AFRICOM Enduring Challenges - Fred Gregory
Chief, Strategic Capabilities Division,
U.S. Africa Command
Requirements Management | Campaign Assessment | Strategic Risk Assessment | Planning, Programming, Budgeting, and Execution | Science & Technology Innovation
QUALIFICATIONS SUMMARY
• Business development, proposal support, and Technical Center & Studies Director for a leading Government OASIS small business supplier with over $2.05B in the qualified pipeline.
• Experienced professional with 23 years of Active Duty experience in the U.S. Air Force and 12 years as a GS-15 in the Joint Staff J8 and AFRICOM J8 with an outstanding track record of service, excellence, creativity, and results. Consistently demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and achieve unequaled performance on USAF Major Acquisition Programs such as the $220M per copy C-17 Globemaster, the nuclear-capable low-observable Advanced Cruise Missile, and on a game-changing classified weapon program.
• Hand picked for virtually every assignment, consistent #1 performer, and formally the Acquisition Policy & Process Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Staff, advising on all significant MDAP/MAIS acquisition and requirements-related matters, and their associated cost, schedule and performance.
• Proven record of accomplishment with the Department of Defense’s Planning, Programming, Budget and Execution (PPBE), Acquisition, and Requirements processes, as well as Policy Development.
CORPORATE EXPERIENCE
Director, Technical Center & Studies, $210,000
Odyssey Systems Consulting, Wakefield MA, 2020 – 2022
Odyssey is a large / small business of 683 people, 6 regional offices, 39 customer locations, and 5 OCONUS locations. Annual revenue of $167M – on glide path to $300M by 2025.
Member of the C-Suite. Leader of thought research and responsible for managing Odyssey’s company-wide technical capability and intellectual capital by developing, implementing and managing people, processes, and tools to establish and strengthen the integration of the Operations and Business Development functions. Performs traditional business development roles guided by 4 strategic tenets in order to improve company performance. Operates with substantial discretion within broadly defined corporate policies and procedures.
Accomplishments:
• As Technical Center Director responsible for ensuring Odyssey proposals are technically sound, thorough, and complete.
• Leads 20-person Technical Studies team. Team includes both internal-to-Odyssey and external-to-Odyssey participants (to include Active Duty Military). Formed team to address DoD hard-problems in play in a China / Russia conflict within the expected contested / congested environment.
• Delivery of Odyssey-centric white paper addressing company competencies in Digital Engineering – abbreviated version provided in response to AFWERX market research request.
• Delivery of Odyssey-centric strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threat (SWOT) analysis on Artificial Intelligence.
CIVILIAN EXPERIENCE
GS-15, $144,937
Strategic Capabilities Division Chief, J8, US AFRICOM, Stuttgart DE, 2022 – PRESENT
Directs, defends, justifies, negotiates and executes the division’s mission. Maintains cognizance over and liaison with the entire USAFRICOM joint directorates, various directorates within the joint staff and the offices of the secretary of defense (OSD). Designs and implements command’s programmatic strategies to mitigate or close capability shortfalls through resource engagements with Joint Staff and OSD senior leaders.
Advises agency leadership and supported customers on technical matters relating to PBR, assessments, studies, war gaming, and other strategic capabilities requirements for successful mission accomplishment. Responsible for Operations Research and Systems Analysis (ORSA) with a focus on the USAFRICOM Campaign Plan Assessment and USAFRICOM Annual Joint Assessment (AJA).
Accomplishments:
• Responsible for $1.3B FYDP add to the AFRICOM budget in FY24-29 Program and Budget Review (PBR)—$1.8B FYDP added to the budget in the FY25-30 PBR.
• Led re-evaluation of AFRICOM’s S&T mission and subsequent expansion of its role within the Command—led first-of-its-kind Joint Staff J7-led AFRICOM requirements and CONOPs development summit as well as first NDIA-hosted EUCOM/AFRICOM Joint Technology Summit.
• Increased scope and scale of AFRICOM’s assessment and analysis team—team now deeply embedded in exercise assessments, global campaign assessments, and is a linchpin for success of the AFRICOM digital campaign and data transformation initiatives.
• Handpicked orchestrator of AFRICOM’s annual Commander’s Senior Leader Offsite.
QUALIFICATIONS SUMMARY
• Business development, proposal support, and Technical Center & Studies Director for a leading Government OASIS small business supplier with over $2.05B in the qualified pipeline.
• Experienced professional with 23 years of Active Duty experience in the U.S. Air Force and 12 years as a GS-15 in the Joint Staff J8 and AFRICOM J8 with an outstanding track record of service, excellence, creativity, and results. Consistently demonstrated ability to lead, motivate, and achieve unequaled performance on USAF Major Acquisition Programs such as the $220M per copy C-17 Globemaster, the nuclear-capable low-observable Advanced Cruise Missile, and on a game-changing classified weapon program.
• Hand picked for virtually every assignment, consistent #1 performer, and formally the Acquisition Policy & Process Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Staff, advising on all significant MDAP/MAIS acquisition and requirements-related matters, and their associated cost, schedule and performance.
• Proven record of accomplishment with the Department of Defense’s Planning, Programming, Budget and Execution (PPBE), Acquisition, and Requirements processes, as well as Policy Development.
CORPORATE EXPERIENCE
Director, Technical Center & Studies, $210,000
Odyssey Systems Consulting, Wakefield MA, 2020 – 2022
Odyssey is a large / small business of 683 people, 6 regional offices, 39 customer locations, and 5 OCONUS locations. Annual revenue of $167M – on glide path to $300M by 2025.
Member of the C-Suite. Leader of thought research and responsible for managing Odyssey’s company-wide technical capability and intellectual capital by developing, implementing and managing people, processes, and tools to establish and strengthen the integration of the Operations and Business Development functions. Performs traditional business development roles guided by 4 strategic tenets in order to improve company performance. Operates with substantial discretion within broadly defined corporate policies and procedures.
Accomplishments:
• As Technical Center Director responsible for ensuring Odyssey proposals are technically sound, thorough, and complete.
• Leads 20-person Technical Studies team. Team includes both internal-to-Odyssey and external-to-Odyssey participants (to include Active Duty Military). Formed team to address DoD hard-problems in play in a China / Russia conflict within the expected contested / congested environment.
• Delivery of Odyssey-centric white paper addressing company competencies in Digital Engineering – abbreviated version provided in response to AFWERX market research request.
• Delivery of Odyssey-centric strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threat (SWOT) analysis on Artificial Intelligence.
CIVILIAN EXPERIENCE
GS-15, $144,937
Strategic Capabilities Division Chief, J8, US AFRICOM, Stuttgart DE, 2022 – PRESENT
Directs, defends, justifies, negotiates and executes the division’s mission. Maintains cognizance over and liaison with the entire USAFRICOM joint directorates, various directorates within the joint staff and the offices of the secretary of defense (OSD). Designs and implements command’s programmatic strategies to mitigate or close capability shortfalls through resource engagements with Joint Staff and OSD senior leaders.
Advises agency leadership and supported customers on technical matters relating to PBR, assessments, studies, war gaming, and other strategic capabilities requirements for successful mission accomplishment. Responsible for Operations Research and Systems Analysis (ORSA) with a focus on the USAFRICOM Campaign Plan Assessment and USAFRICOM Annual Joint Assessment (AJA).
Accomplishments:
• Responsible for $1.3B FYDP add to the AFRICOM budget in FY24-29 Program and Budget Review (PBR)—$1.8B FYDP added to the budget in the FY25-30 PBR.
• Led re-evaluation of AFRICOM’s S&T mission and subsequent expansion of its role within the Command—led first-of-its-kind Joint Staff J7-led AFRICOM requirements and CONOPs development summit as well as first NDIA-hosted EUCOM/AFRICOM Joint Technology Summit.
• Increased scope and scale of AFRICOM’s assessment and analysis team—team now deeply embedded in exercise assessments, global campaign assessments, and is a linchpin for success of the AFRICOM digital campaign and data transformation initiatives.
• Handpicked orchestrator of AFRICOM’s annual Commander’s Senior Leader Offsite.
Sessions
-
07-Aug-2024103ABEUCOM / AFRICOM Enduring Challenges Panel