Cynthia Black

I attribute my success to curiosity, resilience, continuous learning, and a genuine interest in understanding how people, systems, and businesses work together. I have never been someone who is satisfied with simply knowing what is happening. I want to understand why it is happening, what is getting in the way, and what could be done differently.

That mindset has shaped every stage of my career. Whether I was building a business, scaling operations, leading customer experience teams, or working in the public-sector technology space, I have been willing to step into complex environments, ask difficult questions, listen closely, and create clarity where there was not much before.

Relationships have also played an important role in my success. I believe people do their best work when they feel heard, understood, and connected to a larger purpose. Some of the most meaningful outcomes in my career have come from bringing the right people together, helping teams see a challenge from a different perspective, and creating alignment around a common goal.

I also believe success requires staying teachable. I am constantly learning, whether through formal education, conversations with others, writing, reading, or simply paying attention to what is changing around me. That combination of curiosity, connection, and a willingness to keep evolving has allowed me to grow across industries while staying grounded in the same principle: understand the bigger picture, create meaningful value, and leave things better than I found them.

One of the most valuable lessons I’ve carried throughout my career is the importance of understanding the business beyond the boundaries of your own role.

That means knowing how the organization creates value, what its customers actually need, where the pressures exist on both sides, and how those perspectives intersect. The business and the customer will not always see the same problem in the same way. Learning to uncover those differences, articulate them clearly, and connect the two is where some of the most meaningful work happens.

I’ve received versions of that advice at different points in my career, and over time it has become foundational to how I lead. It pushes me to look beyond the immediate issue, understand the larger business context, and consider how decisions affect customers, teams, revenue, operations, and long-term strategy.

The more completely you understand the business and the people it serves, the better positioned you are to ask stronger questions, make better decisions, and create outcomes that work for both.

I would encourage young women to learn to see their work in the context of the larger business. It is easy, especially early in a career, to focus on the tasks you complete or the responsibilities you own. What matters just as much is understanding the impact behind that work.

Learn to articulate why you made a decision, what problem you were solving, what risks you considered, and what changed because of your contribution. Understand how the business makes money, how different functions depend on one another, and how the customer experience connects to broader organizational goals.

Stay curious and ask questions beyond your immediate area of responsibility. The more you understand the business as a whole, the more confidently you can contribute to conversations that extend beyond your title.

And do not overlook the strengths that come naturally to you. The ability to connect people, recognize patterns, communicate clearly, build trust, or bring calm to complexity can be easy to dismiss precisely because it feels instinctive. Those qualities often become some of the most valuable parts of how you lead.

Know the value of what you bring, understand the impact of your work, and learn how to communicate both.

I think one of the biggest challenges in public procurement today is the gap between how quickly the market is changing and how quickly government can change with it.

Innovation is happening at an incredible pace. AI, automation, data, cybersecurity, cloud technology, and entirely new solutions are changing what is possible for organizations. At the same time, government has an obligation to buy thoughtfully, transparently, compliantly, and with responsible stewardship of public dollars. Those things are important, but the systems and processes built to support them have not always evolved at the same pace as the market.

That creates challenges on both sides. Government agencies are trying to understand, evaluate, and access solutions that may not have existed when their current processes were designed. Suppliers are trying to understand how to reach government, where opportunities exist, which purchasing pathways are available, and how to navigate a market that can look very different from one jurisdiction to another. In many cases, both sides want to work together, but there are still gaps in how they find, understand, and access one another.

I also see that as one of the greatest opportunities in procurement. We have an opportunity to rethink how government and industry connect, how purchasing pathways are created and used, how technology and data improve visibility, and how procurement can help government keep pace with innovation without compromising the principles that make public purchasing different.

To me, modernization is bigger than digitizing an existing process. It is understanding where the gaps are between government, suppliers, technology, policy, and the people actually using these systems, and then finding better ways to connect them.

Public procurement is in a period of significant change, and that makes this an exciting time to be part of it. The opportunity is not simply to help government buy faster. It is to help build a more connected, accessible, and modern marketplace that works better for both sides.

Connection, curiosity, and meaningful contribution are at the heart of what matters most to me. I genuinely enjoy people - their stories, perspectives, ideas, and the different ways they see the world. I value bringing people together, creating understanding where perspectives may differ, and helping others recognize the value they bring. Some of the most meaningful moments in my life and career have come from simply being able to make a difference for someone else.

I also have a deep appreciation for growth. I am endlessly curious and believe there is always more to learn, whether that comes from education, experience, conversation, or being willing to see something differently than I did before. I value evolution and the willingness to keep becoming better without losing the parts of yourself that matter most.

Integrity, fairness, and accountability guide how I put those values into practice. I believe in treating people well, following through on what you say you will do, and taking responsibility for the choices you make. Trust is incredibly important to me, and I believe it is built through consistency, respect, and genuine care for the impact we have on others.

I am naturally drawn to opportunities to build, improve, and move things forward. I enjoy solving problems, connecting people and ideas, and helping turn possibilities into something meaningful and actionable.

Ultimately, I want the way I lead, the relationships I build, and the choices I make to leave something positive behind. Success is meaningful to me, but so is enjoying the journey, continuing to grow, and knowing that along the way I helped people, strengthened relationships, and contributed something worthwhile.