Back where he belongs: Finding the right career path at Leidos
After more than two decades with Leidos and its predecessor company, SAIC, Mike Sapp had built an impressive career leading large, complex software programs. But like many professionals, there came a point where he wanted something different.
Today, he's back at Leidos as the Director of Product Delivery for the Air Traffic team, helping pursue one of the company's most significant opportunities: modernizing the nation's aging air traffic control system.
For him, returning wasn't simply about coming back, it was about finding the right role at the right time.
A career that started with curiosity
When Mike first joined the company in 2002, he was looking for an opportunity to expand his technical skills.
"I wanted to update my software development knowledge by learning Java," he says. "The company was willing to invest in teaching me while I used my management experience to help lead a project."
That willingness to learn set the stage for a career that would span more than 20 years, primarily leading large-scale software programs and eventually overseeing a portfolio of more than 400 employees as a vice president.
Stepping away to gain perspective
After years in senior leadership, he found himself ready for a change.
Following a challenging program transition, he began exploring new leadership opportunities. When the right fit didn't materialize internally, he decided to take his career in a different direction.
"I wanted to experience working for a smaller company and have a more manageable schedule," he says. "While I didn't end up loving the role itself, I did enjoy working a true 40-hour week with less stress."
That experience ultimately gave him something even more valuable: clarity. "It helped me figure out who I wanted to be at this point in my career and how I wanted to finish it."
Finding the right opportunity to return
When his small company lost the contract he supported, he began exploring options once again. A conversation with a former Leidos colleague changed everything.
"He told me about a role that checked nearly every box," he says. "It was mostly remote, outside the cleared community, and had a completely different pace and focus."
Returning to Leidos suddenly felt like the perfect next step. "I finally felt like I was working the way I'd always wanted to, even if I hadn't previously had the words to describe it."
His second chapter at Leidos has been very different from the first. Instead of the demanding schedule that often comes with executive leadership, he has found the balance he had been seeking. "I work a much more natural schedule now and have the work-life balance I wanted."
The experience also reinforced something many returning employees discover: a large organization offers the flexibility to reinvent your career without starting over somewhere else.
Turning a passion into a profession
Earlier this year, Mike transitioned to the Air Traffic Management team. Now he's helping capture the next-generation FAA air traffic management program, work that feels especially meaningful because it aligns with a lifelong personal passion.
"I've been a private pilot since 1996," he says. "Working on the future of air traffic management feels like I'm working on my hobby every day."
One of the biggest surprises of this stage in his career has been rediscovering software development. Although he spent most of his career managing software teams rather than writing code himself, advances in AI have opened new possibilities.
"I had long ago accepted that I wasn't going to build software anymore," he says. "Then AI changed everything."
Today, he uses AI to develop, debug, and deploy meaningful software while continuing to lead teams. "I'm still a software manager but now I'm one who produces code as well. It's completely changed my day-to-day work."
Advice for fellow alumni
Looking back, he says leaving Leidos ultimately helped him appreciate what the company could offer in a different role.
My return has changed my work life ten times for the better. I'm happier at work than I've been in years.
Mike Sapp
Director of Product Delivery, Air Traffic, Leidos
His advice for anyone considering coming back is simple. "We're a very large organization, and there are opportunities in so many different corners of the business. If the path you're on isn't the right one, that doesn't mean there isn't another one that's exactly what you're looking for."
For him, returning wasn't about going backward. It was about discovering the next chapter of a career that still had plenty of opportunities ahead.
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