151 - From Finance to CEO with Robert Dowling of West 4th Strategy

The DMV (Washington, DC | Maryland | Virginia) Business Show

Welcome to the Season 4 Premier of The DMV Business Show⁠⁠ with ⁠⁠Otto Sevilla and our featured guest Robert Dowling, President and CEO of West 4th Strategy as he shares his inspiring journey. Robert was born and raised in the DMV (DC-Maryland-Virginia) area. Growing up, he developed a passion for sports, particularly golf, and was influenced by his father's experiences in the restaurant business. His mother, who was instrumental in managing the family's restaurant, sparked his interest in the operational side of things. Robert's first job was as a bank teller at First Virginia Bank (now part of Wells Fargo) during his senior year of high school, giving him an early taste of the finance industry. Robert went on to pursue a double major in finance and management at Virginia Tech, with the goal of becoming a Chief Financial Officer (CFO). He discovered that many CFOs came from an accounting background, which initially deviated from his own focus on finance. After graduating, he earned his master's in finance at Boston College. Robert's work experience began with KPMG's structured finance group in Tysons, Virginia, where he modeled mortgage-backed securities for investment banks in New York. When the financial crisis hit in 2008, Robert's team at KPMG was reassured by their partners that their jobs were safe. However, Robert, having been aware of the market's volatility, decided to start looking for a new job. This experience shaped his opinion that a CFO should focus more on strategy rather than accounting, and that a good controller is essential for a company. Robert joined a startup investment bank, Kipps DeSanto, after being approached by a headhunter. He worked in sell-side investment banking and advisory for government contractors for 11 years, starting as an analyst and eventually becoming a vice president. During this time, he gained valuable experience in the industry, finance, accounting, and executive management teams. Robert enjoyed the diversity of his role, which required him to be a jack-of-all-trades, understanding various industries and interacting with CEOs, presidents, and CFOs. After 11 years at KippsDeSanto, Robert decided to leave the company without another job lined up. He cited a desire to explore other opportunities in the industry and returned to his network, eventually landing a job at General Dynamics IT, which had acquired CSRA. Robert's career path eventually led him to President and CEO of West 4th Strategy, a company he describes as unique due to its focus on federal government services. With over 120 employees across the US, Robert's company is dedicated to providing professional and IT service support to federal agencies.

This episode is sponsored by: ⁠⁠⁠⁠SEVI⁠⁠⁠⁠ - The first commercial real estate company committed to the four C’s: Commercial Real Estate, Community, Content, and Culture

https://seviproperties.com/

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