If I were writing the bio for Gorman, I'd say his daddy was a moderately powerful exec at the company, but generally regarded by the corps as a dickhead with a silver spoon (and a corncob) up his ass. Burke then pulled some strings with a USCM colonel that was in the company's pocket and got him assigned to the mission as a favor to Gorman Sr.
Yeah, I read a lot into Burke's line: "You had your chance, Gorman!"