Excellence in Organizational Performance
Organizations continue to be asked to do more with less in an increasingly challenging environment. Investing time, energy and money into improving the performance of individuals has become even more critical to the success of corporate teams, agencies, government programs and ultimately national security. HigherEchelon has PhD-level staff focused on Human and Organizational Performance. We understand there is no simple one-size- fits-all solution. We work with your team to develop a systematic method of improving performance that addresses the specific demands you are facing.
Work gets done in today’s world through collaboration between a multitude of departments and agencies. The democratization of technology and the proliferation of instant communication provides both a potential to improve work and to inject waste into the process. HigherEchelon teams work with your agency to define current state, understand the objectives, and recommend process improvements that provide dramatic cost savings, efficiency gains and reduced cycle times.
Meet the Team
Paul is a co-founder of HigherEchelon and has a diverse executive background with experience in general management, procurement, corporate business development, sales operations and entrepreneurial ventures.
Prior to joining HigherEchelon as its Chief Operating Officer, Paul led the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) programs at The Carlyle Group and Oldcastle, Inc. Paul has experience implementing CRM using the Salesforce.com platform, including strategy formation, technology development, training and change management.
During his time at Oldcastle, Paul was responsible for North American CRM business operations and previously held leadership positions in several areas of the organization, including General Management with P&L responsibility, corporate development with acquisition and capital project responsibility and as a Vice President of Procurement. In his Procurement role, Paul built out a Procurement function for a multi-billion-dollar business unit, where he created and led a team that consolidated purchases from over 200 locations into center led programs totaling several hundred million dollars.
Previous entrepreneurial experience includes co-founding a start-up venture in the training industry, where as a founding Partner, Paul was responsible for the business planning, overall business management and eventually the sales execution for the company.
Paul received his MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University and a B.S. in Engineering Management from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He has also earned the Certified Professional in Supply Management (CPSM) and Project Management Professional (PMP) certifications earlier in his career. Prior to his corporate experience, Paul served seven years in the Army as a Blackhawk helicopter pilot and staff officer in Korea, Kuwait and the United States.
Rick Roper is the Regional Vice President for HigherEchelon-West. Based out of Kansas City, he leads HE’s capture management team and maintains oversight on programs, client delivery, and business development efforts in the Western United States for government and corporate clients who are seeking to optimize organizational performance.
Rick has a diverse background with over 21 years of applied leadership and operational experience. As a former college athlete, he was an early student in West Point’s Center for Enhanced Performance, which oriented on mental skills training and optimizing human performance. In addition, he taught undergraduate studies at West Point-- one of the nation’s most renowned leadership institutions.
Subsequently, while serving as a Director of Operations and later as a Chief of Staff, he gained experience in establishing leader development programs, strategic planning, training management, process improvement, and program/project management. Rick has also served in advisory positions helping leaders overcome systemic organizational problems related to human resources, supply chain management, and operations. Later, he was an assistant professor at the U.S. Army’s Command and General Staff College, which is a graduate-level institution focused on leader development and education. There, he developed curriculum and learning solutions focused on design, critical thinking, training management, and problem solving for students now serving in executive positions world-wide.
Rick is a 1995 graduate of West Point, and earned a Master’s degree in Administration from Central Michigan University.
Paul Andrzejewski is the Regional Vice President for HigherEchelon-South. Based out of the home office in Huntsville, Alabama, he works among several Fortune 500 companies which offer a broad base in manufacturing, retail, and service industries, as well as, the technology, space, and defense industries which have a major presence within the U.S. Army's Redstone Arsenal, NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, and Cummings Research Park- the second largest research park in the United States. With a focus on information technology and engineering services, Paul maintains oversight on programs, client delivery, and business development efforts in the Southern United States for government and corporate clients who are seeking to optimize organizational performance.
Prior to joining HigherEchelon, Paul has amassed over 22 years of cumulative leadership experience in various management and executive positions for the U.S. Army, American Axle and Manufacturing, and Heat Transfer Products Group. While serving in those positions, he has cultivated management and leadership skills across a broad range of disciplines, including operations, strategic planning, labor relations, business development, lean manufacturing, engineering, and mergers and acquisitions. During his tenure as the Vice President of Operations for the Heat Transfer Products Group, Paul was responsible for all aspects of the operations and oversaw the consolidation of the Yuma factory into the Scottsboro facility, saving over 350 jobs for Northeast Alabama.
Paul holds a B.S. from the United States Military Academy and an Executive M.B.A. from the University of Alabama.
Mark Osteen, MBB is the Regional Vice President for HigherEchelon -East. He is based in Augusta, Ga home of Ft Gordon and the newly formed Army Cyber Center of Excellence. He will maintain oversight on programs, client delivery, and business development efforts in the Eastern United States for government and corporate clients who are seeking to optimize organizational performance.
Mark brings over 30 years of proven and diverse experience working in manufacturing as a Supply Chain Director to most recently as a Subject Matter Expert in Lean Six Sigma for a large government contractor. He understands the issues that leaders face today in both a commercial and government spaces and has experience in developing and implementing strategic and operational plans. As a LSS SME he was program manager for the US Army G1 and oversaw all aspects of the deployment from training to project selection and mentoring of BB and GB candidates to completion of projects and certification. Primarily thought of a tool for manufacturing, Mark believes there is amazing potential for non-manufacturing organizations to harness the power of LSS to stream line transactional processes.
Mark is a 1983 graduate of Auburn University with a B.S. in Industrial and Operations Management.