At the end of last year, Owen Becker accepted a position as Director of Operations at Siege Technologies, LLC – a company concentrated exclusively on advanced research and development in offensive and defensive cybersecurity technologies.
Owen says in this role no two days are the same and that on any given day he could be interfacing with a client on a mission-critical program; collaborating with a potential partner on a proposal; balancing resources across Siege’s five technical focus areas; amongst many other tasks, on top of his other responsibilities.
“I am responsible for maintaining our track record of providing unmatched Offensive and Defensive cybersecurity capability to our Department of Defense and Intelligence Community clients, while also building upon our knowledge base and growing the business,” said Owen. “I am also tasked with process improvement and optimization, which has afforded me the opportunity to enhance our operations and ensure our laser-focus attention on tackling our nations’s cyber adversaries head on. I’ve also been responsible for navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on ensuring our staff are protected, while also continuing to deliver for our clients.”
After graduating from Thomas College in 2013, Owen worked on a United States Air Force Command and Control Weapon System program. As Owen gained skills and experience in project management and leadership, the team he led grew, as did the value of the contracts he was managing.
Today, that same weapon system is used around the globe, providing capabilities to military and law enforcement missions. Owen notes, “Seeing the impact of my team’s efforts on national security was amazing.”
From there, Owen applied the tactical knowledge he gained and transitioned into a staff advisory position where he helped advise the Program Executive Officer on a Nuclear Command, Control, and Communications Weapon System portfolio that included hundreds of programs and platforms.
“This unique role allowed me to learn from experienced military leaders and offered a glimpse into the decision-making process for highly technical and complex missions that play a vital role to the preservation of our liberty and freedom. This truly opened my eyes to the strategic perspective that can be difficult to account for when focused on tactical execution of the mission, and I am extremely fortunate to have been able to gain such experience.”
Owen says his success stems from his education at Thomas College, which provided him with an educational foundation; faculty who were uniquely qualified and committed to preparing him for a career in national security, law enforcement, and government; and, a sense of community to support him during his endeavors.
“The one-to-one interaction with professors at Thomas College helped me to forge relationships and provided opportunity for growth and learning,” said Owen.
His advice to current students: “Take advantage of the unique offerings that Thomas has to offer so one day soon you, too, will be directly contributing to our national security and leading teams in the execution of that mission.”