Since 2008 Bill Clifford has been president of BAE Systems Ship Repair, a business unit within the Support Solutions services sector.
Headquartered in Norfolk, Virginia, BAE Systems Ship Repair is a leading non-nuclear ship repair, modernization and overhaul company in the United States. Ship Repair services the U.S. Navy and other defense agencies, such as Military Sealift Command, the Maritime Administration, the U.S Army and the U.S. Coast Guard. Ship Repair's commercial market includes tankers, cargo ships, and cruise ships representing Disney, Carnival, Holland-America and Royal Caribbean cruise lines.
Clifford leads more than 5,000 highly-skilled employees while managing full-service shipyards and worksites strategically located in Norfolk, VA; Jacksonville/Mayport, FL; Mobile, AL; San Diego and San Francisco, CA; and Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.
Most recently, Clifford was the vice president and general manager of BAE Systems Norfolk Ship Repair. Prior to joining BAE Systems, Clifford spent more than 20 years in the private sector serving in senior management positions at several shipyards. From 2001 – 2005, Clifford was a managing partner of Pacific Shipyards International, LLC, a Hawaii consortium of Honolulu Shipyard, Inc. and Honolulu Marine, Inc. Other notable positions include vice president of new construction at Atlantic Marine in Jacksonville, Florida and director of ship completion at Bath Iron Works.
Clifford served on active duty in the U.S. Navy for 20 years, including tours on the USS Wallace L. Lind, the USS Ault, the USS Fairfax County and the USS Papago, where he was the commanding officer. Clifford is a 1969 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and earned a master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the Navy’s Postgraduate School in Monterey, California.
In support of the local Hampton Roads community, Bill is a member of the USO (United Service Organizations) Hampton Roads Board of Directors, the Virginia Ship Repair Association Board of Directors, and the Hampton Roads Military and Federal Facilities Alliance (HRMFFA) board of Directors.
Support Solutions is the infrastructure and operations support business for BAE Systems, Inc., meeting customer needs throughout the United States and overseas. Support Solutions is comprised of four business areas, to include Aerospace Solutions, Integrated Technical Solutions, Ship Repair and Systems Engineering Solutions, and has an annual turnover in excess of $2.9 billion.