Office of Management and Budget file photo
Procurement Policy Chief to Leave Post for Private Firm
Joseph Jordan to join Fedbid as president of its public sector operations.
In an unexpected move, Joseph Jordan, head of the White House procurement policy office, is leaving the administration to join a private firm that runs an online marketplace used by federal agencies.
Jordan is joining FedBid, a company headquartered in Vienna, Va., the company said in a press release. He will have the title president of public sector.
Office of Management and Budget Director Sylvia Burwell confirmed that Jordan was leaving as head of OMB’s Office of Federal Procurement Policy, Federal News Radio reported. The move will take effect at the end of January.
FedBid connects federal and commercial buyers with sellers of goods and services. The company specializes in running reverse auctions, in which firms compete to offer the lowest price.
“Helping governments be more fiscally responsible to taxpayers while helping small, minority, veteran and disadvantaged businesses grow, is something that I am passionate about,” said Jordan in the company’s release. “This new role leading public sector efforts with FedBid gives me the opportunity to continue building momentum in our efforts to help the government buy smarter, while advancing economic growth in communities throughout the country.”
In a statement issued Friday, Burwell said Jordan "has been a driving force behind administration procurement initiatives, including eliminating inefficiencies and buying smarter through strategic sourcing and shared services; improving contractor accountability and fighting waste, fraud, and abuse through the increased use of suspensions and debarments; stopping the excessive reimbursement for contractor executives; and making it easier for small businesses to contract with the federal government."
Jordan has been head of OFPP since May 2012. Before that, he served in OMB as an adviser. Jordan was associate administrator for government contracting and business development at the Small Business Administration from 2009 to 2011, and prior to that he worked at the consulting firm McKinsey & Co.
In March, Jordan, speaking at an acquisition conference, noted that the Obama administration was successful at reducing contracts by $20 billion in fiscal 2012 and moving interagency contracting off the Government Accountability Office’s list of high-risk programs.
“Buying smarter means buying less, but doing it in a more thoughtful and focused way,” said Jordan.
Charles S. Clark contributed to this report.