GDIT's Gilliland: Defense industry feels the workforce squeeze too
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The "incredible" technology that will shape tomorrow's wars has already arrived, according to Amy Gilliland, the president of General Dynamics Information Technology.
- Success will be determined by its application and eventual mastery, she told Axios in an interview at GDIT's headquarters in Falls Church, Virginia.
Why she matters: Gilliland, a former U.S. Navy surface warfare officer, leads a division of General Dynamics shaping everything from cybersecurity to artificial intelligence adoption.
- General Dynamics is the fifth-largest defense contractor in the world when ranked by defense-related revenue, according to Defense News.
Q: When you hear "future of defense," what comes to mind?
A: Technological superiority, and connectivity and collaboration. Specifically, the nature of the threat is changing, given the geopolitical environment that we find ourselves in.
- We have to be highly adaptable and resilient. We see Ukraine as an example of how asymmetric threats are being used against conventional weapons. Information dominance is part of that connectivity and collaboration.
Q: What's the biggest challenge the defense industry faces at the moment? What can be done to alleviate it?
A: People. Attracting and retaining the workforce. We have a very mature workforce, and we have a new workforce.
- We have a net shortage of people. So how we attract and then retain the next generation of workers in this industry is definitely a challenge.
Q: What region of the world should we be watching? Why?
A: I don't think we have the luxury, in the current geopolitical environment, to focus on just one region. With that being said, there is certainly a focus on Indo-Pacific Command as an emerging theater.
- The ability for us to collaborate and communicate, the connectivity at the edge there, just getting there, is enormous, and the complexity of that. So one thing, in particular, would be contested logistics.
Q: What's your secret to a successful overnight flight?
A: I was in the Navy, and what I learned in the Navy is that I can sleep anywhere. I can sleep on my head, I can sleep in any space, I can sleep with crying children, I can sleep through anything.
Q: What time do you wake up? What does the morning routine look like?
A: Very early — uncivilized hours for most.
- I have three small children, so I like to get a workout in. You'll find me at Orange Theory, the first class of the day. Get a good workout in, sweat and then go home, get the kids off to school and come to the office.
Q: What advice would you give your younger self?
A: One, be open-minded about your career. I've had a lot of opportunities that I did not either feel prepared for or were not on my internally pre-established career evolution, and they have turned out to be some of the best experiences of my career.
- Two, I would tell myself to be present where you are. As a working mother, it is easy to worry about my children when I'm at work and to worry about work when I'm with my children. Somebody gave me that advice, and I find that hugely helpful.
