Chris Pehrson is director of strategic development for General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. He recently spoke with ExecutiveBiz, outlining how a successful acquisition process works and potential applications on the horizon for unmanned aircraft.
The 24-year Air Force veteran is responsible for the company’s acquisition strategies and for promoting the company’s unmanned aircraft, sensors and reconnaissance radar systems.
ExecutiveBiz: What is GA-ASI’s mission and what is your role in ensuring the company delivers on that mission?
Chris Pehrson: Our mission is to deliver cutting-edge, combat-capable, highly reliable and cost- effective unmanned aircraft systems to our customers. This includes not only the aircraft, but also ground control stations and sensor payloads.
My role within the company is to understand customer requirements and ensure that we’re meeting or exceeding customer expectations.
I survey and assess business opportunities in order to understand the strategic landscape, promote our solutions and ensure our programs meet cost, schedule and performance metrics.
ExecutiveBiz: How does your Air Force background assist you in your position and the day-to-day decisions you make?
Chris Pehrson: My career in the Air Force gave me an understanding of the organization, the culture and the processes used to reach decisions and how those decisions shape the Air Force.
Although I’ve taken off my uniform and traded it for a business suit, I am still engaged with many of the same people in the Pentagon and throughout the military that I’ve known for many years. These professional relationships are important because my responsibilities with the company go beyond the Air Force to include the Army, Navy, and more recently, the Marine Corps.
While on active duty, I was assigned to the Office of the Secretary of Defense as Deputy Director for Domestic Counterterrorism. The policy perspective I gained helped me understand how the U.S. engages in counterterrorism activity and gave me an appreciation for what technologies such as those provided by General Atomics can contribute to those efforts. Unmanned aircraft and the situational awareness they bring are key enablers of counterterrorism efforts.
Having deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, I am able to approach customers with the knowledge and understanding of their requirements. Knowing how the systems are actually employed from the end-user perspective is invaluable in my new role as a provider of those systems.
ExecutiveBiz: What elements comprise a successful acquisition strategy?
Chris Pehrson: It’s an art and a science. An acquisition strategy includes knowing what the opportunities are, what the customer requirements are, and then making a solid business case.
Companies have to consider if it’s a good business decision to pursue an opportunity. Not every gap or requirement that the customer has is necessarily a good fit for the company. You have to know your core competencies and where you can make the best value proposition. It’s a courtship and both parties are working to find a win-win partnership.
Successful business acquisition also demands integrity and management of expectations. You only promise what you can deliver and then deliver what you promise. Successful acquisition doesn’t stop at the signing of the contract. It starts from the initial concept all the way through production, sustainment, and then finally to the retirement of the weapons system at the end of its life.
To read the full interview, click here.
Source: Executive Biz