Company: Engility, Chantilly, VA
Company Description: Engility is a pure-play government services contractor providing highly skilled personnel wherever, whenever they are needed in a cost-effective manner. Headquartered in Chantilly, Virginia, Engility is a leading provider of specialized technical consulting, program and business support services, engineering and technology lifecycle support, information technology modernization and sust
Nomination Category: Information Technology Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Information Technology Executive of the Year

Nomination Title: Mark Luncher - Engility Director

Tell the story about what this nominee has achieved since January 1, 2014 (up to 650 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms.

Engility’s Mark Luncher has hands on responsibility for 24 programs ranging from supporting the intelligence community to assisting the Office of the Secretary of Defense. In 2014, Mark successfully led his team during a large corporate acquisition (Dynamics Research Corporation was purchased by Engility Corporation in January 2014). Keeping a team together and focused on client goals during organizational change is never easy, but Mark applied superior leadership with superior results.

In 2014, Mark’s teams delivered significant client deliverables of national importance, won significant work with the government, and received top client satisfaction scores.

Significant Accomplishments:
Mark and his team work with industry, academia, military departments, and Joint Staff to improve the state-of-the-practice of systems engineering for the DoD. Responsible for reviewing and recommending updates to DoD engineering policies, Mark manages a team of technical and warfare domain subject matter experts who support the DoD in weapons system oversight and coordination including oversight of Major Defense Acquisition Programs.

On Engility’s strategic studies contract, Mark manages the delivery of solutions in development planning, family of systems and systems of systems, engineering of resilient systems, modeling and simulation, interoperability, Information Technology (IT) specs and standards, global information grid IT, and spectrum management.

Mark’s Leadership:
Under Mark’s guidance college hires have been named employees of the year, young talent has earned American Business Awards, the team has received exceptional CPARs (client satisfaction scores) and their recompete record has been outstanding. He has guided his team through two prior company integrations, and is currently working with a third, while leading his people through changing governance structures and back-office systems.

Mark has developed a clear calendar of in-person meetings to connect with his team and lay out expectations. Twice a year, he hosts an All-Hands Meeting to clarify expectations and set goals and discuss team progress. Every other month, a team lunch focuses on understanding and enhancing knowledge of specific topics. Every month, team breakfasts offer a chance to review company and team updates.

Mark and his team use a Hero Award to recognize teammates who consistently demonstrate Engility’s core values. Each recipient picks the next recipient (someone not on their own project team) and passes it to him or her at the bi-monthly team lunch. When the award is passed, the giver outlines all the reasons they chose the recipient.

At Mark’s most recent all-hands, he spelled out goals in five key performance areas: delivery, client satisfaction, quality workforce, business development, and enhanced technical capabilities.

Mark pushes success down through his team, identifying young leaders to spearhead programs like certification and training, business development, employee engagement and goal setting. These leaders are invested and benefit from coordinating meaningful efforts. Additionally, the focus on certifications and training is reinforced by constantly asking his team, “How can you enhance your career this year?”

Mark encourages his managers to become mentors and coaches to college interns, imparting knowledge and gaining experience in leadership. Many of those interns go on to join the company and develop into future leaders. Nearly a third of Mark’s team is made up of college hires, some of whom have been with the company more than 10 years! In Mark’s words, “The OSD team is heavily involved in ensuring that the interns know that their work is valuable to our client’s mission. The intern program creates a pipeline of pre-qualified candidates while grooming upcoming leaders in the company, provides a way to “vet” candidates before we make a hiring commitment, allows junior staff to mentor and coach early in their career thus fostering servant leadership, and provides added value to the customer with specific research and tools.”

In an example of Mark’s leadership, the company recently hosted a trade show for projects to display their capabilities. Mark put on a fake mustache and acted as Ron Burgundy for the evening to attract visitors for his team and support his people.

In bullet-list form, briefly summarize up to ten (10) accomplishments of the nominee since the beginning of 2014 (up to 150 words).

• Exceptional (highest rating) CPARs in 2014 with effusive praise for the team
• Won $10,000,000 extension of contract
• 14 college hires on program (most tenured have been with company over 10 years)
• College hire Maliha Ahmad won her 2012 American Business Award for superior customer support