William “Willy” Hilarides

Vice Admiral Hilarides joined CSA’s board of directors in 2021. He is a retired career submarine officer with 35 years’ experience in both operating and procuring submarines and ships. He currently serves on a series of public and private boards, including MIND Technologies, Saildrone and Elysium Industries. He is also the chairman of the Australian Naval Shipbuilding Expert Advisory Panel and the INOVA Fair Oaks Hospital Quality and Safety Committee, and serves as the president of the Naval Submarine League. Additionally, he consults broadly across the defense, intelligence, energy and health care sectors.  

Before retiring in 2016, he served as the commander of the Naval Sea Systems Command, overseeing a global workforce of 70,000, responsible for all U.S. Navy ship construction and maintenance. He also served as program executive officer for submarines, program manager of the SSGN Program and commanding officer USS KEY WEST (SSN 722).  

Vice Admiral Hilarides graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1981 with a bachelor’s degree in physics. He holds a master’s degree in engineering management from the Catholic University of America. In addition, he has completed the Air Force Command and Staff College, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Seminar XXI Program in International Security Affairs and numerous acquisition schools.