Hassoun has a master’s degree in Human Factors and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Wright State University. He serves on the Board of Directors for international security company Aegis LLC, and launched his career with the U.S. Air Force as Program Manager of a large USAF engineering facility.
Today, he is the new Corporate President at Vistronix, having joined the company in July of 2012 as Executive Vice President of Corporate Development. So what did WashingtonExec talk with Hassoun about? Think “why Vistronix,” federal IT and how it’s faring, trends in the industry, and more.
WashingtonExec: Can you tell us a bit about your background and your new role at Vistronix?
John Hassoun: My career started with the U.S. Air Force at Wright-Patterson in Ohio as a technical expert working large weapon systems acquisition programs. I then held several management positions with one services company, which transformed into Veridian through a series of mergers and acquisitions and was eventually bought by General Dynamics in 2003. After three years at General Dynamics, I relocated to Dubai to be the CEO of a couple of integrated security companies with a focus on international business.
After racking up one million air miles, I relocated back to the D.C. area to become ATS Corporation’s co-CEO. ATS was eventually sold to Salient Federal Solutions, and from there I joined Vistronix in July of 2012 to lead corporate development and focus on strategy and acquisitions.
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“I was attracted to Vistronix because it had a great leader, Deepak Hathiramani, and a seasoned management team with core values that matched mine: integrity and ethics, commitment to excellence, respect for the individual and innovation.”
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Once we completed the acquisition of Technology Associates, Deepak asked me to take on the role of corporate president. I’m now also responsible for integrating the new team, operating the company and continuing to build the culture that he instilled.
WashingtonExec: With the new year upon us, what are your thoughts on how the federal IT industry might fare?
John Hassoun: I am an optimist and a strategist. With the federal budget uncertainty, federal IT companies will have to be creative and proactive to be positioned for work that will support our nation. Being a mid-tier national security company, Vistronix has the advantage to realign our focus much faster than larger companies.
WashingtonExec: Do you think there are any important trends right now in the industry we need to be aware of?
John Hassoun: I truly believe that IT’s role in our national security continues to drive mission capabilities, as well as cost savings. With the right focus, our warfighters and federal employees can work closely with industry to do more with less, and we’re very comfortable with this notion. Additionally, mobility and big data will get a lot of focus, and our strategy is built around the development of geospatial applications that rely on the integration of large sets of open source data.
WashingtonExec: Vistronix recently acquired Technology Associates. Can you tell us more about this acquisition, and what it has meant for the company?
John Hassoun: We looked at several companies over the past six months that could complement our strategy and we chose Technology Associates because of their strong geospatial capabilities and access to new markets. Their leadership is incredible, with deep experience and critical access to the U.S. Marines Corps, Department of Health and Human Services, and U.S. Navy customers, all of which will be new customers to Vistronix.
WashingtonExec: You’ve had over 25 years of corporate experience in executive management, corporate strategy and business development, business operations and program management. How would your time spent in these fields have prepped you for your current role? Have there been any significant take-away’s?
John Hassoun: The experience you take from being involved in every aspect of our business teaches you to rely on the things that matter: loyalty, integrity, a high-energy drive, a balanced ego and the passion to get things done.
WashingtonExec: How would you describe your leadership style?
John Hassoun: My leadership mostly resembles Colin Powell’s, but with a hint of Albert Einstein. I have a favorite quote from each of these great men that exemplifies my style:
— “Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new” — Albert Einstein
— “The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them”—Colin Powell
WashingtonExec: What was your very first job?
John Hassoun: Before I finished graduate school, I worked as a research psychologist with a great scientist named Dr. Gary Klein, who was a leading researcher on naturalistic decision-making. I was involved in an Army program that required us to collect data from firefighters and a conceptual model that would predict how an Army commander would react under fire. The experience of working with such great people continues to be fascinating.
