40 years of DAI

to improve as soon as this change occurred,
but Boomgard’s authority over the operating
groups, when it came to choosing winnable
RFPs and assigning the right people to proposal
teams, remained ambiguous.
In the spring of 2004, further steps were taken
after an executive team retreat that analyzed
gaps in the management structure and proposed
solutions. By now, DAI was ready for a
strong COO, and this authority did not have
to be imposed on the operating group VPs—
indeed, they asked for it. Jim Boomgard was
the consensus choice. His colleagues had seen
him grow personally and professionally over the
previous several years, and they had faith in his
intellect, judgment, and character.
This was a big decision, and Barclay thought it
made good sense because it would rebalance
the executive team. Although he hadn’t previously
focused on the next succession process,
he knew that issue would soon be before him
and the Board. By promoting Boomgard, one of
the younger members of the executive team, he
was sending an important signal about future
leadership of the firm.
Photo by Joanne Kent, DAI
During the late 1990s and early 2000s, DAI had
indeed gone much farther and faster than anyone
could have imagined, packing an unprecedented
amount of growth and learning into just
a few years. A much larger company, financially
healthier, and with a much deeper set of skills,
DAI was once again heading toward transition.
In February 2005,
Jim Boomgard
became DAI’s Chief
Operating Officer.
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