US AIR FORCE
18
“ KESSEL RUN WAS BORN OUT
OF THAT PROBLEM — WE TURNED A
WHITEBOARD INTO AN ALGORITHM ”
Lauren Knausenberger , Chief Transformation Officer , U . S . Air Force generals reminded me . I was so honored that they saw something in me and thought my ideas could really move the needle on some big problems .”
Few people know that Knausenberger began her career at NSA , being recruited as a High School student , so joining the Air Force was bringing her full circle . “ It was refreshing to jump into this role , blissfully unaware of all of the ways that many efforts had failed in the past . I wasn ’ t worried about upsetting anyone , and I knew that if I could accomplish even a tenth of what I saw could be done , it would make a big difference .”
As an outsider trying to drive change , Knausenberger understood the challenge of becoming part of an organization still entrenched in a traditional approach . “ What the Air Force was really looking for was someone who thought differently and was passionate about the problem space , and who could convince people that we could really do it ,” she explains . “ At the end of the day , I simply calculate risk differently . Most people say the military is risk averse , but from my perspective , we were taking crazy risks everywhere – by not
APRIL 2020