ATFM episode 31: The Navy's integrated talent management approach
Ft. Pete Bowman, Human Capital Branch Head at the Office of the Secretary of the Navy, Financial Management and Comptroller
In this episode of the "All Things Financial Management" podcast, presented by the Society of Defense Financial Management and Guidehouse, Pete Bowman, Human Capital Branch Head, Office of the Secretary of the Navy, Financial Management and Comptroller, sat down with host Tom Rhoads to discuss the latest ongoings in the financial management space. The pair discuss Bowman’s pathway to his current role, an integrated talent approach in development at the Navy, and advice for young professionals. Listen to this new episode to gain valuable insight.
Pete Bowman's Story
Pete Bowman: I've had lots of different jobs in different functional areas, so I'll start at the beginning and hopefully go quick enough to at least hit the salient points. So I started my career right out of college as a federal civilian. I joined what is now the Naval Supply Systems Command Weapons System Support Group in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, as an inventory management specialist. I came up through the Naval Acquisition Development Program, so a three-year training program where I was an intern. Super opportunity, got to rotate to several places, both inside NAVSUP and then outside. I worked at NAVAIR and their F-14 program office for a period of time, so just a great experience there. Then after the program, spent another two years in Philly working supply. Had the Navy pay for my MBA at Temple, which was awesome, and then I thanked them by quitting.
I went to work for PricewaterhouseCoopers. Another great opportunity. I worked a data warehousing project that was specific for Navy as well. So it was the VAMOSC [Navy Visibility and Management of Operating Support Costs] program, so captures all operating support costs for Navy and Marine Corps weapons systems, and because of my aviation background, I got the opportunity to work as an aviation functional. Stayed with PWC Consulting and then they were bought by IBM. Stayed there another several years and moved up to be the project manager for that engagement. Also supported some other clients, supported OSD, AT&L and the Business Transformation Agency and then the NAVAIR Industrial Complex, I think, their depots. So I was there with IBM until about 2008, and then I got the call to come back to Department of Navy where my heart is. So I came back and worked for the Naval Center for Cost Analysis as their business operations director. It was a pretty exciting time for that organization. We were growing from about 16 folks to 65, and my role was kind of contracts, budget, HR, admin, workforce.