Best of ExecutiveBiz in 2008

What a year. From market meltdowns to a change in administration, 2008 will go down as a year of unprecedented change. Local businesses and leaders were no strangers to change, either, and ExecutiveBiz was there every step of the way, chronicling the key players in commercial and government markets. In case you missed any of our headline grabbers, don’t panic —  we’ve compiled a list of 2008’s most read and interesting articles. So, pull up a chair, relax, and enjoy a look back at the names that mattered most — and whom we’re sure to hear more from over the coming year.

New at the Top
ExecutiveBiz rang in January 2008 with a look at “new at the top” government contracting executives. Each arrived on the scene at a time when their employers were in the midst of aggressive growth and expansion efforts, and each stood poised and ready to take those efforts to new levels.
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Global Strategies Group (North America) Inc.’s John Hillen
How could you not like a corporate president who insists that Anita’s is his favorite local place to eat and who likes to read Harry Potter to his kids? John Hillen, CEO of Global Strategies Group (North America) Inc., reveals he’s just like the rest of us — except he also happens to oversee some of the most complex and highly-classified international security issues. Read more

SRA’s Stan Sloane
By the time we sat down with SRA’s president and CEO, Stan Sloane, last January, he was busy crafting an ambitious plan to reach $5 billion in revenue by 2012. In an exclusive interview, Sloane discussed his growth strategy, the hot trends he was tracking, and a little side hobby of his: flying planes. Read more

EDS’s Dennis Stolkey
Over the past 22 years, Dennis Stolkey has made an impressive ascent through the ranks of EDS (now an HP company), and manages its U.S. government sector — a practice worth $3 billion. Last February, Stolkey sat down with ExecutiveBiz and shared a few secrets to his longevity. In a personal turn, he also offered an inspiring glimpse of how he refused to let a personal battle with dyslexia impede his rise up the leadership ladder. Read more

Top 10 COOs
Comedian Rodney Dangerfield used to say, “I don’t get no respect.” One wonders if, in a previous life, Dangerfield was a chief operating officer. While the president and CEO are accountable for establishing an organization’s goals, over time it is the COO who is charged with delivering results on a daily basis. A company with a strong No. 2 holds a tremendous edge over its competitors. Read more

CSC’s Jim Sheaffer
As president of CSC’s North American Public Sector, Sheaffer is responsible for all of the business CSC does with government clients in North America — that includes United States federal and state governments, as well as Canada. In the midst of those responsibilities, Jim found the time to sit down with us back in March and discuss the company’s overall plans for growth. Read more

Northrop Grumman’s Linda Mills
Back in July, Linda Mills spoke with ExecutiveBiz about her role as corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman IT. Mills oversees the company’s $4.5 billion information technology unit in McLean, Va., and is successfully leading the IT services component of the largest, fastest-growing division of the company. Mills discussed the key strengths that have helped her navigate her past and current roles, and how she’s making sure her unit stays relevant in a competitive marketplace. Read more

The return of Download column
Remember the Washington Post’s Download column? Up until its hiatus in 2006, Download offered readers the inside scoop on the tech community’s major players and trends. This past September the column’s readers had reason to celebrate again; that’s when the Post’s Kim Hart kicked off the columns long-awaited return. Hart spoke with ExecutiveBiz about the column’s reentry on the scene (Update: The column will soon be weekly). Read more

Ted Davies on his new role at Unisys
Less than two months after Ted Davies assumed the ranks as president of Unisys Federal Systems, he spoke with ExecutiveBiz about his vision for the company. “I think we are going to get more excitement in the hallways here — and I think the industry is going to see that as well,” said Davies. Davies also weighed in on what the change in administration might mean for the government contracting community. Read more

Top 10 Business Development Executives
They come from a diverse range of backgrounds. Some came to the private sector from the military. Others made the transition from the government. Whatever their individual backgrounds they all share a common theme: Each has developed strategies that have driven their companies’ success. Read more

Ten Finance Executives to Watch
Last June, with the presidential election still looming, ExecutiveBiz went knocking on the doors of leading CFOs and finance executives. We wanted to hear from them, first-hand, how they were weathering not only a change in administration but an increasingly uncertain financial climate. What we found were executives with the kind of leadership skills and eye for strategy to move their companies forward. Read more

So, there you have it — a wrap-up of our top stories for the year. Who else do you think had a major impact on the DC’s area business and leadership in 2008? Who would you add to the list? Let us know!