Joe O'Neill

JoeONeill

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Joe O'Neill, CPP APMP Fellow (Class of 2010)

Proposal Consultant
Joe O'Neill, LLC

Bio

Joe has over 40 years of proposal experience, primarily DoD, with seven years of commercial experience. He has been a Proposal Manager for well over 100 major proposals and has also served as a Volume Leader, primary author, and Color Team Leader (Black Hats, Blue Team, Pink & Red Team Leader). He has delivered capture/proposal training workshops to functional groups and capture teams. Over the past ten years, this has included over 15 training sessions for over 500 students/practitioners.

Retired after 20+ years as a Business Capture Director from BAE Systems, he has provided proposal manager and consulting services through Shipley Associates and his LLC to BAE Systems and other defense organizations, including Raytheon, Harris, and others.

When not consulting, he enjoys traveling with his wife Faye to see their grandchildren in Indianapolis and Denver, and also international travel to enjoy the many 'bucket list trips' still to go. From his home in New Hampshire, he hopes for lots of winter snows to replenish the nearby downhill ski areas.

What does being an APMP Fellow mean to you?

Recognition from my peers and recognition from the premier professional proposal organization in the world that I bring something special to the proposal table at large.

What's your best memory from attending an APMP event?

Savannah, GA - May 2007 - My first international conference (18th annual APMP International Conference & Exhibits, now called Bid & Proposal Con). I was blown away by the speakers and the content of the presentations. The Gov't-Industry task force presentation on the pre-proposal RFP Q&A process sold me on the value of attending as many future conferences as I could.

What advice do you have for a proposal professional entering our field?

Learn by doing - get onto a proposal, any role, no matter how small. First-hand experience trumps all. If you run into someone who knows what they're doing in the proposal world, stick to them, and learn all you can from them.

Anything else you would like to share?

APMP is a great organization, but it needs to keep its focus on captures & proposals - the things that caused its existence.

This was my first APMP event, and I was wholly impressed. The energy in the room reignited my passion for this industry, and I can't wait to get back to my team to implement what I have learned.

Brittany Guzman

Brittany Guzman, CF APMP

APMP has changed my professional life, elevating it to a standard that I didn’t know existed. Aside from the professional advantages of being certified as an APMP Professional, it’s the community of members who make it so special.

Rita Mascia, CPP APMP

For the first time since I started my career, I felt like I was not alone in my struggles to meet deadlines, wrangle SMEs, and answer impossible questions. I’m grateful to have this community to share our wisdom and experiences.

Anthony Rossi, CF APMP

Receiving Practitioner-level certification boosted my confidence and validated my experiences and professional growth in the bid and proposal industry. The badge is something that I see each day, and it motivates and encourages me to keep networking, learning, and elevating others in our combined professional development goals.

Kim Ruff, CP APMP

The Executive Summary is the key element of each proposal, literally the most important part of the response next to the price – this is why my focus was on this micro certification. Understanding the principles of Deal-Strategy, Win-Strategy, Competitor-Analysis, Ghosting, Persuasive Writing, Features/Benefits/Discriminators, and many more is essential and beneficial for so much more than just the Executive Summary.

Florian Lamisch, CF ES-M APMP

APMP has been instrumental in my success and has given me a framework in which to coach and mentor the bid and proposal stars of the future.

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Ceri Mescall, CPP APMP

APMP certification is the gold standard for the industry. For me, accreditation is formal recognition of my commitment to the profession, as well as an avenue for improving my performance and bid outcomes by training in APMP principles.

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Ailsa Tuck, CP APMP

As a sales coach, the executive summary is vital for capturing and proposing management activities. This is an excellent addition to our members' professional standing, and I look forward to many more micro certifications.

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Suzanne Shields, CPP ES-M APMP

APMP's techniques on proposal writing are meticulously engineered with real-life examples, and the extensive information available in their Body of Knowledge is a goldmine for bid & proposal professionals.

Anant Shukla, CF APMP

Certification has enhanced my worth as a bid professional. It has validated the skills and experience I have and is proof of my bid management qualities and capabilities. It has given me a springboard to develop my career and aim for Professional certification.

Aynsley Davidson v2

Aynsley Davidson, CP APMP