Robert Ippolito Email and Phone Number

Volunteered for a layoff/buyout for an early retirement under Lockheed Martin as they restructure my (former) division to become an independent, spin-off corporation. I hoped to save a job or two for personnel I hired, trained and mentored.I hope to have more time to enjoy the holidays this year!

Managed a functional team of professionals to meet all Supply Chain requirements for the strategic IT & Security Solutions business unit within IS&GS. Provided guidance an leadership to the Lockheed Martin management team to develop plans and solutions that meet the needs of our customers in an efficient manner that comply with public laws, regulations and company policies.This involves IT solutions for a wide variety of programs and programs such as the highly successful FBI Next Generation Identification (NGI) program; FDIC; Health & Human Services; HUD; the Jet Propulsion Laboratory; the EAGLE II BPA for TSA; etc.

Manage a diverse team of professionals:- for the evaluation of new opportunities under consideration to identify risk and develop strategies to address those risks;- Support the review and approval process for new proposals;- Validate program processes have been implemented as planned and are effective for the contract requirements;- Manage a Compliance Team for the self governance and audit of our acquisition systems to ensure compliance with internal and government processes procedures and regulations.

I was assigned Supply Chain operations to support the newly created Global Product Line within IS&GS. This was to consolidate all IS&GS programs under common management to help improve synergy. Due to a change in leadership for Global, this organizational change was delayed, but I did have the benefit of working the final negotiations for the Australia Tax Office (a win for LM) and a key Future IT program for the UK Ministry of Defense proposed under my prior assignment and continued with the start-up in my Global assignment.

IS&GS re-organized to focus on technical support for our customers versus geographic locations. I assumed all Global Supply Chain responsibilities for all Transportation & Security Solutions (TSS) programs. TSS has been one of the more dynamic and agile organizations in the overall IBM to Lockheed Martin heritage. The FAA programs have been highly successful for over twenty years and have been very well managed. The 2010 US Census program was just getting ready for implementation and was subject to mandatory audits by the Inspector General's office due to the size, so I was able to use my historical knowledge from the prior Census, familiarity of our systems and the expertise in dealing with DCAA to satisfy the audit, allowing us to proceed. 2010 Census and the FAA programs are very significant, but the FBI Next Generation Identification program was in the beginning of the process to select the key subcontract firm for the fingerprint solution to replace the well known IAFIS solution. The solution was to be a commercial offering that met all FBI performance requirements, which were many. Through this vary complex source selection process, a solution was selected and my team was responsible for negotiating the intellectual property terms and conditions that will be with us for many years to come. My lead SCA and I were able to work through the complex terms and establish a long term agreement for a product in the LM solution that has proven to far outperform the predecessor solution to the delight of the FBI customer. The overall team consistently receives praise for completing the most complex IT development solution ever attempted by the FBI and meeting all requirements. (It was noted that some requirements are never met due to unforeseen issues on many development programs.)

The Lockheed Martin IS&S business unit was created by merging the former LM Management & Data Systems (M&DS) division based in King of Prussia, PA with Lockheed Martin Mission Systems. Under IS&S, the Contracts functions were separated from the Subcontracting function. The subcontracts function was incorporated into Global Supply Chain, which includes logistics, purchasing, compliance and subcontracts.Under this structure, I was assigned a "zone" of all programs within Maryland, Pennsylvania and New York with four (4) Sr. Managers reporting to me with a total functional responsibility of 69 Global Supply Chain reports.This new role provided greater insight into the knowledge and training provided to the various roles. I made it a point to provide the Subcontract Management Training to each location, tailoring discussions to their individual roles and our dependencies. I was pleased to have this highly motivated team that embraced the training and attention with each of my frequent visits. The assigned programs were also very different and open to new energy. I was able to bring my extensive experience working with DCAA audit teams on prior assignments to working with the Air Force auditor leading a review of a key contract extension for approval by the Secretary of the Air Force. In most cases, the Contract Administrator would work with the audit team with help from the lead cost estimator. I was personally invited to Huntsville to close the deal based upon my knowledge and expertise.

Promoted to second line "Functional" or Sr. Manager for the new Lockheed Martin Mission Systems operating unit of the Lockheed Martin Corporation. In this role, I was responsible for all contracts, subcontracts and purchasing related matters for assigned customer sets. Programs ranged geographically from Colorado to Washington, DC and included a diverse set of customers, to include CIA, TSA, IRS, Putnam Health Services, FDIC, SSA and more.This role enabled me to show the value Lockheed Martin could bring to the a key government program. During this tenure, our team developed the proposed solution and won the TSA Strategic Airport Security Rollout (SASR). Our contract required that we visit each of 138 airports and identify the passenger security equipment that would be needed at each airport and the construction required to accommodate that equipment per TSA defined specifications. We were able to engage employees from all divisions of Lockheed Martin on a temporary basis to support airports in their proximity. Plans were written and followed for all to follow from P-Cards for all team leads (before they were popular), dedicated buyers, college interns and subcontract administrators with small business goals in mind and the contract administrator from the proposal committed to the start up. All was on track to meet the six month deadline until TSA was forced to reduce funding on our program midway through the program. I personally worked with the highest levels of LM and TSA to work through accommodations to help them complete their mission in a more timely manner than following partial termination process as prescribed.

During this period, Loral Federal Systems Company was acquired by Lockheed Martin and renamed LM Federal Systems. During this period, I was assigned the role of Procurement Programs Administrator to support the combination of the two companies and re-assign subcontract workload to the appropriate entity. Due to the nature of our business, it was common for the former Loral Federal Systems to have subcontracts in place with Lockheed Martin on the same programs, and vice versa. This was a very unique role as I worked with the transition team to create a new CAS disclosure practice for what would become a new business unit under Lockheed Martin, subject to approval by the US Government with a commitment to produce significant savings to the government with this combination. This effort greatly improved my knowledge of our CAS disclosure practices and to negotiate nuances with DCAA for approval.

IBM Federal Systems combined the Contracts and Subcontract functions under common management and in a common indirect cost pool. To ensure I had working knowledge of the contract administrator role on a day-to-day basis, I accepted a developmental assignment as Sr. Contract Administrator and was assigned several significant contracts with the IRS, RTC, FDIC and SSA. I was embraced by my contracting officers since the IBM contracting process is modeled from the contracting officers' responsibilities. All submissions on my assigned programs were fully supported by the IBM position and included write-ups that could readily support the government files without a question and answer process. Commercial item determination for IBM mainframes, for example, were difficult since they are not listed in a catalog. However, we would include historical purchase orders for the same products sold to commercial customers, with sensitive information redacted. The process time by our IRS customer was greatly reduced. This was also a perception that subcontracts and complex purchase orders had to be the same contract type as the prime. The proper upgrade of the IT infrastructure to a major location, such as an IRS facility, could take up to nine months from design to appropriation of funds. I was in a unique position to broker special agreements with manufacturers that would be supported by small business resellers to pass along reductions for products on order if the commercial price reduced from order date to staging for installation with the warranties to begin upon acceptance of the entire installation, versus warranties that began at receipt in a staging area. While our customer demanded a firm, fixed price and the prime level, we shared this approach and passed along savings that could be perceived to be unreasonable based upon the interpretation of our management and such savings could be applied to future contract requirements.

Responsible for managing subcontracting personnel for all programs reporting to IBM-Gaithersburg east of the Mississippi. In this role, both Subcontract Administrators (SCAs) and Subcontract Program Managers (SPMs) reported to me. While this included very successful, complex programs, the most significant accomplishment during this tenure was the creation of a formal Subcontract Management Training program. Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) from the Owego, NY; Colorado Springs, CO; and Gaithersburg, MD facility were chartered with creating a comprehensive training program on the government acquisition and management process from the appropriation of funds through contract closeout.The result was a 3-4 day class that was held once per year at each location with certified trainers from each location supporting at least two sessions per year. I was both a SME and certified training for this program and acquired unique expertise from the research to establish the content and ensure it remained current. This "SPM 101" course is a legacy product that has been offered to commercial customers. Note that it was developed by working professionals very fluent with regulatory requirements as implemented.

IBM recognized that many point-of-sale tools, such as cash registers, were incorporating technologies from computer systems. IBM Gaithersburg was already modifying commercial IBM workstations to meet requirements for use with sensitive information in secure facilities. I was re-assigned to support this this new Complementary Products Division and directly offer IBM solutions commercially in addition to selling IBM modified components to others. In this role, my team was responsible for negotiating the terms and conditions to make this happen. This included the NDAs; intellectual property agreements; resale agreements; royalty agreements; warranties; delivery requirements; support agreements; and Blanket Purchase Agreements; etc. Examples of companies involved at the time included Microsoft, Lotus, Santa Cruz Operations, Cisco, etc.

I was officially appointed IBM Manager of Site Services Procurement in July 1985 with the goal to manage a growing team of professionals responsible for supporting the primary IBM-owned facility and the start-up of seven satellite offices leased during this period. This was a dynamic period of growth for IBM Federal Systems and we implemented creative contracting processes for the acquisition of contracted services operating in dedicated areas within IBM-controlled facilities (Vendor on Premise), in addition to traditional offsite contracts. Due to the regulatory climate at the time, our subcontracting teams become subject matter experts managing contracting personnel to mitigate potential joint employment concerns. My team of direct reports began with two individuals to a team of eleven during this period.

The IBM facilities in Gaithersburg, Maryland was greatly expanding and lacked critical expertise for the construction of Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities (SCIFs) at the IBM-owned location and satellite leased facilities. At the same time, a forthcoming CPSR dedicated to Gaithersburg programs needed support.Our first CPSR was very successful and all subcontracts under my administration were on schedule and below cost during my tenure.

Began as a Buyer and Subcontract Administrator primarily responsible for soliciting, negotiating and managing all facilities related services for the IBM campus located in Manassas, Virginia and its satellite offices at Dulles Airport. At the time, the Manassas location was a key location for the manufacture of state-of-the art computer chips for its commercial business as well as a key systems integrator for the US Navy for programs to include Submarine Advanced Combat System (SUBACS). This offered challenging work for both commercial and government acquisitions and provided a basis for translating the key differences between the process and regulatory differences for our program management teams.

Gilbane Building Company is a large Construction Management (CM) firm based in Providence, Rhode Island with major programs primarily on the East Coast. In the CM role, Gilbane represented the customer to solicit and negotiate subcontracts for work scope as designs were complete allowing work to begin on site work, for example, well before the building and interior trades were needed. I was responsible for the solicitation, negotiation and execution of subcontracts for major building projects on a "cradle to grave" basis. Assigned projects included the expansion of the GM Assembly Plant in MD; E.I. DuPont de Nemours Children's Hospital in PA; and construction of the Wilmington Medical Center in DE.

Fruin-Colnon Corporation is a major heavy construction company based in St.Louis, MO and was the lead contractor on the joint venture with Horn Construction and L&W Concrete Company for the construction of the Bethesda Metro Station in Maryland. I was the sole on-site purchasing for all subcontracts and purchases through the completion of work. Since this included tunnel construction, I was involved with very unique requirements to fulfill with little notice to avoid work stoppage. I acquired everything from a rubber raft to a Caterpillar 980 loader meeting underground safety specifications.