ExecutiveBiz had the opportunity to speak with Terry Ryan, chief executive officer of Constellis, regarding his transition as CEO since taking over the role in Jan. 2021, his vision for Constellis and main goals for company growth, as well as the continued development of emerging tech capabilities in the federal sector and the great benefits for Constellis’ customers and employees.
“I have a deep appreciation for the challenging day-to-day duties and tasks of our employees, it inspires me to work harder to move the company forward. I try to cultivate a culture of accountability and compliance at all levels.”
You can read the full Executive Spotlight with Terry Ryan below:
ExecutiveBiz: Since becoming CEO of Constellis earlier this year, how has your transition been settling into the role and how would you describe your vision and core values for the company moving forward?
“The transition has gone well mainly because of the support from the executive team, they all have deep experience in the business. I’ve also been a director since April 2020. As a Board Member, I received weekly updates on the company’s performance and integration activities.
The company’s leadership initiated a major strategic review of the business last spring, evaluating its current and future positions in a global risk management market. I had the opportunity to review the assessment’s findings and recommendations with the leadership team amid the uncertainties of the pandemic.
The strategic assessment was well thought out and factored in an emerging competitive environment. It included a vision and logical path to growth over the next four years. The vision is simple and clear; create a safer world for our customers. Constellis’ core values of honesty and service are deep-seated in all we do and add to our goal of building trust with our customers.”
ExecutiveBiz: Following the COVID-19 pandemic and major senior leadership changes for Constellis over the past year, what are your main goals and objectives to continue company growth and success for the rest of 2021 and beyond?
“COVID-19 definitely had an impact on our business. We are principally a risk management staffing company and COVID impacted our ability to deploy our workforce globally.
My major goal and objective right now are to execute the strategy as planned. One of the first things we’re doing is consolidating our lines of business. The goal was to go from four operating business units to two, and we’re in the middle of completing that transition.
Another objective is to increase operational efficiencies which we are doing by transitioning from consolidated service support at the corporate level to moving staff functions like finance, accounting, human resources, and contracting to the business units, while setting standards from corporate to ensure compliance.
Our goal is to be more responsive to, and supportive of our program managers. This allows us to respond more quickly to changing customer needs and have more accurate timely program-related data.
We are really focusing on top-line growth across all business units as well. For the past couple of years, the focus has been on post-restructure integration, but now we need focused management attention on pursuing new growth opportunities.
Domestic and international security requirements have never been more profound as they are today. Given the world situation and our domestic crises at the local, state and federal level, we believe our offerings will be a business necessity.”
ExecutiveBiz: For your employees and customers, how would you describe your leadership style to drive company culture and provide great opportunities for your employees and great benefits for your customers?
“I had the pleasure of leading or being part of the leadership team of companies where the culture was set by executives that understood customers’ mission needs based upon constant interaction with program managers. My leadership style is based upon constant contact with various levels of the organization.
Our business consists of dozens of programs that require priority management attention at the program level to ensure successful execution, and in many cases top award fees. We are fortunate to have program managers that help us recruit and retain high-quality employees to ensure we are exceeding customer expectations.
My job is to make sure program managers have the resources available to execute flawlessly and provide a financial and compliance framework that allows us to be cost-competitive in an increasingly price-competitive environment.
It’s important that our managers know their responsibilities and my expectations regarding support to our customers and employees. As a Marine Corps officer, I had the opportunity to engage in the various nuances of security and understand the importance of focused vigilance while on duty.
I have a deep appreciation for the challenging day-to-day duties and tasks of our employees, it inspires me to work harder to move the company forward. I try to cultivate a culture of accountability and compliance at all levels.
We don’t hire just anyone off the street and put them on the job the next day. Our employees are well trained in their profession. In all cases, they go through rigorous training to achieve a proficiency level that meets or exceeds customer requirements.”
ExecutiveBiz: With the dramatic shifts and ongoing development of the latest emerging technologies in the federal landscape, where do you see Constellis cementing its capabilities in the future?
“I see opportunities in the extensibility of the security business. We are in the business of risk management and 24/7 security. The growth opportunities around that space right now are almost limitless.
One of the areas that require technology and attention is extending the perimeter security for our customers. We need to deploy technology to extend our senses and understanding of what threats are around the corner. It’s not high-tech, but we should be using our K-9 assets to do more to mitigate new methods for transporting or deploying potentially lethal materials.
Emerging relevant technology includes everything from handheld UAVs, new electronic sensing devices, and handheld or mobile and facial recognition/biometric platforms. We must protect critical infrastructure as well, and we’re deeply involved in assessing counter UAV services for our customers at special facilities.
We are constantly pinging technology providers for new solutions that will help extend perimeter security for our customers in the U.S. and around the world.”