Yvonne Vervaet: Creating Your Own Opportunities
Episode: 78
On this episode of the Intelligence Career Conversations podcast, host Jim Donnelly is joined by Yvonne Vervaet, Executive Vice President and Chief Growth Officer at Nightwing, who brings more than 30 years of experience across the intelligence, defense, and aerospace communities. Yvonne reflects on her unconventional path from finance and pricing into business development, capture, and senior growth leadership, and how recognizing her strengths and embracing unexpected opportunities shaped her career. She also discusses continuous learning, mentorship, thinking several steps ahead when making career decisions, and adapting to rapid technological and organizational change. Throughout the conversation, Yvonne shares advice for early-career professionals on finding work that plays to their strengths, embracing stretch opportunities, building relationships and receiving feedback, and understanding how each career move can contribute to a longer-term path in national security.
"Recognizing your strengths and being willing to step into unexpected opportunities allows you to build a trajectory that serves both your professional growth and the mission." Yvonne Vervaet
