The strategic business developer (SBD) role in the AEC (architecture, engineering & construction) industry is multi-faceted and is continuously evolving. A traditional SBD role encompasses identifying, engaging, and generating well-researched, qualified leads. The leads are passed along to be closed by a Practice Leader or Principal or by the SBD professional if he or she has a direct and strong relationship and/or where the engagement/project is within a specialty discipline of the SBD professional.
The SBD professionalâs role has evolved into a multi-faceted, fast-moving position that engages in focused strategic efforts towards opportunities and avenues that result in a firmâs sustainable revenue growth. A successful SBD professional must interact with every business line within the firm or within multiple firms (if the firm is part of a group or family of firms). Cross marketing and cross selling are extremely important keys to success in multi-disciplinary firms with
Across Pennsylvania and the country, 2020 started on a positive note for businesses and the economy. Unemployment was low — 3.9% in Chester County in January 2020 and 3.7% in
49%: cloud usage vulnerabilities
41%: new risks with unvetted apps/platforms
39%: new vulnerabilities in existing apps or platforms.
CISOs are right to be worried. The remote work threat surface introduces a variety of new challenges. One of the subtlest, most dangerous, and fastest-evolving new threats is the so-called “soft attack.”
What is a Soft Attack?
Typically, cyber-attacks are delivered by files or links that deliver malicious payloads. Bad actors can automate these attacks en masse, with fairly crude campaigns running over short timeframes. Soft attacks – or “soft hacks,” as the The Wall Street Journal has recently called them – are far more targeted.