On June 18, 2020, Frank DeSomma, the 57-year-old entrepreneur and former aerospace engineer of Patriot Ordnance Factory fame, tragically passed away in a car accident. This industry lost a stalwart defender and unabashed advocate. Frank was a close mentor of mine. I loved and respected Frank, and he lived life on his terms and without reservation.
The elements that drive business management success are often different from those needed for innovation. Management is about predictable and profitable outcomes. Effective business management often involves efficient operations and controlling resources very tightly. Innovation, on the other hand, is about inspiration and imagination — leveraging your resources to create new and often unpredictable outcomes. Very rarely, a person comes along who can do both. They can both manage and imagine.
One such man was Frank DeSomma.
Frank was a bit of a maverick. He was driven to do the right thing, not just to do things right. Exceptionally patriotic, Frank was outspoken like none
