Donnie W. Downs

From basketball to business leadership

Donnie describes his Washington-area roots and upbringing in Prince George’s County as lasting influences. He recalls competing in AAU, high-school, and college basketball, where preparation, conditioning, and practice mattered every time he stepped onto the court. He carries that expectation of effort into leadership, alongside a belief that leaders are responsible for the people doing the work.

His technology-business career began in sales and marketing at AT&T and continued into general management at VSI. Looking back, he credits AT&T with teaching him process and operational discipline, and VSI with teaching him how clear responsibilities help people run a business together. Continuing to learn remained part of the work.

At Plan B Technologies, he served as president and CEO. He recalls writing early employment offers on napkins and asking former colleagues to take a chance on a new business. For him, that story is about trust accumulated through working together. He also recalls sharpening the company’s focus on business continuity: understanding what a customer needed to keep running, then organizing the work around that need.

CDI acquired Plan B Technologies in July 2020. Donnie remembers the teams building relationships through complementary technical work before the acquisition. He describes the decision in terms of opportunities a larger organization could offer his people. He later served as CDI’s Director of Corporate Culture, bringing his attention to relationships and shared expectations into organizational change.

His regional executive recognition includes The Daily Record’s Most Admired CEOs honors in 2014 and 2017, and Washington Business Journal’s Most Admired CEOs recognition within its 2014 CEO of the Year Awards. Today, his speaking, consulting, and writing draw on those years of operating businesses and learning what leadership asks of a person.

When Donnie talks about culture, he returns to an ordinary Monday morning: colleagues in the kitchen talking about games, meals, and time spent together. He remembers those conversations as signs that relationships were strong. Business performance mattered, and so did a workplace where people felt respected, connected, and ready to take responsibility. The Six C’s give that perspective a practical language.

Education

Credential wording is supported by Donnie’s published professional biography.