Hearing from Bruce McConnell about Bruce McConnell

I mentioned late last night that Bruce McConnell has agreed to sell his companies — McConnell International and Government Futures — to Clinton Rubin LLC, a management consulting firm in Pennsylvania.

Early this morning, I got this note from McConnell:

I am pleased to announce that my two firms, Government Futures and McConnell International, have been acquired by Clinton Rubin, LLC, a management consulting firm based near Philadelphia. As you will see, the combined company offers exciting new services and value to government-facing clients. I will continue to be involved as an adviser and consultant.

On a more personal note, I have come to believe that our planet is at a profound turning point. The challenges we face as human beings and as a nation create daunting yet wonderful opportunities to collaborate in new ways, if we open to them. I believe my best contribution is to continue to find common ground among diverse worldviews, and to be a catalyst where business, government, and technology collide and react to create a better world. I welcome your ideas and inspirations.

McConnell — even while he was at OMB — has been one of the people who looked at technology as a way of enabling organizations to accomplish their missions. And like me, he is fascinated by what Web 2.0 means for government. I hope he stays actively involved in those issues — and others.

And… congratulations.

McConnell International sold to Clinton Rubin

McConnell International, which was founded and run by Bruce McConnell, the former information
technology chief at the Office of Management and Budget, has been sold to Clinton Rubin LLC, a consulting firm specializing in executive level management services, it was announced overnight.

I literally just saw the release, so I don’t know much more then what I read, but… according to the release [.pdf]…

McConnell International – a Clinton Rubin LLC company, is a consulting firm specializing in bringing the best of private sector resources, including technology-centered services, to government executives to solve their mission critical problems. The firm provides executive consultants with in-depth governmental experience and expertise to advise senior management in industry and government. McConnell International has an established Federal agency practice that provides expertise across a broad range of civilian agencies including the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of
Treasury, and other financial services agencies.

McConnell International, while becoming a Clinton Rubin LLC company, will maintain its focus on the government sector and will bring significant additional value to client engagements through Clinton Rubin’s strategic consulting and project management capabilities. Bruce McConnell, McConnell International’s founder and former information technology chief at the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, will remain actively involved in the new venture.

I assume that McConnell’s Government Futures site comes along with the deal, but… the release doesn’t say. Government Futures was an interesting experiment in building a futures market — a predictive market — around government issues. The difficulty, as with so many of these initiatives, is building a user base.

Read the full release after the break…