Victor Deal is a senior account director and program manager at HII, the largest military shipbuilding company in the United States, and a provider of professional services to partners in government and industry.

Deal received the Technical Sales & Marketing Award at the 2024 BEYA gala, in recognition of his efforts in the development of product lines and marketing plans on a national scale.

Deal’s solution-opening concept revolutionized federal acquisition, fostering innovation in the defense sector.

A noteworthy contribution of his career, he had an integral role in facilitating the rapid acquisition and deployment of critical technologies to the U.S. military, including the national response to the COVID-19 pandemic and many HII technologies.

From underwater uncrewed vehicles to advanced analytics on machine learning, he enabled big data platforms, all bought and sold under the commercial solutions opening business model he devised.

“The importance of this role in STEM lies in its ability to bridge groundbreaking technology and its application in the real world,” Deal said in his acceptance speech at the 2024 BEYA STEM gala. “Integrating various disciplines to make that happen ensures that technological advancements are not confined to labs but reach and benefit the broader society.

“My career’s secret sauce is nurturing one’s curiosity. It’s like having a hobby in everything and calling it a job. This award is like a thumbs-up for being professionally curious. My advice to the next generation of STEM leaders is to aim high, think big, apply your skills to help others, and see challenges for what they are: puzzles left on the table by the last generation for you to solve.” he said.