August Schell Welcomes New COO

On February 2, 2018, August Schell welcomed John Hickey into the role of Chief Operating Officer, reporting to the President and CEO, Bill Schell. His seasoning, wisdom, and rich network will help develop all aspects of the company, including management, employees, and emerging business opportunities. As Bill describes, "At any given time, one of us will be "heads-down" to focus on operational details necessary for success today, while the other will be "heads-up" to understand success in the future.”


John was most recently a member of the Senior Executive Service (SES 1 - a position classification in federal government that is similar to an Army Brigadier General) and served as Director, Cyber Development Directorate, Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), US Department of Defense. In this role, John was responsible for managing risk in the Cyber domain and ensuring security throughout DISA and the Department of Defense Information Network (DoDIN). He was also responsible for leading the acquisition, development, technology insertion, direction, and control over Cyber Security and Network Operations solutions in support of the DoD. His portfolio included Mobility, Networks Operations, Cyber Security and Innovation. John was also responsible for the planning, resourcing, and acquiring of commercial capability to support unclassified and classified mobility as an enterprise service. Prior to this role, John served as DISA’s Cyber Security Risk Management Executive and Chief Information Officer.  

John served 27 years in the U.S. Army, including Commander, Joint Spectrum Center where he supported global combat operations.

John received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Commerce and Business Administration from the University of Alabama, a Master’s of Business Administration from Jacksonville State University, and a Master’s Degree in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College.