People are more important than products, code, or hardware, because people drive progress.
Patrick Hamilton, a program manager in our Lexington, Massachusetts office, is proof of this belief, which launched our company more than 100 years ago—and still powers us today.
“I came to Lexington because Booz Allen cares about people’s growth. Here, you’re not just training for the role you’re in, you’re training for the next one.”
While Patrick joined us to strengthen his skills and further his career, he stays to help others. “This is meaningful work. We’re working with operators and senior military folks who rely on us for support. My work is hands-on with one of the most critical homeland defense missions.”
That mission, which involves monitoring aircraft in American skies, is something Patrick took a personal interest in. Before 9/11, he says, the United States tracked aircraft coming into the country—but wasn’t tracking planes that were already inside our borders. Rectifying that is an “all-encompassing project,” according to Patrick, who helped with the effort to win this contract. “I found people with the right capabilities and assembled this team because it’s something I thought was important. It’s a group effort: hardware engineers working with network engineers, working with software engineers. It’s fast-paced with constant communication.” And the mission operates out of Lexington all because Patrick identified a client’s need and acted on his vision.
Support and reward for initiative is how Booz Allen operates. “The culture here allows you to capture your own destiny,” says Patrick. “If you see a way to help a client, Booz Allen wants you to do it. I built my own dream.”