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Vice President of IT Services, Avineon
In little more than a decade, Hee Sun Choung went from a college graduate to a senior manager, overseeing some of the company’s largest contracts. Find out how two advanced degrees catapulted Choung to the top.
By Katie Ford
In 1995, Hee Sun Choung graduated from the University of Michigan and launched into the workforce as a naval architect for Avineon in Alexandria , VA. In little more than a decade, she rose to the senior management level, overseeing some of the company's largest contracts. As the vice president of IT services, Choung now leads the development, management, and implementation of all federal civilian agency projects.
How did a twentysomething college graduate accelerate her career so quickly? Her boss, Avineon president and CEO Karlu Rambhala, cites Choung's commitment to continuing education as a major factor in her success.
“The advanced degrees Hee Sun earned while being employed at Avineon have broadened her professional horizons,” he says. “She has demonstrated a wider grasp of company financials and how the decisions she makes within the IT services division impact the overall growth and financial well-being of the company.”
During her time at Avineon, Choung has earned two advanced degrees—the first while on administrative leave, the second while working full time. In addition to her bachelor's degrees in naval architecture and marine engineering, she now has a master's degree in concurrent marine design with a focus on information technology, as well as an MBA.
In the beginning, Choung says, her undergraduate education provided the right combination of technical skills for designing marine vessels. However, as new technologies emerged and the company's operations evolved, she realized she needed more than her undergraduate degrees to stay afloat.
