Director

Experience

Despina Panagoulias is an effective strategist with 15 years of experience consulting for Federal Government and private sector clients. She leads complex, cross-divisional initiatives, from concept to execution and is skilled at developing and implementing new strategies that support client business and organizational objectives. A respected leader, she is focused on building a high-performing culture of growth and development. Despina has been recognized for being able to guide, train, inspire, and mentor multi-disciplined and collaborative teams.  

Despina is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Change Management Practitioner (PROSCI), and Strategic Workforce Planner. She is passionate about forming partnerships with clients, an approach she has brought to her work with the Department of Homeland Security, Internal Revenue Service, Census Bureau, Department of Agriculture, Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Health and Human Services. Despina focuses on strategy, performance management, and human capital projects and particularly enjoys working on leadership and employee development strategies. She leads Arc Aspicio’s Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Innovation (DEII) Initiative. 

Prior to joining Arc Aspicio, Despina served private, public, and non-profit clients at the MITRE Corporation and at Deloitte Consulting.  

Education

• George Mason University, B.A., Government and International Politics 

• George Mason University, School of Policy and Government, M.A., Global Commerce and Policy 

Areas of Expertise

• Project and Program Management 

• Operations Transformation 

• Human Capital Strategy 

• Change Management 

• Performance Management 

Areas of Interest

• Future of Work 

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 

• Human-Centered Design 

• Data Analytics and Visualization 

• Cybersecurity 

• Global Trade and Economics