Michael Humm

MichaelHumm

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Michael P. Humm, CPP APMP Fellow (Class of 2004)

Retired, Senior VP
Shipley Associates

Bio

Mike is a long-time proposal professional, having led proposal operations at BDM International (later TRW and Northrop Grumman) and MAXIMUS.

In his position as a Vice President in the Shipley Associates Process Consulting practice, he worked with major clients such as Raytheon, Lockheed Martin, United Launch Alliance, Artic Slope Regional Corporation, Dell, MRI Global, and SNC-Lavalin in developing their corporate business development processes.

In completing assignments like these, Mike recognized the need for an industry-standard model for business development. He championed the design and implementation of what became the Business Development Capability Model (BD-CMM).

His efforts were recognized by the APMP in 2004 when he was awarded the APMP Fellows Award."

What does being an APMP Fellow mean to you?

Being recognized by your peers is the most significant honor.

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

Seeing the membership and attendance grow year after year.

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

Consistent with one of Shipley Associate's principles, always leave residual value from every proposal. Over time, build a suite of tools, processes, and a body of knowledge that is the foundation for continuous improvement.

Anything else you would like to share?

Mike's two sons, Spencer and Marty Humm, have both followed him in the business development profession, and both are recognized as leaders and innovators.

This topic, Executive Summaries, is way underrated. The Executive Summary is the most eye-catching document, which almost everyone on the customer side reads. Yet, in most bid teams, we don’t dedicate the attention it deserves. I want to learn about something I can immediately put into practice at my workplace, which provides a “quick win” to the team and is a long-term benefit for the company.

Dénes Máthé, 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.

Mescall Ceri Photo

Ceri Mescall, CPP APMP

Being an active APMP certified practitioner allowed me to recognize my hidden potential multifold (40u40, BPC Awards, BPC Speaker) and give back to the profession through the APMP community.

Karthik Koutharapu, CP APMP

I never want to be complacent in my career, so it has been beneficial to have this group of peers who are going through similar trials and tribulations in the proposal world on a day-to-day basis.

Jill Zander, CF APMP

The time was a good investment, and I expect to reap benefits now and in the future!

Kelly Erickson, CF 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

With this micro-certification and digital badge, I signal to my bid team and stakeholders that I am familiar with this topic. They can use me as their contact and "sparring partner," independent of RFPs.

Norbert Thiemermann, CPP ES-M 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

The certifications, starting from the foundation to the professional level, help individuals from diverse timeframes in their careers.

Mayura Ravishankar, Proposal Associate

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