Susan Hood

Susan A. Hood is President and COO for Intrepid Defense and Security Systems, a start-up visualization technology serving homeland defense and security markets. In this position, she is responsible for establishing presence in the government market and managing day to day activities of the company.

Prior to joining Intrepid Defense and Security Systems, Hood worked for Ballard Power Systems Electric Drives and Power Conversion Division where she was responsible for new business development and government liaison. In that position, she interfaced with state and federal agencies and legislators to advance the development of fuel cell technology, served as a member of hydrogen and fuel cell consortia, secured government funding for demonstration projects, and provided strategy language for reauthorization of the Transportation Expenditures Appropriation for 2004.

She worked at Ford Motor Company in program development, and is formerly Director of Marketing at Wickes Manufacturing Company where she managed a staff of marketing professionals and was responsible for all divisional marketing and business planning activities. Hood was also a consultant in marketing research and planning for over 10 years.

Hood received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics and her M.B.A. from Oakland University. She has over thirty years experience in marketing and business planning specializing in business-to-business marketing and strategic planning.

She is a Lecturer at Wayne State University School of Business where she teaches graduate and undergraduate marketing, public relations and advertising strategy courses. Hood developed an Entrepreneurial Marketing Management Seminar for the WSU MBA Program that debuted Fall 2008.

Hood is a member of the American Marketing Association, Women in Defense, the National Defense Industry Association, the Michigan Homeland Security Consortium and is a founding member of Secure Michigan - a professional association of Michigan companies engaged in homeland security technologies.

Professional experience

• President and COO for Intrepid Defense and Security Systems, Inc.; Birmingham, MI; 2003-Present
• Founder and Owner of Insight Marketing; Rochester Hills, MI; 2000-2006
• Manager of New Business Development- Electric Drives Business Unit at Ballard Power Systems; Dearborn, MI; 2000-2002
• Managing Member at Milestone Marketing, LLC; Rochester Hills, MI; 1989-2000
• Director of Marketing at Wickes Manufacturing Company; Southfield, MI; 1980-1989
• Senior Program Analyst at Ford Motor Company; Dearborn, MI

Memberships

• American Marketing Association
• Michigan Homeland Security Consortium
• Women in Defense
• National Defense Industry Association