PROFILE
The Wolf of Warfare Karen Wolf, chief learning officer at ManTech International, keeps her workforce on the cutting edge of new technologies and digital transformation. BY ASHLEY ST. JOHN
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he path to chief learning officer is often an unconventional one. Karen Wolf’s journey is especially compelling. “I came to learning and development in a very odd career progression. I spent 25 years as a special agent in the FBI,” said Wolf, CLO at ManTech International. “My background was in drug-related public corruption investigations — think dirty police officers stealing drugs and selling them on the street.” In her current role, however, she’s no longer taking down crooked cops. At ManTech, an American defense contracting firm specializing in cybersecurity and IT, Wolf is responsible for the development of more than 9,000 employees who are passionate about protecting national security. The government contractor offers services in the defense, intelligence and federal civilian markets. “For us, learning and development is not a benefit,” Wolf said. “It’s not something we offer to our employees like dental insurance. We don’t stay in business without our employees being on the cutting edge of new technologies and digital transformation, because that’s the services that we provide to the government — whatever the latest and greatest cutting-edge stuff is.” Wolf’s position comes with its share of challenges. She heads an L&D team of only five, responsible for the development of a geographically dispersed workforce with at least 80 percent of employees working offsite. But her unique background prepared her for the role.
Becoming a Role Model In 1982, after getting her bachelor’s degree in communications and a stint with a public relations firm, Wolf enrolled in the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. She graduated in 1983 and began her career in law enforcement as a firearms instructor for the bureau. “I had some big cases in the FBI that I was very proud of, that a ton of work went into — multiyearlong undercover investigations,” Wolf said. “I helped put a former 34 Chief Learning Officer • April 2020 • ChiefLearningOfficer.com
governor in jail for corruption in Louisiana. I worked some star-stalker cases when I was in Los Angeles.” Wolf was one of the first 100 women hired by the FBI. In her first two field offices, she was the only female agent at times. This made it difficult to find female role models, which in part prompted Wolf’s next move. “I really wanted to get back to the FBI Academy because when I went through the academy, there were no women on the faculty,” she said. “I think it really does help for women and people of color and minorities to have someone to look up to.”
“There’s nothing that makes a law enforcement officer more uncomfortable than not being in command of a great skill set.” — Karen Wolf, chief learning officer, ManTech International Wolf ended up back at Quantico teaching in-classroom instruction in specialized areas of FBI investigations. But once she began teaching adults, she realized she didn’t really know what she was doing. “There’s nothing that makes a law enforcement officer more uncomfortable than not being in command of a great skill set,” she said. “So, going back to school made a ton of sense.” At the age of 45, Wolf enrolled at the University of Virginia and earned her master’s degree in education, followed by her doctorate in educational leadership. The FBI paid for her degrees and then pushed her to move up the administrative ranks at the FBI Academy. “They had somebody who now could wear both hats — being sworn law enforcement and also having gotten those degrees,” Wolf said. In 2006, Wolf retired from the FBI and went to
