Verizon’s public sector leader discusses Federal IT market

Last week (Nov. 19) Verizon Enterprise Solutions’ Mike Maiorana, senior vice president of public sector markets, was recognized for industry leadership as part of the FedScoop 50 Awards program. The FedScoop industry leadership award honors a private sector leader who drives change by being a valued partner to government and leading teams to help agencies work smart, control costs and meet their mission objectives.

I sat down with Mike to discuss his organization and the factors that are leading to success in delivering the advanced communications and IT solutions that enable the business of government in the digital age.

Briefly describe Verizon public sector markets?

I manage a team of sales, engineering and sales support personnel with responsibility for sales and customer satisfaction for federal, state and local governments, as well as education and public safety customers across the U.S.

What are some of the major accomplishments achieved over the past year?

Despite the headwinds presented by a challenging market for government IT, the Verizon Public Sector Markets team has grown year-over-year market share and increased customer satisfaction scores, while helping agencies navigate the complexities of an evolving technology landscape and meet their mission objectives through the deployment of advanced digital government strategies. Over the past year, we secured FedRAMP authorization for Verizon’s cloud computing platform and expanded the Verizon Partner Program to the public sector in order to better serve government clients. These accomplishments and a host of others have enabled us to broaden and strengthen relationships with many government agencies, including the Defense Information Systems Agency, General Services Administration, U.S. Army Reserve Command, Department of the Interior, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, National Sheriffs’ Association, MICTA, State of California and Boston City Public Schools. Most recently, my public sector team was part of a broader Verizon-wide initiative that culminated in the success of the historic visit by Pope Francis to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York.

How do you measure success?

I measure success by our results: achieving plan; growing year-over-year market share; and, increasing customer satisfaction scores. When our team meets these metrics, we know that the technology solutions we deliver to our public sector clients are making a difference and helping them meet their mission objectives.

What are the top keys to success?

Two interrelated factors come to mind. The first is an unrelenting focus on the customer. The second is dedicated employees. The success of Verizon Public Sector Markets is measured by the success achieved by our clients. If they are successful and meet their missions, we are doing the right thing. Key to achieving success is our employees and their dedication to forging strong relationships with our clients that enable us to understand their challenges and objectives and bring forth solutions to help them succeed. A big part of this is understanding our technologies, clearly articulating a strong value proposition to our clients and creating network-centric solutions that differentiate Verizon by leveraging our broad capabilities across cybersecurity, mobility, advanced communications, IT infrastructure and professional services. I often say serving the public sector comes with a higher calling. The tenacity of our employees in meeting the requirements of our public sector clients is vital to our continued success.

Visit the Verizon Public Sector Markets website for information on the organization’s portfolio and how it can be leveraged to enable digital government initiatives.