What We Believe
People inherently want to do good work
Most failures are systemic, not personal
Silence is more dangerous than conflict
Trust is built by keeping commitments
Joy in engineering is not naive – it’s earned
One person can change a team, and one team can change an organization. In fact, that’s the only way change happens.
Where Our Experience Comes From
Our team brings decades of experience working in high-stakes, technology-intensive, safety-critical environments across government and industry.
We have lived inside the realities our clients face – complex systems, demanding schedules, real consequences – and have seen both the cost of poor practice and the impact of disciplined, principled engineering done well.
That experience informs how we partner, mentor, and teach with others.
Meet the People Behind Exceptional Difference
Julia Mullaney, CEO
julia@execptionaldifference.com
With a commitment to changing the world of software engineering, Julia Mullaney, a co-founder of Exceptional Difference, is an award-winning engineer, instructor, leader, and consultant who has worked with software companies in many industries across the globe.
While at IBM, Mullaney was instrumental in process improvement efforts and had a major role in defining and implementing defect prevention. At the Software Engineering Institute (SEI,) Mullaney was a key contributor to the Personal Software Process (PSP) and Team Software Process (TSP) through the development of training, certification, licensing, and applied research at leading software organizations. She is a Certified Smart Grid Maturity Model (SGMM) Navigator, PSP Developer and TSP Coach, and served as Chairperson of the IEEE/ SEI Watts Humphrey Software Process Achievement award from 2018 to 2020.
Alan Willett, Chief Engineer
alan@execptionaldifference.com
Expert consultant, speaker, and award-winning author of Leading the Unleadable: How to Manage Cynics, Divas, and Other Difficult People, and Lead With Speed, Alan Willett is co-founder of Exceptional Difference. Alan works with clients around the world, including the UK, Turkey, South Africa, China, India, Canada, and Mexico, and of course, throughout the United States.
For more than two decades Alan Willett has consulted to HP, Oracle, Microsoft, NASA, General Motors, Intuit, NAVAIR, Orbital ATK, OnStar, Cornell University, Rutgers University, Technological de Monterrey, Acxiom, and many more. Alan’s passionate work has focused on leadership, with laser focus on the unique challenges of leading in the elevated pressure environments of high-technology developments.
David VanEpps, Chief Operating Officer
dave@exceptionaldifference.com
Impact and amplification. These are the tenets that inspire David VanEpps in his work as Chief Operating Officer at Exceptional Difference. Through his work, he seeks to ignite technical teams to deliver breakthrough results, grow high-performing organizations, and create Cultures of Excellence where everyone thrives.
David employs a motivational approach to leadership, seeking to bring out the best in those around him and enhance their ability to rapidly deliver value. As a proven leader, he strives to delight engineers, end users, and key stakeholders by bridging the business-technology gap and simplifying complex concepts into digestible components and actionable requirements. David’s belief in people allows him to develop enterprise strategies, roadmaps, and action plans designed for high-performing teams capable of delivering results that scale high growth companies.