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Lou W. Shields is the Division Senior Vice President, Operations for the Federal Services segment and is responsible for the operational oversight of all Federal segment programs. Since joining Maximus in 2013, Mr. Shields has used his leadership experience and expertise in program management (PMO), honed over decades of direct management of small to multi-billion-dollar programs, to continuously expand Maximus’ capabilities as a high-performing company. Notably for Maximus, since 2019, Mr. Shields has also served as the program manager for the company’s largest contract. In March 2020, he swiftly and successfully implemented a transition to a work-from-home (WFH) environment for more than 12,000 employees in a matter of days as the COVID-19 pandemic became increasingly emergent.

Mr. Shields has more than 35 years of operational and government contracting experience, specializing in delivering progressively complex large-scale implementations and transformational efforts, both internally and for customers, leading companies to revenue growth and increased profitability. He has a demonstrated record of enhancing internal operations by refocusing resources through strategic development and management to company financial objectives. His distinctive people-focused leadership skills, systems, and mission-oriented thinking, and comprehensive IT background repeatedly deliver value for Maximus’ customers.

Mr. Shields began his career as a computer programmer, performing all aspects of technology, operations, and team development; as a result, he possesses an in-depth understanding of what a program requires to succeed. His passion for — and relentless pursuit of — continuous improvement and process refinement led him to develop a standardized PMO methodology for large modernization and transformation efforts that can be tailored to each customer’s specific mission needs or objectives. He is also actively involved in building shared leadership models that improve organizational performance through meaningful collaboration, transparent knowledge transfer, and mutual trust.

Previously, Mr. Shields served as the Chief Information Officer (CIO) for Zenith American Solutions, where he successfully led the merger and integration of two large IT organizations. In this role, he was also responsible for all IT functions (PMO, Business Analysis, IT Operations, Strategy, Architecture, and Security). Before his role at Zenith American, Mr. Shields held roles as both CIO and Managing Director at Affiliated Computer Services (ACS). He was recruited by ACS to specifically turn around a runaway systems development contract while simultaneously modernizing and instilling quality in the delivery of the company’s IT services.

Mr. Shields earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Lock Haven University.