Bill Mahoney - Chief Executive Officer
Bill Mahoney brings over 35 years of technology management and applied systems innovation and leadership to the role of President and CEO of SCRA.
Following early career experience at Honeywell and Digital Equipment Corporation in the 1970’s, Bill executed a series of marketing and business development initiatives for different early-stage companies in the 1980’s, all of which culminated in successfully delivering “first of a kind “ applied systems in emerging markets. Among these were Electronic Publishing (for Xyvision, Inc), Automatic Remote Monitoring (for Metscan Corp.), Directory Assistance, and Collaborative Research (for Computer Consoles, Inc). The latter was deployed by CCI, of Rochester, NY, at the Naval Surface Weapons Research Laboratory in Dahlgren, VA, and later replicated at DOT and DOE.
While still based in Rochester in the early 90’s, Bill became Marketing and Client Services executive for the education software systems division of Dun & Bradstreet. In this role, Bill was responsible for client satisfaction, implementation, and support services for nearly 1,100 colleges and universities worldwide. Among his clients were SUNY, the Pennsylvania State System, the Georgia Board of Regents, the Tennessee Board of Regents, both the University of California and Cal State Systems, both the Texas State and Community College Systems, the Utah Board of Higher Education and the S. C. Technical Education System.
During this tenure, he demonstrated his comprehension of how universities work, and often advised legislators and other decision-makers on policy initiatives for higher education. He remained in this role following acquisition of the D&B division by Systems and Computer Technology Corp (SCT) in 1993.
In 1995, Bill was promoted to President of SCT’s Utility Systems division in Columbia, SC. Under five years of Bill’s leadership, SCT Utility Systems produced the world’s first large-scale, product-based Customer Information System for energy and utility markets, and then successfully deployed over 220 systems in North America, Europe Australia, and Asia. The division grew from $8 million in revenues and a significant loss to over $175 million and sustained profitability. When the business was acquired by Indus International in 2002, it retained the largest installed base of utility CIS systems worldwide.
Through SCT Utility Systems, Bill had the experience of being both a customer and a Board member of SCRA. SCT purchased the land for its 1995 and 1997-built facilities in the Carolina Research Park, and he served on the SCRA Board from 1998-2000. During this time, he also served on the boards of the Palmetto Health Alliance, Midlands Technical College, and the Palmetto Project. He now serves on the boards of: National Energy Marketers Association, Midlands Technical College Foundation, US Fuel Cell Council, and SC Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Alliance.
Since assuming leadership at SCRA in August 2005, Bill has helped the Company grow from $74M in annual revenues to $170M, with total annual backlog growth from about $85M to $405M. In the same timeframe, total value of contracts under SCRA management has grown from about $235M to over $1.3B and SCRA’s corporate client base has doubled to over 200 companies.
In addition to financial results, Bill’s leadership has positioned SCRA as an emerging global leader in targeted applied research and commercialization vertical markets for Federal and corporate clients. At the same time, SCRA’s SC Launch program, designed to help knowledge economy startups form and land in SC, has helped nearly 230 entrepreneurial companies get established in SC, and the top 40 of those companies have now attracted over $104M in private equity investment, since program inception in 2006.
To exemplify Bill’s re-positioning impetus on SCRA: shortly after his arrival, Bill directed the Company to launch a new business area focused on alternative energy. In the fall of 2005 SCRA joined a state-wide effort to facilitate the discovery, development and deployment of critical segments of the hydrogen economy within South Carolina. That effort has grown dramatically in five years, and through its memberships in the South Carolina Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Alliance and its program management of the University of South Carolina – Columbia Fuel Cell Collaborative, SCRA has developed solid partnerships with the state’s leading hydrogen and fuel cell research institutions (Savannah River National Laboratory, Clemson University, University of South Carolina). SCRA’s success in bringing over two decades of consortium management expertise to bear in facilitating solutions to the applied research and early commercialization challenges of the emerging hydrogen economy resulted in SCRA being recognized for innovation leadership by the Southern Growth Policies Conference in 2009.
Other recognition for SCRA during Bill’s tenure includes: selection by the national State Science and Technology Institute (SSTI) of SC Launch as the top Technology-based economic development program in the US in 2008; selection in 2009 by the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) of SC Launch as a leading entrepreneurial program globally; recognition of SC Launch by Forbes Magazine as one of the Top 5 entrepreneurial support programs in the US in 2010; and selection of SCRA in total by the IEDC as a top global company in collaboration in 2010. During the same timeframe, SCRA affiliate ATI was cited by the US Navy as managing its two best-performing Manufacturing Technology Centers, and was chosen by The Wall Street Journal as one the top 15 small workplaces in the US. On a personal basis, Bill was chosen in 2008 by TechJournal South as one of the 25 Most Influential Technology Leaders in the Southeastern US.
Through a unique combination of experience as a change agent, delivering new technology offerings to new markets, collaborating with colleges and universities, delivering growth and returns from a South Carolina-based business, and effectively interacting with the venture community, Bill serves both SCRA the State of SC well, as both strive to become more competitive in the knowledge-based economy.