Employee Profiles

Robin Roggenkamp, Senior Consultant 

What is it like to work at AE Strategies?
I admire the style of leadership in this company. I find it is based on the same best practices AE Strategies advises to clients – hire the best, smartest, most successful people; give them an assignment where they can shine; and get out of their way. When you ask for help and support, the company is there for you; the rest of the time you run your own show. It’s a brilliant business model. Most often, assignments put the consultant full-time on a project so we can focus on providing excellent service and results.

What makes the culture of AE Strategies different and/or special?
Organizational culture at AE Strategies is simple: “we provide human capital consulting to federal clients by placing highly qualified, senior people in projects where they serve as the subject area experts and deliver outstanding results.” AE Strategies walks the talk and practices what it believes; when you take care of your people, treat them respectfully, and set clear, attainable objectives, success for the company and the individual will follow.

Why did you decide to join AE Strategies and what keeps you here?
Prior to joining AE Strategies, I was successfully self-employed. I liked the independence, flexibility, and autonomy of being in charge of my own destiny, my hours, and my income potential. It’s essential to me to work in an environment where I can make decisions quickly, can use my instincts to “do the right thing,” and can serve my clients in total integrity without being limited by a corporate hierarchy or arbitrary business rules. I saw an AE Strategies posting for a Senior Consultant to work with the Department of Navy to help develop the first-ever executive talent management program and became excited about the possibility of tranferring my knowledge from the private sector to the federal government. When I interviewed at AE Strategies, I immediately felt synergy with the leadership that is very rare to find.

At AE Strategies, I found the same sense of control and creativity on projects that I had when I ran my own company, with the added benefits of being a part of a community of talented professionals and the stability of working with large clients. The compensation is excellent and the benefit package exceptional. It’s a great place for mid-to senior-level professionals that want to work without the structure of a huge, multi-leveled, autocratic organization.

What is your relationship with your client?  What projects have you/are you working on?
On this assignment, I work directly with the people at the top of the organization; the decision makers, the visionaries. I am an active member of the team, expected to consult and advise, and provide ideas that add near- and long-term value to the organization.

I also find it highly satisfying to participate on a project from concept to delivery; to have the opportunity to think strategically, advise and influence the solutions, and then construct the framework for a program that is directly related to improving the quality of life for individuals. The reward is seeing how even small shifts in structure can benefit real people and the entire agency.

What would you tell a prospective employee about AE Strategies?
As someone who specializes in Leadership and Executive Development as my profession, it’s something I care deeply about in my own organization. At AE Strategies, the President is genuinely interested in the success of his employees as individuals and as a team. He manages the company with the same integrity he expects from his people. The projects are interesting and rich with opportunities, and unlike other consulting firms, extensive travel and business development are not required components in the job description. However, when success on one project leads to a new business opportunity or project, the reward is generous. It’s a great place to devote your time and talent.