RELI Group: Unlocking Government Success by Understanding Client Needs

In the aftermath of a successful year that witnessed RELI Group’s repeated inclusion on the Inc. 5000 list, dual recognition as an Elev8 GovCon Honoree, and the appointment of several new executive leaders, we sat down with Tish Mossman, Vice President of the National Security and Safety Sector; Sean Cusson, Director of Operations; and Angela Mercado, Director of Enterprise Support. Our aim was to gain insights into the team’s sustained success, victories, and growth in supporting federal clients and their data.

Federal Contracting Success Anchored in Understanding

Drawing on a wealth of experience addressing complex challenges for government clients, RELI Group acknowledges that you don’t need bells and whistles or the “next great thing” to solve many problems. Often, taking the time to really understand the client – their goals, their challenges, and their existing resources – can lead to solutions that don’t require costly investments, system overhauls or extensive retraining.

“There are often solutions available with tools agencies already possess but may not fully understand,” explained Mossman. “Uncovering these solutions requires an understanding of the business, goals and needs, and how to optimize the tools at hand to either meet or move toward those objectives.”

By leveraging its extensive experience and a deep understanding of customer needs, RELI Group can deconstruct complex challenges into smaller, manageable components. This strategic approach enables the team to identify and address specific issues, allowing them to deliver immediate impacts. These quick wins, in turn, help engage federal employees and build trust between the contractor and the client.

Unveiling Genuine Needs Through Effective Communication

At the heart of RELI’s approach is the need for dialogue that uncovers authentic client needs. While clients may initially present requests based on their understanding, a deeper exploration often reveals a misalignment between these requests and their actual needs. This level of insight necessitates a profound understanding of the client, business processes, goals, and the spectrum of available tools and technologies.

“Sometimes the client will come in and say, ‘We want an apple pie.’ So, it’s our job to ask, ‘What is it about that apple pie that you really want? How big should it be? Do you want a crumble topping or a lattice top? What kind of apples should we use?’ You must have the knowledge and experience to ask the right questions and find out what the client really needs – they might think it’s an apple pie, but it’s really a birthday cake,” explained Cusson.

Cusson’s analogy captures the essence of effective communication, emphasizing the importance of delving beyond surface-level requests. By engaging in thoughtful conversations and employing a tailored approach to discern genuine needs, RELI ensures that their solutions align with their clients’ needs and expectations. This commitment to insightful communication not only strengthens relationships but also lays the foundation for delivering solutions that truly address the nuanced requirements of their clients.

Crafting a Cohesive Story through Knowledge Management

Part of helping formulate these questions, and driving the most effective solutions, comes from knowledge management, an intimate knowledge of the available data and what it relates to, where it lives, who has access to it, and who needs access to it. “There’s so much data, so going through everything and realizing what’s valuable is key,” explained Mercado. “But beyond getting all the data in one place, you have to elevate the points that really matter and use the data to tell the story, so decision-makers have the best information in front of them.”

But the story goes beyond just the data – the RELI team uses all the information at their disposal to craft a story that inspires the federal team and encourages buy-in. “As a government contractor, our job is to build a story focused on the agency’s mission and goals, with an emphasis around improving performance or reaching goals that will break down silos, demonstrate better decision making, increase engagement or improve stakeholder satisfaction,” explains Cusson. “It requires combining voices from across the organization to create a multi-dimensional story that is relatable and that everyone can get behind.”

RELI’s commitment to weaving a narrative signifies a strategic approach that unites diverse perspectives and fosters collective support for a shared vision. This comprehensive approach not only informs but inspires, creating a story that resonates with stakeholders.

Trust Informing Change

Acknowledging the challenges that come with moving an organization forward, RELI Group excels at facilitating incremental progress. The team uses sound change management principles, builds on trust and open communication, and initiates manageable changes that demonstrate the team’s effectiveness at solving pressing challenges.

“By understanding the client’s needs and leaning on relationships built on trust, we’re able to demonstrate forward movement for the betterment of the organization and its stakeholders, all through a positive lens,” explains Mercado.

Trust plays a crucial role in communication, particularly as needs evolve, higher goals are set, and the team understands the client more deeply. This emphasis on trust goes beyond the immediate changes implemented; it serves as the foundation for a dynamic relationship that evolves with the organization’s needs. As RELI navigates through the complexities of client requirements, their commitment to trust ensures a resilient and adaptive approach to change, fostering a collaborative environment that paves the way for sustained progress and success.

Meet the Team

Tish Mossman – Vice President, National Security & Safety

Tish Mossman is a senior leader with more than 25 years of experience from a strategy and delivery focus across commercial, industry and government contracts. She has been with RELI for seven years and has held a variety of VP roles in healthcare as well as defense, safety, and security; these roles span across engineering, digital services, PMO and TSA divisions, as well as her current position as Vice President of RELI’s National Security and Safety Sector. Based on her professional experience, she works with her customers to understand their needs and provide sound solutions to solve business or technical problems. Tish’s drive for leadership and implementation has allowed her to successfully oversee RELI’s largest portfolio of programs. Her success is based on a focus on customer expectations, quality, risk management and ensuring the right staff are in place to meet customer expectations. Tish has multiple industry certifications including Project Management Professional (PMP), SAFe Agilist (SA), Certified Scrum Master (CSM) and DevOps Foundation Certification.

Angela Mercado – Director of Enterprise Support

Angela Mercado is RELI’s Director of Enterprise Support. She is passionate about connecting people to the services and information they need, exemplified by the breadth of her experience supporting government communications, technology and change management initiatives. From winning a ClearMark award from the Center for Plain Language in 2012 for her plain language rewrite of the HHS website flu.gov, to leading the design and implementation of TSA’s customer experience strategy which resulted in the TSA client team receiving the 2021 Service to the Citizen award, Angela keeps the human at the center of her work.

With two decades of digital services, communications, and human centered design experience, Angela has supported both the legislative and executive branches of the government. After beginning her career in the private sector, she spent more than four years supporting the U.S. House of Representatives as a web content developer and reference assistant, Angela has dedicated the last 12 years to government service as a consultant for various small and large consulting firms. Her experience primarily focused on public health through HHS and their numerous staff and operating divisions before broadening her scope at RELI Group to include defense and security agencies, including TSA.

Sean Cusson – Director of Operations

Sean Cusson is the Director of Operations for RELI, where he leads multiple teams supporting TSA. Additionally, Sean supports RELI’s growth within DHS. Prior to working at RELI Group, Sean served as a consultant for airport operators and technology companies, advising them on regulatory challenges relating to aviation security. Additionally, he authored or co-authored multiple aviation related research projects. Sean served as the Director of Public Safety and Security for Airports Council International – North America where he advised airport operators on a broad range of regulatory issues and advocated on their behalf before federal agencies. Sean also worked for U.S. Customs and Border Protection where he briefed senior officials and members of Congress and their staff and responded to congressional inquiries regarding passenger facilitation and cargo security issues.

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