Meet John

Vice President John Fuller is an IT leader in our defense and military intelligence business. He has more than 25 years of experience working in the Department of Defense Intelligence Information Systems (DoDIIS) community.

He has designed, built, maintained, and managed DoDIIS systems and IT programs for clients including the Joint Deployable Intelligence Support System, Linked Operations Intelligence Centers Europe (LOCE), Joint Reserve Intelligence Program – Information Management (JRIP-IM), and collaborative systems with the Italian, Spanish, and French foreign militaries. He has lived and worked throughout Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Before joining Booz Allen, John was an associate vice president with Newlink global engineering corporation, where he led the team of engineers that built the first DoDIIS-accredited Windows server baseline. He also assisted Newlink with the acquisition and management of a commercial training center, Infotec, in Norfolk, Virginia.

John began his career working in the U.S. Navy, where he served as a watch supervisor at the Chief of Naval Operations Special Intelligence Communications Center. Later, he served on the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) director’s staff, where he was commended for the design and fabrication of a secure communications system. This system was used as the director’s communications guard while traveling in Europe and the Middle East and was later adopted for use by U.S. Naval Forces Central Command. John was selected to represent ONI for numerous high-tension deployments to Somalia and Yugoslavia in addition to diplomatic technical liaisons with the United Nations in New York and Kenya.

John lives in Charlottesville, Virginia and has five children with whom he enjoys sharing his passion for beekeeping and woodworking.

What are your career highlights? Right after Christmas recently, I was in a bad accident. I still have a couple holes in my memory. I was jogging on the side of the road in the snow, got hit by a pickup truck, and sustained a significant head injury. I was out of work for a period of time. I’m back now and doing great. In fact, I think I might be a little smarter and better looking. The outpouring of support, care, help, and concern as I’ve gone through this journey, a journey which was very scary to me—that’s the first thing that comes to mind. Wow.

Why are you passionate about the work you do at Booz Allen? The people I work with every day. My happiest days at work are those when the software developer I took to lunch as an intern, who’s been with the firm for 3 years, tells me she just bought her first house. When somebody invites me to a happy hour because they just finished paying off their college loans. When I realize somebody’s been promoted and she is leading a project. I work with really cool, smart, passionate, and caring people. And of course, I want to solve problems for my clients.

When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? A writer. A poet.

What was your first job? Working in a framing shop making picture frames and fitting art.

What are your three tips for managing and motivating people? No. 1, be transparent. Always. Second, don’t engage in shenanigans or tolerate them. And finally, always remind everyone to take time out of every day to both have fun and tell another that they matter—affirm someone else’s creativity, ideas and great work.

What mentorship advice would you give someone who just took on a new leadership role? Seek a mentor who you trust and feel comfortable talking to.

What were you like in high school? I went to high school in the ’80s, so we had very specific cliques. I was kind of a loner.

If you could go back in time and give yourself advice as a young professional, what would you say? I would tell myself to be patient. I would tell myself to remember that everybody I interact with, I’m likely to interact with again and that there’s nothing more important than relationships.

What is your most prized possession? A crucifix that my grandfather gave me before he died.

You’ve lived all over the world. Where’s your favorite vacation or travel spot? Home. I travel all the time, and I’ve traveled my whole life. My favorite vacation spot is seeing how many days I can go without leaving my house.

What is an idea or an invention you wish you’d thought of first? The lathe. I love woodworking.

What’s the best experience you’ve ever received as a gift? When my wife and I were dating, I’d complained that I kept going to these dinners where everyone talks about wine. I knew nothing about wine. For my birthday, she took me on a tour with a vintner. The vintner took us on a tour of a bunch of different wineries and throughout the day taught me about wine, grapes, how it’s made, how to taste it.

What is something not many people know about you or might surprise your coworkers? I attend seminary courses at Union Seminary.

What has been your biggest accomplishment so far? Being a dad.

What do you think people can do to be happier? Help others. Be sensitive to others. Be empathetic to others.

Anything else you’d like to add? I’m a beekeeper. I had a hive in my backyard, but a bear got it.