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President of the Naval Submarine League
Chair of the Australian Naval Shipbuilding Expert Advisory Panel
Vice Adm. William Hilarides graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science in Physics. He holds a Master’s degree in Engineering Management from the Catholic University of America, and is a certified Acquisition Professional in the US Defense Acquisition System.
Hilarides deployed for almost 20 years on four nuclear powered submarines of three different designs. He commanded USS KEY WEST (SSN 722 from May 1998 to November 2000.
VADM Hilarides entered the Acquisition Professional community in 2002, serving as the Program Manager of the SSGN Submarine Conversion Program, Program Executive Officer for Submarines, and Commander of the Naval Sea System Command (NAVSEA). As NAVSEA, he oversaw a global workforce of almost 70,000 and annual expenditures of over $40B, and was responsible for the development, delivery and maintenance of the Navy’s ships, submarines and warfare systems.
Hilarides received various personal and campaign awards, including the Distinguished Service Medal and the Intelligence Distinguished Service medal. He retired in 2016 after 35 years of service.
Since retiring, he has consulted in Defense, Intelligence and Cyber, Energy, and Health Care. He currently serves as the Chair of the Australian Naval Shipbuilding Expert Advisory Panel, is an Outside Director for CSA, Saildrone, Black Sea and MIND Technologies, is Chair of the Inova Fair Oaks Hospital Safety and Quality Board, and is the President of the Naval Submarine League.
