Margaret Littell Helsabeck, CPP APMP Fellow (Class of 2009)
Retired
Bio
Margaret has been happily retired since 2015. She spent more than 30 years working in the US and the UK, mostly on government proposals and contracts. She had several roles focused on proposal process improvement across a division of the company, starting in 1984 with IBM to implement a cross-division standard proposal system.
She retired from BAE Systems in 2015, where she implemented improvements for the Avionics Division and Platform Solutions before taking on a role at the corporate level in the Centre for Performance Excellence as Director of Performance Improvement. Margaret worked across BAE Systems to identify, communicate, and implement perceived best practices at the time. She designed, wrote, and published an internal book based on identified best practices, which was distributed across the corporation. After BAE Systems, she worked part-time for a consulting group called Harmonic Inc to systematize and create a standard internally and with customers.
In retirement, Margaret is focused on her love of art and improving her drawing and painting skills in addition to traveling, gardening, cooking, reading, and visiting family in the US.
What does being an APMP Fellow mean to you?
It’s an honor to be an APMP Fellow.
What's your best memory from attending an APMP event?
Receiving my Fellowship. I can also recall some amazing speakers.
What advice do you have for a proposal professional entering our field?
Be focused, consistent, strong, but also flexible.
Anything else you would like to share?
Proposal management is challenging and a wonderful place to learn about a business and to establish yourself there as a professional who delivers, sometimes known as a heavy lifter.
