Digital and Business Transformation

Ari Friedman has over 15 years of experience managing complex federal projects, with in-depth policy research and programmatic assessment knowledge and the ability to shape and direct implementation of project activities across national organizations. A proven expert in building and leading project teams within high-pressure environments, he brings expertise in measuring outcomes, process improvement, data management, qualitative and quantitative performance analysis, report development and executive briefing and legal analysis. Ari leads a team of more than 80 management consulting professionals within Aptive’s Veterans Health account providing program management, assessment and implementation support for several high-profile Veterans Health Administration initiatives, in addition to supporting emerging and urgent priorities.

• Member, The Bar of Maryland
• Member, The Bar of the District of Columbia
• J.D., St. Thomas University School of Law
• B.S., Finance, Syracuse University

Clive Ballard is responsible for the continued advancement of Aptive’s Veteran health services, providing strategic direction that ensures Aptive’s cutting-edge health care solutions and capabilities remain firmly focused on Veteran-centered outcomes.

With more than 20 years of commercial and federal management consulting experience, Clive brings a wealth of experience in the design, planning and implementation of strategic plans, management system frameworks and other mechanisms focused on continual improvement, mission enhancement and operational efficiency—particularly in the health care and hospital settings. Through his work with numerous federal clients, Clive has led delivery of, and served as a technical advisor for, national strategy, policy and guidance; program evaluation and performance measurement; multi-stakeholder working groups and technical advisory committee facilitation; and enterprise-wide program implementation efforts.

Prior to joining Aptive, he was a Senior Manager in Deloitte’s Operations Transformation practice, leading efforts across federal health accounts and within the Quality, Safety and Improvement Offering.

• M.S., Project Management, The George Washington University
• BSc, Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh
• Business Strategy Certificate, McKinsey Academy
• Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt

Taylor Wood is an experienced communication and change management strategist dedicated to building and leading proactive teams that go above and beyond for her clients. She oversees a portfolio of communication and marketing teams across several government agencies, including the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Office of Personnel Management. In this role, Taylor focuses on growing and expanding Human Experience’s event management capability and enhancing Aptive’s recruitment marketing services through implementation of technical solutions.

Throughout her career, she has focused on learning various leadership styles and techniques to help others achieve success. Taylor is passionate about training others to lead with empathy and foster positive working relationships, enabling teams to provide exceptional service to clients. In previous roles, Taylor has led numerous communication teams and enterprise-wide transformation initiatives for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, Department of the Navy, VA, United States Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Energy.

• Secret Security Clearance
• Certified Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Prosci Certified Change Management Practitioner (CCMP)
• M.A., Strategic Communications, American University
• B.A., Communication Studies, West Virginia University

James Tessier is responsible for leading Aptive’s growing health informatics practice, working with government and commercial entities to apply data science, augmented intelligence and analytics to transform health care operations and improve patient outcomes. James is a trusted advisor who seamlessly uses health informatics principles to support the research and development of innovative customer solutions.

James is an informatics leader with broad health care experience. As a 25-year Veteran of the U.S. Navy, James has provided surgical nursing, informatics and leadership expertise in a variety of settings both inside and outside of the United States and at sea, providing combat medical support and surgical capability to combatant commanders. His last role in the Navy was as the Chief Health Informatics Officer for Navy Medicine. In his post Navy career, he held a variety of roles in support of informatics initiatives within the U.S. State Department, Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense. Most recently, James was the Chief Digital Officer for XVIVO Services, a surgical practice focused on organ recovery for heart and lung transplantation.

• M.S., Medical Informatics, Northwestern University
• B.S., Nursing, University of Portland
• Registered Nurse
• Certified Professional in Healthcare Information and Management Systems

Jon Brooks is a federal leader and U.S. Army Veteran with more than 20 years of experience supporting multiple agencies. At Aptive, Jon oversees a portfolio of health care-related projects and is responsible for the overall management of service delivery, quality, risk and cost control. He monitors and reports on the team’s financial performance, manages resources, builds key stakeholder relationships, leads project teams and mentors a learning culture across the enterprise.

Jon’s work in the industry includes project and program management experience leading large-scale, enterprise-level, transformative initiatives, including health care transformation, supply chain improvement/optimization and IT transformation. He has led teams of 50+ subcontractors and managed a $1.4B prime contract award, including a portfolio of 14 contract/task orders with over $30M in total contract value. Jon also led activities within the full business development lifecycle and designed go-to-market strategies.

In past roles, Jon has supported the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense and the Intelligence Community. He has built multi-year pipelines while leading pricing activities and coordinating strategic capture initiatives. Jon’s efforts led to exceeding profitability goals by over 75%, doubling service line headcount and revenue. He is a proven leader who has worked for top firms such as Rios Partners, IronArch Technology, and Deloitte and is highly skilled in developing meaningful relationships and strategic partnerships.

• Certified Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Certified Supply Chain Professional, ASCM
• Certified in Logistics, Transportation and Distribution, ASCM
• MBA, American Intercontinental University
• B.S., Business Administration, University of Arkansas