Billy Don Farris
Meet Billy Don
Billy Don Farris is a Partner at McChrystal Group, leading engagements with government, technology, retail, financial services, healthcare, and defense industry companies. He retired from the US Army in 2013 as a Brigadier General after more than 30 years on active duty. Much of his career was spent as a paratrooper in the 82d Airborne Division, commanding Soldiers at every level, from company through brigade.
He also served in various key staff assignments for the Army's Chief of Staff, Secretary of the Army, and Under Secretary of Defense (Policy) and as the senior US operational planner in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Billy Don has over four years of combat leadership experience following multiple operational tours in Panama, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Most notably, in 2007, he commanded the lead brigade task force deployed in support of the historic surge in Iraq.
Billy Don received a Bachelor of Science (Engineering Mechanics) from the United States Military Academy at West Point and a Master of Military Arts & Science from the United States Army Command & General Staff College. He also served as a National Security Studies Fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
B.S. United States Military Academy at West Point
M.M.A.S. US Army Command & General Staff College
Written Articles/ Materials
Case Study
Reigniting Innovation With a Focused Strategy
An aerospace and defense manufacturer long considered an industry leader and innovator had lost market share to competitors and was experiencing multi-year declining revenue from its primary customer base. A new CEO brought a bold vision for the future of the organization and partnered with McChrystal Group to reinvigorate the organization’s performance and return it to its culture of innovation by developing a comprehensive strategy and aligning all teams around it. As a result, the organization was able to competitively pursue and ultimately win a multi-billion-dollar contract that would return the company to a position of growth and market leadership for years to come.
Unifying a Team and a Product Suite
McChrystal partnered with Intuit to help them develop and implement their “One Intuit” strategy, enabling them to not only maintain but strengthen their position in the market despite increased competition from start-ups and changing customer demands.
Insights
The Greatest Threat: Transforming Federal Hiring and Retention
In the war for talent, the federal government is finding itself falling behind. This challenge is not new, but it has risen to a new level. What can the public sector do to attract and retain this new generation of workers?
