Antenna Research Associates (ARA) Names Bill Watson Chief Growth Officer

September 28, 2023

An experienced engineer and business leader, Watson will seek new opportunities to expand ARA’s footprint by identifying new markets and diving deeper into existing ones.

Laurel, MD…Logen Thiran, President & CEO of Antenna Research Associates (ARA) today announced that Bill Watson has joined the organization as Chief Growth Officer. Watson will elevate ARA’s growth strategy by identifying new markets for the company to break into and developing new ideas to strengthen ARA’s presence in existing ones.

“Bill’s extensive experience leading and growing companies will be a great asset to ARA as we strive to expand our footprint across the C5ISR domain,” says Thiran. “We are confident that his expertise will yield a variety of exciting opportunities for ARA.”

Watson has worked in all aspects of business throughout his 30 years in the defense industry, including engineering, manufacturing, and program management. Most recently, he served as CEO of RADA Technologies LLC. In this position, he grew a FOCI-mitigated operation to expand RADA Electronic Industries into the US market until RADA was acquired by DRS Technologies. Prior to this, Watson served as VP of Sales and Business Development for L3 Technologies and Safran. He also brings 13 years of experience as VP or Executive Director of various departments at DRS Technologies.

As Chief Growth Officer, Watson will explore ways to elevate ARA’s growth strategy by seeking new markets and diving deeper into the company’s existing markets to identify new opportunities. ARA’s recent acquisition of several companies and the subsequent creation of its “Product & Innovation Center” has allowed the organization to expand its capabilities across DoD and commercial market priorities. Watson will play an essential role in advancing ARA’s strategic plan by leveraging the company’s recent growth and innovation to increase its competitiveness in the full and open arena and international space.

“I’m pleased to join a dynamic organization with a substantial history of innovation and industry expertise,” notes Watson. “I look forward to helping ARA set and achieve new growth goals and identify opportunities that encourage this innovation to continue.”

About Antenna Research Associates

ARA is a C5ISR company that designs, manufactures, tests and installs cutting edge antenna technologies and subsystems to keep our joint forces secure, superior and safe. ARA creates and delivers a vast array of products and subsystems for both military and civilian applications that combine innovative discoveries from companies it has acquired, including SI2 Technologies and AQYR, whose technologies complement and enhance ARA’s trusted systems. ARA’s capabilities span from Electronic Warfare and Military Communications to Radar and Satellite Systems. For more than 60 years, ARA has provided our military with unparalleled information, improved situational awareness, immediate threat detection and precision targeting.

From ideation to installation, ARA supplies unique antenna systems in both high-volume and smaller quantities to meet customers’ needs and ensure success. Its US locations have fully staffed outdoor antenna test ranges, engineers, and on-site manufacturing lines and machine shops.