Bill Mahoney brings over 30 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, Mr. Mahoney executed a series of marketing and business development initiatives for venture-backed 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).
While based in Rochester, New York, in the early 1990’s, Mr. Mahoney became Marketing and Client Services executive for the education software systems division of Dun & Bradstreet. In this role, he 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 after the acquisition of the D&B division by Systems and Computer Technology Corp (SCT) in 1993.
In 1995, Mr. Mahoney was promoted to President of SCT’s Utility Systems division in Columbia, SC. Under five years of his 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 six different countries. The division grew from $8 million in revenues and a significant loss to over $120 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, Mr. Mahoney 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 Foundation, and the Palmetto Project. He now serves on the boards of: National Energy Marketers Association, Midlands Technical College, and EngenuitySC.
Shortly after his arrival at SCRA, Mr. Mahoney commenced the execution of SCRA’s mandates under the Innovation Centers Act of 2005 and the subsequent Industry Partners Act of 2006 by forming SC Launch!. In addition to providing services and financial support to over 50 start-up companies within the state, national awareness of SC Launch! led directly to South Carolina achieving a top 5 national ranking for support of entrepreneurship from Entrepreneur magazine. 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 less than a year, and through its memberships in the South Carolina Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Alliance and 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, and University of South Carolina). SCRA now is well positioned to bring its two decades of consortium management expertise to bear in facilitating solutions to the early commercialization challenges of applied research and the emerging hydrogen economy.
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, Mr. Mahoney serves the state well as it works to become more competitive in the knowledge-based economy. Mr. Mahoney is a graduate of Harvard University.
