Mar 13, 2023
Shatara Garrett was hired into V2X, the company formed by the merger of Vectrus and Vertex in the summer of 2022, as a supply technician who inventoried material and equipment, from pencils to tires. She was promoted to Logistics Manager, where she managed two programs with over fifty sites.
She says that when she was first hired, she asked for an accommodation. “I asked for time to answer questions and to allow me to stand and move around and not have my back facing the door.” She adds that V2X can help people with seen or unseen disabilities by listening and learning about these different types of disabilities.
She explains, “The feeling of acceptance is most satisfying to me. I struggle with meeting new people in person and positioning myself in a room to feel comfortable. Working with people that ask me how I am doing and if they can help in any way helps me tremendously.”
Garrett came to the company with a bachelor’s degree in business with a supply chain certificate and spent six years in the military as a supply sergeant. “My background helped me acquire the position I have now.” It was the military that helped her in finding a job, writing her resume, and coaching for interviews. She was originally hired into Raytheon and transitioned into Vertex, which then became part of V2X. “I heard about the company through recruiters at a job fair and loved the benefit program and the ability to still work with soldiers.”
Currently, Garrett is Logistics/Fleet Manager and Compliance Officerat V2X, a leading provider of critical mission solutions and support to defense clients globally. The logistics portion of her job she uses V2X’s asset management tool for its programs. For the fleet section of her job, she is the liaison for the 153 outsourced fleet companies and oversees the purchase and maintenance of vehicles. She also does internal audits on programs and subcontractors to make sure they remain in compliance with government regulations.
Her role now is a managerial one but she recalls, “When I was in a technical role for logistics, I studied to get my certifications from the National Property Management Association (NPMA) while taking college courses for my bachelor’s degree.” She says that having both helped her advance in her career at V2X.
Find open positions at McLean, Virginia-based V2X at www. https://gov2x.com/careers/ and connect with V2X on LinkedIn.
Mar 13, 2023
The global government services company is eight months into the combination of Vectrus and Vertex and sees opportunities for its new broader capabilities.
Mergers and acquisitions involving government contractors create changes that can be felt and seen by the federal agency customer, beyond the new name and logo.
Roughly two weeks before V2X’s fourth quarter earnings call Thursday, its chief executive spent an entire week with clients across the Indo-Pacific Command’s region of responsibility. Chuck Prow’s primary purpose was to talk about the new company formed in July 2022 out of Vectrus and Vertex.
“Our clients fully understand the breadth and the important addition of all of these capabilities to the portfolio,” Prow told investors on the call. “It helps us both from a contingency requirement perspective, but it also helps us in terms of a breadth and a scale perspective, when our clients are looking to increase their op tempo, if you will, in regions that are as broad and as vast as IndoPACOM.”
That concept of “op tempo” means the rate at which armed forces units participate in military exercises such as contingency operations, exercises and training deployments.
Both a cursory look at IndoPACOM’s map and consideration of current geopolitics should help show why that region is evidently picking up in activity as Prow observed.
IndoPACOM supports the Defense Department’s “Pacific Deterrence Initiative,” which has $11.5 billion in authorized funding this fiscal year to enhance the U.S.’ posture in that region where China is also located. The PDI’s other main goal is to help U.S. allies in that region build up their defenses.
The IndoPACOM region is also where V2X has “strategically invested to boost its core set of capabilities and converged solutions” over the past five years, Prow told analysts. V2X’s services there also involve electronic security systems, sensors, radar upgrades, systems engineering and communication support.
But that is not the only area that V2X is bullish on with respect to its pipeline and positioning now that the two companies have joined forces.
One big aspect of the rationale behind V2X’s creation was to form a larger provider of government services that cut across both digital and physical assets, or what the company calls converged infrastructure. That concept puts technology as a centerpiece of services in support of operations, logistics, aerospace and training programs among others.
Prow put these numbers to what the merger has created in terms of the combined workforce:
“We have an emerging advanced technology business with 1,000-plus engineers, 500 specialty engineers, where we really like the pipeline that’s emerging behind our advanced technology business.”
V2X reported 2022 pro forma revenue of $3.67 billion and profit of $278 million, figures that reflect the combined contributions of Vectrus and Vertex during the full year. Those represent year-over-year pro forma increases of 8.8% on the top line and 7.6% in adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization).
The company’s initial guidance for 2023 has pro forma revenue in the range of $3.8 billion-to-$3.9 billion to indicate approximately 5% growth at the midpoint. That outlook also has pro forma adjusted EBITDA in the range of $290 million-to-$310 million to indicate an approximate 8% increase at the midpoint.
Year-end total backlog was $12.3 billion and the funded portion was $2.6 billion.
Feb 23, 2023
Chuck Prow’s biggest recent achievement is bringing two legacy companies, Vectrus and Vertex, together to establish V2X as a leading provider of critical mission solutions and support to defense clients globally. The combination builds on more than 120 combined years of successful mission support and created a market leader in the operational segment of the broader federal services marketplace. Most rewarding, Prow said, has been to see how the 15,000 employees of V2X are innovating and collaborating daily to find new and better ways of serving clients and the missions Vectrus has been entrusted to support.
Why Watch In 2023
Prow is heavily focused on the successful integration of the businesses and taking full advantage of the synergies and strengths of both organizations to expand Vectrus’ position in the marketplace. There will be a strong focus on people and culture, fully leveraging and enhancing diversity and continuing to invent and drive innovation in the Converged Environment. Through its V2X diversity efforts, the company continues to play a significant role in the veteran ecosystem as well as supporting all of its diversity groups at V2X. “Edwards Deming once said, ‘Every system [organization] is perfectly designed to get the results it gets,” Prow said. “This quote has always served as a call to action for me to continually innovate, explore new models, and provide greater incentive for our people to seek new or additional ways to add value.”
Apr 5, 2022
DEI jobs can be taxing, but these tips will help make sure you’re ready.
Every once in a while, a calling comes to do something that will make a bona fide difference. Working in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) might just be that next thing.
The need for companies to embrace DEI is clear. Violence, injustice, and hate crimes against underrepresented groups of people are taking a toll on employees’ lives, increasing the demand for businesses to step up DEI efforts.
A Glassdoor survey found that 76% of employees and job seekers want to work for a company with a diverse workforce. And to their credit, companies are taking action.
DEI jobs are on the rise, which will go a long way in addressing the most pressing issues. According to the Washington Post, these issues include:
- Hiring a more diverse workforce
- Helping employees of color advance through the ranks
- Giving underrepresented workers more decision-making power
- Facilitating uncomfortable conversations about systemic racism
But as rewarding as these outcomes can be, the work is also taxing. People in DEI have to navigate complexities and take on challenges that are not easily fixable.
“DEI work can be like pushing a boulder up a hill, and it will continue to be that way until the larger societal changes,” said Gena Cox, Ph.D., a DEI expert.
So, how can you be sure you’re ready? We spoke with DEI experts on how to prepare for a DEI career.
Mentally Prepare for Your Role
Working in DEI often means being challenged to help your organization grow in the right direction. You might…
Plan initiatives to assemble a more diverse workforce
Lead tough conversations about discrimination that directly affect your coworkers
Help build trust and ease concerns wherever they might exist
Experts say that you should mentally prepare for what’s ahead to navigate these intense and changing demands and responsibilities.
Shelli Green, executive director of diversity, equity, and inclusion for Vectrus, explains:
“To be in a role like this, you have to be self-aware and willing to evaluate your approach and change quickly. In order to prepare for that, you have to have a strong sense of self. You will not be able to survive in a role like this without the mental fortitude to get through the topics that come up. You can’t shy away from them.”
Can You Be a Change Agent?
While it’s important to have the right skills and qualities for a DEI job, people from various backgrounds and careers can fit in. Social workers, policymakers, human resource managers, recruiters — all have carved out jobs in the sector.
Perhaps the bigger question is whether you can be a change agent for DEI, which requires constant learning, adapting, and persisting in pushing your organization’s DEI mission forward.
To figure this out, ask yourself questions like:
Am I committed to fostering and facilitating change?
Am I comfortable with conflict and challenging the status quo?
Am I able to move people from “where they are” to “where I need them to be”?
Todd Corley, senior vice president, inclusion, sustainability, and community at Carhartt, explains:
“I actually think that people from a variety of different majors/careers can make a transition into DEI roles. It really depends on who the person is and how curious they are as a learner…the DEI professional of the future is not limited to the career that they are already in. It’s a matter of walking toward the culture you want to create for all people.”
Network To Avoid Feeling Isolated
Despite an increase in DEI jobs over the past few years, the sector is still relatively new. Unlike other industries, DEI doesn’t have decades of knowledge, resources, and experience to rely on.
Instead, DEI professionals like Green are moving the industry forward by learning from each other. They discuss things like best practices, workable strategies, and realistic benchmarks.
A similar approach applies to people thinking about starting a DEI career. Experts agree that you should network to avoid feeling isolated. Seek out DEI professionals, ask questions, and learn from them.
Green explains:
“Networking has been very beneficial when the job feels isolating. Even though I have the support, and so many people are involved in wanting to see change in an organization, it is a lonely space for a DEI professional. Because there are times when no one wants to talk about a difficult topic, challenges with recruiting, and obtaining diverse talent.”
Mar 17, 2022
The Department of Defense has selected Vectrus (NYSE: VEC) to complete application development work for a 5G-based warehouse project at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego.
An assessment team for the NBC 5G Smart Warehouse project evaluated applications from Vectrus and two other companies as part of a down-select process during the initial phase and Vectrus said Wednesday it demonstrated the capability of a converged environment platform to address operational challenges facing Naval Supply Systems Command.
“The smart warehouse will serve as a test bed for refining, validating and operationalizing 5G-enabled technologies,” said Corinne Minton-Package, senior vice president of systems and technology at Vectrus.
Minton-Package added the 5G Smart Warehouse will facilitate the transshipment between naval units and shore facilities and the company’s work at NBC will help deliver efficiencies to naval logistics operations.
The company’s Converged Environment concept is designed to combine into a single environment base operations support, information technology and network operations, supply chain and logistics, security, digital integration and engineering services.
In October 2020, DOD made $600 million in awards to support 5G testing and experimentation projects with companies at five U.S. military installations and Vectrus was selected as an industry partner for one of the test sites.
