Margarita Howard Reflects on Two Decades of Leading HX5

Twenty years after founding HX5, Margarita Howard leads a company that has become a recognized name in federal defense contracting. As sole owner and CEO/president, she oversees a workforce of more than 1,000 employees delivering professional mission support services to the Department of Defense and NASA across 90 government locations and 34 states. The Fort Walton Beach, Florida firm’s reach and stability reflect decisions made early and reinforced consistently over time.

Howard’s path to entrepreneurship ran through the Tricare program, the Department of Defense’s managed health care initiative. Starting as an area field manager and advancing to regional director with responsibility for seven southeastern states, she developed both the operational knowledge and the professional network that would later prove useful when building HX5. “I was part of the Tricare implementation team when it was first introduced,” she has recalled. “Before that, the military’s care had never been managed in such a fashion.”

A Management Team Built for the Long Haul

One element Howard points to consistently is the quality of the team she has built. Many of HX5’s senior managers have been with the company for approximately ten years, a tenure that speaks to both retention and culture. “We were very selective of people that we chose for our management team,” she has said. “Many of them have been with us for 10 years or so, and we just have a highly dedicated, experienced management team. We could not do what we do without them.”

That team includes many women in senior leadership roles, reflecting Margarita Howard‘s broader view that the government contracting industry should look different from what it was when she entered it. She acknowledges that progress has been real but incomplete, and that some obstacles remain for women in the sector.

Margarita Howard has also maintained a commitment to open competition throughout HX5’s history, viewing competitive bidding as essential to building a firm that can endure beyond any single program or contract vehicle. Refer to this article for related information.

Find more information about HX5 on https://www.margaritahoward.com/