Joseph Doherty Talks About Recent Acquisition: ACS, A Xerox Company

We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Joseph Doherty, the Executive Vice President and Group President in the Government Solutions Group of ACS, A Xerox Company. We talked about how the recent acquisition has gone so far and some of the top priorities going forward. He also talked about his role in the organization and how his 20 years in the Navy has impacted his life today working in the private sector. Watch the video below to hear Doherty speak on the transition thus far:

ExecutiveBiz: We talked about the recent acquisition and how has the transition gone so far?

Joe Doherty: The transaction between ACS and Xerox was closed in early February and we are off and running. It’s been a great experience that’s brought the ACS team closer and quickly brought us together with our Xerox colleagues, because we have similar expectations and excitement around the new enterprise. We’re also managing the need to “keep to our knitting” on our core ACS clients and deliverables, while being focused on selling the best of Xerox and ACS to current and prospective clients.

So far, that interaction has been working perfectly as the Xerox corporate organization has been great to work with.  - Joseph Doherty

Joe Doherty: I can’t pinpoint a particular challenge that stands out in my mind as a result of the transaction. The combination of ACS and Xerox is all about opportunity, because our clients can now get the best in the business– a service provider with the core business process outsourcing and IT solutions of ACS, coupled with Xerox’s document management capability that is second to none, along with their global reach and industry-leading investment in research and development.

ExecutiveBiz: Has your role changed at all since this has happened?

Joe Doherty: Technically, my role has not changed. However, I’d say that all of our leaders feel a strong sense of ownership for the success of this acquisition, so we’re working hard to keep our teams keep focused on current clients and pipeline of new business, while moving with a sense of urgency to achieve the significant synergies between the two companies made possible by the transaction.

As you might expect, to run a major transaction such as this there is a lot of information flow. There is a lot of newness, and at the same time, a lot of excitement. Understandably, people want to run hard and fast so one of my biggest jobs is to keep us focused, to communicate up and down the chain of command and across the organization with the sales and operations.

ExecutiveBiz: Can you tell us some of your top priorities going forward?

Joe Doherty: My priorities going forward are quite simple: relentless execution of our current client requirements, focus on base sales and net new sales combining the best of Xerox with the best of ACS, and keep communicating our successes and lessons learned up, down and across the team.

So far, that interaction has been working perfectly as the Xerox corporate organization has been great to work with. It seems like a perfect culture fit and I see the daily interaction between the corporate interactions team and the sales team as working as advertised. We are focused on growth, which is what it’s all about.

ExecutiveBiz: How would your colleagues describe you?

Joe Doherty: My colleagues would probably describe me as energetic, compassionate, optimistic, collaborative, a good communicator and a guy who never sleeps. I think they try to figure out when I go home and when I sleep. Through the recent snowstorms in the Washington area, or even on a regular workday, I’ll be here when my colleagues leave at night and I will be here when they come back in the morning. They will always ask me if I got a chance to sleep.  I love coming to work so this is my focus and this is my passion.

ExecutiveBiz: What are some of your favorite hobbies in your free time?

Joe Doherty: Getting out on my road bike and cycling 100 miles at 20 miles per hour refreshes my brain and keeps my juices flowing. I am also a basketball junkie – I play it, watch it, and read about it — I love the round ball.

ExecutiveBiz: You spent twenty years in the Navy. Can you tell us how your experience in the Navy has changed you into who you are and helped you with your job here?

Joe Doherty: After twenty years in the Navy and seeing the diversity both from working with my shipmates and from visiting 19 countries prepared me for the diversity in the workforce, first at CSC where they are more hierarchical in organizational structure. It was a place where I liked coming to work because I had great colleagues, great bosses, and great mentors that shaped me going forward in that transition. I learned a lot from them.

When I came to ACS it was my dream job because it’s a company with a diverse and great portfolio of solutions and services. I was entrusted by a great CEO, CFO, COO and Chief People Officer who all trusted me to run the business the way that I wanted to in order to grow the business.

The leadership team that I have is working every day to grow the business. It has been a great transition for me. It has been a great ride. I went from CSC and doing Operations Director-type of work in business development to becoming a President and running a $3 billion business and then over to ACS where I have my dream job now with Xerox. This is a dream come true for a little boy from Northern Maine.

ExecutiveBiz: What are the key take-aways from the acquisition?

Joe Doherty: Simply stated, share responsibility for success with one’s leadership TEAM and they will make it happen – I know mine has. I have a great team and the Xerox TEAM is a joy to work with. It’s been a great ride. I think the key to the success here is the transaction has inserted a new spirit into the company and into our people. It is fun to see that little kick in their step everyday.

To watch Doherty speak about his experience in the Navy click here.

To watch Doherty on how he believes his colleagues would describe him click here.

Posted by Ellen Scott on Monday, March 1st, 2010. Filed under Executive Spotlight. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry