From CO to CEO: A Practical Guide for Transitioning from Military to Industry Leadership

In From CO to CEO: A Practical Guide for Transitioning from Military to Industry Leadership, William J. Toti, former CO of the nuclear submarine USS Indianapolis and former CEO of Sparton Corporation, offers a seminal manual for service members transitioning to civilian careers and navigating their rise up the corporate ladder.    

 

You’ve served your country dutifully, and as a member of the US armed forces you’ve also developed a discipline, drive, and skillset admired the world over. Your success in the civilian job market after your military career ends is all but ensured, right?

Well, if statistics and real-life reports from your predecessors are any indication, this transition is not always smooth sailing. More than 200,000 service members separate from the military each year. More than half of those surveyed about the process felt as if they had little to no help with the transition.

That’s why William J. Toti, retired naval officer and CEO of Sparton Corporation, wrote From CO to CEO: A Practical Guide for Transitioning from Military to Industry Leadership. As someone who successfully progressed from captain of a nuclear submarine to a captain of industry, he knows what it takes to make the most of your military training and what more is needed to rise up the ranks in the C-suite.

From CO to CEO aims to help you get the most out of your industry career, thinking through the kind of company and career track that is best for you. It provides a step-by-step guide to navigating the search, interview, and negotiation process and helps you acclimate to your new environment and to accelerate your climb to the top.

 

Captain William J. Toti, USN(Ret) served for more than twenty-six years on active duty, from enlisted seaman to, in turn, Commanding Officer of the nuclear submarine USS Indianapolis (SSN-697) and commodore of Submarine Squadron 3. He served for more than nine years in the Pentagon, including tours as special assistant to the Vice Chief of Naval Operations, as Navy representative to the Joint Requirements Oversight Council, and as deputy director of the Navy War Plans Cell, Deep Blue.

After transitioning to industry in 2006, Toti served in various roles, including vice president positions in Raytheon, Hewlett Packard, DXC, and HPE, and as president in Cubic Corporation and L3 Maritime Systems, eventually rising to serve as President and CEO of Sparton Corporation.

He holds a bachelor’s degree in physics from the U.S. Naval Academy, and a master’s degree in spacecraft systems engineering and pre-doctoral Electrical Engineer degree from the Naval Postgraduate School.

He was featured in the 2016 PBS documentary, 9/11: Inside the Pentagon, the 2020 History Channel documentary, 9/11: The Pentagon, and National Geographic’s twentieth anniversary limited series documentary, 9/11: One Day in America.

Among many other honors, Toti is a seven-time recipient of the Legion of Merit.

He and his wife Karen are parents of two adult children, and currently live in Florida.