This post is based on an interview with Blake Bartlett, the CEO at Janes.  It is part of our series of interviews of OODA Network members. Our objective with these interviews is to provide actionable information of interest to the community, including insights that can help with your own career progression. We also really like highlighting some of the great people that make our continued research and reporting possible.  For the full series see: OODA Expert Network Bio Series.

Career Progression:   Blake grew up in the United Kingdom and went to college to study Politics and Economics.  But that wasn’t really what he was interested in.  He wanted to play tennis.  Despite gaining considerable athletic talent, he concluded that he would never be tall enough or good enough to be a professional player.  He attended a Tennis Academy to learn how to teach.  Additionally, Blake became certified as a ski instructor to expand his options.

For the next few years, he travelled around Europe, teaching tennis in the summer and skiing in the winter. “No one is allowed to have that much fun forever!” laments Blake. When he decided to shift his career, he took a job selling sporting equipment, and discovered that he was a natural. One big skill that Blake gleaned from his tennis/skiing years was the ability to connect with many different types of people.  “Sales is really all about communications and having an affinity with people.”

The pivoting point in Blake’s career path occurred when he was about to turn 30.  He got an opportunity to work at the World Markets Research Centre doing Country Risk Assessments.  Still on the Sales side, he was able to work with clients around the world.  He found the work extremely interesting.  He helped clients (commercial and government) understand country risks, including credit, political, and economic, to make determinations on foreign investments.

Blake has basically worked for the same company since then, riding through multiple acquisitions into jobs of increasing responsibility.  One of these acquisitions was Janes.   Anyone who has worked with or around the military knows of Janes and their iconic public-domain publications – the A-to-Z resource for national military assets.  As the CEO, Blake is focused on moving Janes into a future that includes more online resources, data and analytical tools, while still maintaining their trusted reputation – “the Janes Tradecraft”.  Today, Janes’ published “books” only account for 3% of overall revenue.

Surprises:   Blake is pleasantly surprised by how easily his staff has transitioned to a pandemic workplace.  Blake makes an effort to over-communicate to keep people feeling engaged, however he states “I’m amazed at how resilient our business is.  The team can work just as well (maybe better) from home!”.

Blake is also surprised by the enduring affection the public has for Janes.  He often hears anecdotal stories about Janes resources, and how much they are trusted.  “Wherever you go in the world, the Janes name follows you!”  Blake recently got a tour onboard England’s newest aircraft carrier, HMS Queen Elizabeth.  Surrounded by the worlds latest and greatest technologies, he asked the sailors “What can Janes do to help you?”.  One of the Officers suggested: “Make waterproof pages!”.  While that’s probably not where Janes wants to focus efforts, it’s a testament to how beloved Janes is to the military.

Technologies you are watching:  5G is of great interest to Blake.  “Today’s networks are now expected to process great amounts of data at very high speeds. 5G will enable information to pass from sensor to shooter very fast – drastically shortening the OODA loop.”

Technology threats you are interested in:  The threat to our Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) worries Blake.  “It’s critical to our modern life: both commercial and defense activities.  Everything from banking to transport to military strike depends on GNSS. Assured PNT will become increasingly important. It’s a race to be able to secure it!”

Advice for Decision Makers:  Blake cautions leaders: “Stay focused on your long-term goals.  It’s easy to get distracted by short term opportunities.  Leaders need to keep their organizations working on a small number of key objectives.”

Views on Thought Leaders:   Blakes first boss, Gino Ussi, was instrumental in shaping his career trajectory and work ethic.  “Gino is very intelligent and entrepreneurial.  He knew how to inspire his people.  He was an excellent coach and teacher and knew when I needed a good nudge in a new direction.”

Quick Hits:

• Book Recommendation: Never split the difference: Negotiating as if your life depended on it by Chris Voss.
• Favorite piece of content on OODAloop: Blake uses OODA to stay on top of emerging trends.
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blake-bartlett