Get to know PEO EIS’s cloud-modernization leader

Rob Schadey, the Business Mission Area director, is a cybersecurity and data-analytics expert who leads PEO EIS’s cloud-modernization initiatives. He has extensive experience migrating applications to the cloud, managing cybersecurity operations and developing Army cloud policies.

Born in Dubuque, Iowa, Schadey began his career as an enlisted computer and network specialist in the U.S. Marine Corps. After serving in the Marine Corps for six years, he joined MITRE Corporation providing cybersecurity services to government clients. His job took him to Honolulu, Hawaii, where he managed the Army’s first computer-emergency-response team in the Pacific. The Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) recruited Schadey to join the civil service in 2002. He started supporting PEO EIS in 2010 and took a four-year break in 2013 to be the chief information security officer for a start-up company. He returned to PEO EIS in 2017 to develop a business case for accelerating the Army’s move to the cloud.

Schadey answered 14 questions about his career and life.

How would your friends describe you in three words?
Focused, driven and loyal.

What are you focused on now?
We released a Managed Service Provider solicitation in October. The winning bidder will help us manage our cloud infrastructure and consumption of cloud services. We plan to award a contract in March.

What did you learn growing up in the Midwest?
My parents instilled in me a very strong work ethic. I wasn’t given money; I had to earn it.

What was your most embarrassing moment?
I am certain that will come soon. I have already had a few, but I am sure there are bigger ones in store for me.

Describe your leadership style.
I am a visionary pace setter. I work with my team to brainstorm innovative solutions to problems and establish the performance pace.

How do you make decisions?
I am analytical. I like to have facts and data to back up decisions. I use root-cause-analysis to solve problems. I like the eight disciplines (8D) problem solving tool.

Why have you been successful in your career?
I enjoy solving complex problems and am comfortable with uncertainty. A lot of people shy away from hard tasks because they are not always going to have the right answer. When my team and I tackle complex problems, I make sure everyone understands that we are not always going to drive to the “right” answer. We are going to pursue options based on the information we have.

I have had phenomenal role models. I learned a lot from Maj. Gen. Patrick Burden, the former PEO of EIS. He had a lot of emotional intelligence. He never exhibited any anger or animosity. He always kept his emotions in balance.

What is the best advice you received?
Ted Hendy, my former boss at CECOM, said that you will always be the average of the people you spend the most time around and should find people who exhibit the work habits and leadership traits you want to emulate. Those good examples rub off on you.

What challenges have you overcome in your career?
I learned not to get defensive or emotional with aggressive people. When I was younger in my career, I was a little bit too emotional.

What does a good leader do?
Good leaders take care of others. Good leaders are humble and understand that they are not always the smartest person in the room. Good leaders help everyone understand their purpose and the overall mission.

Even though I lead a team of 21 people, there are times when someone else on my team takes the lead seat because they have the right knowledge, skills and expertise—and I support them.

What type of soft skills do you value on your team?
The right personality fit is someone who is introverted in terms of their ability to research and figure things out, but extroverted in terms of wanting to share their knowledge. We seek people who are curious and enterprising—they want to own their approach and solution.

What is the most valuable virtue?
Honesty. I learned that in the Marine Corps. We are all human. Mistakes will be made. When I make a mistake, I own it.

How do you relax?
I enjoy motocross, a form of off-road motorcycle racing. I have been riding motocross since I was five years old. It really helps me clear my mind because it requires me to focus. When I am racing, I can’t have any distractions.

When are you happiest?
I am happiest when I am with my wife and our girls. We like to be outside throwing around a football or hanging out in the back yard next to the fire pit.