A Q&A with Dave Reese, Technical Sounding Board for Government Healthcare Providers
Brent Bluth
Based in the Washington, D.C. metro area, Ivanti’s Dave Reese is Principal Healthcare and Cyber Security Strategic Team Leader overseeing ITAM, ITSM, Patch Management, Windows 10 Migration, and User Endpoint Management for federal government healthcare service providers.
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Dave and his team are technical sounding boards helping to solve some of the toughest challenges and threats facing government healthcare organizations. Dave graduated from the University of West Virginia with a B.A. degree in Economics. We’ve captured some of his insights in this brief Q&A.
Q: If you only had a ride up an elevator to explain what Ivanti does, what would you say?
- DR: Concerning the federal government space specifically, Ivanti is currently a leader in Desktop as a Service (DaaS). In short, in 2018 we’ve focused on the MEGABYTE Act of 2016 and FedRAMP to meet the challenges facing all DoD and civilian agencies globally. Simply put, our products capture all the hardware and software assets in your enterprise and offer real-time visibility into what you own and where. You now have the ability to manage, control, and secure your enterprise in real time, giving you an A+ on your FITARA scorecard and making you compliant while meeting the objectives set forth in the MEGABYTE Act.
Q: Which way are the industry winds blowing?
- DR: Desktop as a Service / Desktop to Data Center is the buzz in federal government. We have the portfolio, FedRAMP, and the MEGABYTE Act all aligned for the Ivanti perfect storm.
Q: What’s your one key takeaway surrounding the future of Ivanti in the market space you’re primarily involved with? Where do you foresee both the challenges and opportunities for the company?
- DR: I only see opportunity at this point. Our leadership has done a tremendous job getting in front of the technology curve by giving us all the tools necessary to be successful. As we sell more product into the federal government, I know for a fact we will see tremendous growth placing Professional Services personnel onsite. Professional Services in my opinion will be an area of explosive growth in the federal space soon enough now that we have aligned with FedRAMP.
Q: What has your professional journey been like to get where you are today, and how has your role changed over the years?
- DR: It wasn’t always sunshine and roses. I had to crack the enterprise market at a young age by being smarter and more strategic than my competition. When I say smart, it’s not smart in the traditional sense that my IQ is MENSA status. It was simply two things I did better than the rest: 1) I spent more time building the relationship with my customer while others tried to outwit the competition; and 2) I was a better listener, more empathetic, and was always genuine in discussions with customers. I found that when you check your ego at the door a customer will show you the way.
- Last but not least, I found that I was fortunate early on in my career to have spent a majority of it in the enterprise space managing complex Enterprise License agreements and Professional Services contracts. This aligns perfectly with the direction our executive leadership is taking our business.
Q: Tell us something you’ve done in your life that you’re particularly proud of.
- DR: I built the first computer lab in Rwanda in one of the most remote parts of the country that was hit hardest by the genocide. We also built a basketball court by hand. All of this was accomplished by standing up a non-profit corporate philanthropy board called Softchoice Cares. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfGsrRaPY_s
Q: Tell us a little about your name; its origin; who named you and why that name?
- DR: Dave Reese II, named after my Dad. Special I know. 😊
Q: What are you reading?
- DR: ShoeDog by Nike founder Phil Knight about how Nike became **NIKE**.
