Andrew Hallman

What inspired you to build a career in national security?

My graduate work at American University’s School of International Service exposed me to the CIA’s—and Intelligence Community’s—historical role in securing our nation and advancing the values on which this country was founded. My principal advisor was on sabbatical from CIA and while he was not a recruiter, he had a masterful way of weaving the history of the Agency with the most important events in our nation’s post-WWII period. At the same time, I was employed in an internship with another federal department, which exposed me to the interagency process and officers of the CIA, and heightened my interest in working for the Intelligence Community one day.

What is the most rewarding aspect of your job?

The most rewarding aspect of my job is bringing the incredible talent and capabilities of Peraton and our broad partner network to the missions of our national security customers. I most appreciate the breadth of the perspective I can bring, based on my long experience in national security, and the trusted relationships I have built over decades to bring whole of nation approaches to securing the nation. I love the people I work with both inside and outside of government. They power our security, increasingly with the human-machine teaming that is required to prevail over threats facing the country.

What is one piece of advice you would offer somebody new to the field?

The one piece of advice I would give to someone new to the field, or new to any profession, is the motto by which I live, originating in the 15^th century, which is “Do Right and Fear No One.” Don’t compromise your values or those our country holds dear, but rather live by them and defend them. In many cases, missing the opportunity to do the right thing will be moments you can’t regain, and they will haunt you for the rest of your career. Doing the “right things” throughout your career will be stairs that elevate you personally and professionally for the rest of your life.

Who are your mentors? Who has inspired you?

My most important mentor was my mentor early on in my intelligence analysis career, who taught me how to write well and to improve my work analytically and strategically. He took time every day to teach me and to cultivate my professional growth. In particular, he helped me learn how to challenge conventional wisdom, with courage and rigor, and I will forever be indebted to him for the confidence he had in my future. His selflessness, and the critical role he played in my career, inspired me to continue that practice, and I mentor many people inside the Community.

What is your favorite book? Why?

My two favorite books are “Primal Leadership” by Daniel Goleman, which is about applying high emotional intelligence to leading people you serve—and the power of creating resonance over dissonance—and “Gates of Fire” by Steven Pressfield, which is a novel about the Spartans' defense of Thermopylae in 480 B.C. against the invading and vastly larger Persian Army. Gates of Fire is an entertaining example of the application of primal leadership to inspire individuals to Do The Can’t Be Done—Peraton’s motto—and in this epic story to serve an impossible mission of holding back the Persians long enough for a series of events that led Western civilization to take root and grow.

Can you describe a skill you have carried throughout your career that has always proved to be valuable?

Based on feedback from others, I believe my most valued skill has been my ability to remain dispassionate in highly-charged environments—calm under pressure—and to show genuine care and concern (see Primal Leadership, above) for the people I serve. I learn, and every day I try to be a better man.

What’s one thing you want to change within the Intelligence Community?

There isn’t one action but rather a vision for the Community that I believe our leaders should continue to cultivate to ensure that it retains its competitiveness. A well-integrated IC that leverages the growing diversity of sensors globally—government and commercial—and harmonizes that collection to make optimal use of all phenomenologies that we can bring to bear against our adversaries. A Community that rapidly assimilates innovation breakthroughs into its intelligence tradecraft and leverages human-machine teaming to gain speed dominance in contested domains, the speed to sense, process, and derive insight from data to achieve information and decision advantage, increasingly at the edge.

What are your future career goals in the IC?

I enjoy working for Peraton and am proud for what we and other private sector partners do for the country, but I would love to return to government service to apply what I’ve learned since retiring from federal service a couple years ago. I have a lot of fight in me and am proud to serve!