Jay Finch

As director of agency partnerships, Jay Finch is responsible for ensuring that 18F maintains a steady pipeline of clients and that those clients have an exceptional experience.

Developing partnerships with other agencies and delivering exceptional customer service are critical to 18F’s mission. Finch performs a crucial function because “our lifeblood is clients coming to us,” said Chris Cairns, director of transformation services at 18F.

Finch has established a set of processes for clearly defining client needs, designing effective solutions and positioning 18F to deliver results for clients, who consistently praise his work. On a number of occasions, he has stepped into projects to help the client and the team achieve effective outcomes.

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“These are complicated engagements,” Cairns said. “We’re introducing new ways of working in many cases, and new ways can challenge historic ways of thinking.… Old habits die hard, and you have to assure the client they’re going to get what they want out of this process.”

At every step, Finch excels at providing guidance to business partners, making them feel confident even when they must venture outside their comfort zones and ensuring that their diverse needs are fully met