Following the news that Global Cloud Software leader Nutanix had recruited Brian Bordelon, looking to leverage his over 25 years of leadership in federal government technology, we caught up with Brian to learn more.
Steeped in Expertise, including Technical Debt
I have spent the last nearly 25 years of my career supporting the federal government, gaining a deep understanding of its unique processes, challenges, and missions. My recent roles as a federal CIO and CTO have focused on helping agencies tackle significant issues like technical debt and aging infrastructure. This experience has given me a first-hand perspective on the hurdles agencies face in modernizing their IT environments and the critical need for a new approach to data center and cloud management. I have consistently worked to bridge the gap between government needs and industry solutions. Working with Nutanix, I will have an amazing opportunity to drive strategic growth across the public sector while continuing to advise as a chief technologist.
Drawn to a Differentiated Solution
The move to Nutanix is a natural progression of my career and passion for government modernization. I’ve seen how legacy infrastructure creates a significant bottleneck, and I believe Nutanix offers a truly differentiated solution. Nutanix’s ability to converge storage, compute, and networking into a single, simplified platform directly addresses the complexity and operational overhead that plagues many federal agencies. I saw a win-win opportunity to join a company that can genuinely solve these core challenges while continue to work with the federal government to drive public support.
Scalable, Secure, Supporting the Move to AI
What excites me most about Nutanix is the philosophy of simplification and its focus on a scalable, secure platform. The federal government operates in a lean environment that desperately needs partners to help address challenges with complexity of the technical landscape and interoperability. Nutanix’s software-defined approach provides a path to modernize infrastructure, reduce complexity, and enforce compliance in a way that aligns with the federal mission. I’m also energized by the company’s focus on supporting the move towards artificial intelligence (AI), a critical area for future government operations. With Nutanix, I can work to build trust and relationships and thereby demonstrate that Nutanix isn’t just a technology provider but a committed partner to government.
Understanding Challenges Firsthand
My perspective will be valuable in helping Nutanix and its clients seeing the challenges firsthand. I bring a deep, on-the-ground understanding of government processes and the daily struggles with technical debt. I can translate these challenges into clear requirements, ensuring Nutanix’s solutions are perfectly tailored to meet the needs of federal civilian agencies. This perspective will also help build trust and strengthen relationships by demonstrating to our clients that we understand their world and are committed to their success.
A Focus on Accelerating FedCiv Growth
My addition to the Nutanix team means a dedicated focus on accelerating the company’s federal civilian growth initiatives. I will help shape our go-to-market strategy by ensuring our plans are aligned with government priorities, such as the Federal IT Modernization efforts. This partnership will be critical as agencies look for secure, efficient ways to manage their data and IT operations. My role will be to ensure Nutanix is not just a vendor but a trusted partner in the government’s modernization journey.
To help position Nutanix for future growth and success, I will focus on a few key areas:
- Mission Alignment: I will work to align our solutions directly with the core missions of federal agencies, demonstrating how Nutanix’s technology can improve posture and support critical initiatives.
- Strategic Partnerships: I will strengthen and build new partnerships within the GovCon ecosystem, especially with strategic integrators and partner product offerings with specialized capabilities. These partnerships are crucial for providing holistic solutions.
- Thought Leadership: Through my role as President of AFFIRM, I will continue to promote the partnership between government and industry, positioning Nutanix as a leader in driving government modernization together.
GovCon Trends to Note
- Data Center and Cloud Optimization: Agencies continue to look for ways to optimize their data centers and transition to multi-cloud or hybrid environments. This is a huge area for Nutanix to help reduce costs and improve agility.
- AI Readiness: The push towards AI is accelerating, but many agencies lack the foundational infrastructure to support these compute-intensive workloads. I’ll be focused on how Nutanix provides the scalable and secure platform necessary for these initiatives.
- Security and Compliance: With new mandates and the Zero Trust architecture model, agencies need solutions that simplify compliance and strengthen their security posture.
The Challenge of Vendor Complexity
The biggest common challenge I see is vendor complexity. Agencies often end up with a patchwork of solutions from different vendors, leading to significant integration issues, operational complexity, and increased security risks. The industry needs to focus on addressing this by providing simplified, converged solutions that reduce this burden. The industry also needs to help agencies address the skills gap by offering solutions that are easier to manage and automate, freeing up valuable IT personnel to focus on mission-critical work.
People, Process, Technology in Support of Federal Missions
I am committed to continuing to support the partnership between government and industry. My role at Nutanix and my work with AFFIRM will be instrumental in driving the ultimate mission to support the federal government through technological modernization. I am excited to be on this journey together and leverage people, process and technology between the government and the community to drive the mission.
