WashingtonExec hosted a breakfast today featuring AMERICAN SYSTEMS’ President and CEO Bill Hoover on the topic of “What are the Secrets to Firms that will Survive and Thrive in this Market?” Hoover has been a leader in the information systems and services market sector for more than 30 years, joining AMERICAN SYSTEMS in 2005. Since then, Hoover led the development and the annual updates of the Company’s corporate strategy that provides the focus for ongoing growth for the majority-owned Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) company.
The “key” to thriving in today’s uncertain marketplace for companies of any size, according to Hoover, lies in having strong and effective organizational leadership and a sound strategy. To be an effective leader, Hoover believes that you must be a team builder with vision and integrity, who is able to effectively communicate that vision; he speaks of being self-confident, a prudent risk-taker and decisive, and capable of learning from one’s “experiences”—both good and bad.
When it comes to strategy, Hoover noted that if a company is just now developing a strategy to address today’s market, it’s too late. The way to navigate tough times, he noted, is to develop an effective strategy during good times and to execute that strategy in bad times. Hoover indicated that leadership decisiveness enables organizational agility … a competitive advantage in today’s marketplace.
His philosophy stems from his history as a veteran of the U.S. Navy and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering. An active member of his community and industry, Hoover serves on the Boards of Directors for TechAmerica/Public Sector, NDIA, and Northern Virginia Family Service, among others.
He currently sits on Marymount University’s Board of Trustees and Marymount University’s School of Business Administration Board of Visitors, was previously awarded the 2009 Federal 100 List, and earned “Executive of the Year” honors at the 2009 Greater Washington Area Government Contractor Awards.
Additionally his son Mark Hoover is following in his father’s footsteps by working as a government contracting staff writer with Washington Technology. You can follow him on Twitter @mhooverWT.
