technology, communications and mission command support services to USAREUR headquarters, the U.S. North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) operations and other Department of organizations and Regionally Aligned Forces in Europe.

“GDIT looks forward to the opportunity to continue supporting the USAREUR G6 and its growing need for expanded theater communications and greater interoperability to enhance Army and Allied mission command systems,” GDIT President Amy Gilliland said in a statement.

GDIT is a subsidiary company of -based General Dynamics Corp., a aerospace and with products in business aviation, combat vehicles, weapons systems and munitions, IT services, C4ISR solutions and shipbuilding and ship repair. The company employs 100,000 worldwide and reported $39.4 billion in revenue last year.

 

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Neustar announces leadership appointments

-based identity management tech company Neustar on Jan. 15 announced five new appointments to its executive team. 

The appointments include:

  • Michael Schoen, senior vice president of marketing solutions
  • Bob McKay, senior vice president of risk solutions
  • Jimmy Garvert, senior vice president of communications solutions
  • Hyune Hand, senior vice president of customer success
  • J. Martin, chief information officer

Schoen leads Neustar’s marketing solutions business unit focused on customer identity, experience and analytics products. He has more than 25 years of experience and joined Neustar in 2014.

McKay joined Neustar in 2018 and focuses on the company’s risk solutions business development. 

Garvert oversees Neustar’s communications solutions and has more than 20 years of senior leadership experience in the telecommunications services industry. He joined Neustar in 2015.

Hand serves as Neustar’s senior vice president of customer success. She joined the company in 2019 after 20 years in information services and .

In Martin’s new role, he will work to expand Neustar’s authoritative identity and attribution platform. He joined the company last year and has more than 25 years of technology, architecture and infrastructure experience.

“The addition of Michael, Bob, Jimmy, Hyune and J. to our executive leadership team will better enable us to achieve our performance and growth objectives,” Neustar President and CEO Charlie Gottdiener said in a statement.

Neustar was formerly the Communications Industry Services (CIS) operating unit within Lockheed Martin and was incorporated in 1998.

 

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Herndon franchise software firm buys Canadian tech platform

-based franchise management company FranConnect announced Tuesday it has acquired Quebec, Canada-based FranchiseBlast.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed. 

The FranConnect platform assists with sales, operations and marketing for more than 800 brands worldwide. FranchiseBlast is a developer of a software platform for the franchise industry which works to streamline scheduling, performing, analyzing and working on field audits. Founded in 2007, FranchiseBlast represents more than 100 franchise brands.

“With FranchiseBlast’s capabilities in field audits, self-assessments and reach into the unit level, we saw an enormous opportunity to enhance FranConnect’s enterprise operations and performance management solution to deliver an unmatched platform for brands seeking to drive operational success across the franchise system,” FranConnect CEO Gabby Wong said in a statement.

“Now that FranchiseBlast is part of FranConnect, our customers will have access to and integration with the full breadth of the FranConnect enterprise growth platform, including services and support from the largest and most-established software company in ,” FranchiseBlast President Jason Kealey said in a statement.

 

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Chantilly-based VTG acquires Fairfax’s Intelligent Shift

Chantilly-based engineering firm VTG announced Jan. 13 it has acquired -based tech company Intelligent Shift.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

VTG provides services for naval, aerospace and digital projects, while Intelligent Shift develops for U.S. organizations. The transaction will strengthen VTG’s systems, and digital engineering capabilities, according to a company statement.

“This represents the next chapter in the strategic transformation of VTG,” VTG President and CEO John Hassoun said in a statement. “Intelligent Shift brings unique technical expertise that positions us to deliver a more differentiated suite of engineering and digital solutions to a customer base that now spans the enterprise and the .”

Intelligent Shift will continue to be led by founders Mike DeFede, Alissa Redding and Mike Matthews and will operate as the Intelligence Community services component of a new business segment. It will be led by VTG executive Kirk Herdman.

“Intelligent Shift has always been focused on an industry-best employee culture and a commitment to customer missions,” DeFede said in a statement. “In VTG, we’ve found a partner that shares these passions. The combined company will expand our ability to drive smart change for our customers and will create new opportunities for our employees while strengthening our culture.”

 

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