Sharing her Father’s Story: An Interview with Mary Ann Beyster
By Emily Meyertholen, Beyster Institute Staff

It’s been a whirlwind year for SAIC founder J. Robert Beyster. Along with his daughter Mary Ann and co-author Peter Economy, Dr. Beyster put the story of his remarkable career and company into print. In March 2007, publisher John Wiley & Sons released The SAIC Solution: How We Built an $8 Billion Employee-Owned Technology Company, which not only chronicles the company’s fascinating history, but provides sound advice for other entrepreneurs and business leaders. Mary Ann Beyster was deeply involved in the process of writing the book, including finding and working with the co-author and publisher, researching company information, getting in touch

Dr. J. Robert Beyster and Mary Ann Beyster at an SAIC book event in McLean, VA in March.

Q: In seeking input from others (ex-SAIC employees etc...), what were the recurring themes that that people emphasized in their comments about SAIC and Dr. Beyster? Who did you seek out, and what did they have to say that helped to shape the book?

A: We sought out many individuals—key people in SAIC’s history—through phone calls, email messages, requests for interviews, and of course through the blog. In addition, once the word got out about the book, people did not hesitate to send things through in the Contact Us, or Inquire sections of the Foundation for Enterprise Development (FED) website. They kept their anonymity that way versus going through the blog. Some hunted down Ralph's email (Dr. Beyster’s assistant), my email, and came in any old way that they felt that they could. We got briefings from people in email and regular mail. We received input from both former and current employees. It was really a good outpouring of open communication. Just because it was Beyster's book doesn't mean that people couldn't influence it. They did.

We actually had a huge amount of content coming from a number of people. It was pretty amazing, but I can't say I was that surprised. Let me say I was impressed by the sheer outpouring of excellent ideas, support, content, redirection, and story hooks. We got “turning points” from that process. We got the idea to write in the first person from that discussion. We got the timeline idea. We got redirection on several chapters. Most of the key, recurring themes centered around the importance of employee ownership and the broad autonomy that managers were granted to make decisions without always having to run back to corporate for approval.

Q: How did the blog contribute to the book? What were some of the interesting conversations which the blog facilitated?

A: I think the blog had a big impact on the project. It enabled more voices to be heard, more voices to be expressed and it expanded the realm of perspectives. There was variety. We received perspectives from a university professor in the state of Washington, a leading professor in employee ownership from Rutgers University, former employees from all parts of the company, and from people who had left SAIC and started their own companies. People familiar with the company knew how the company was run, and that it was a company of full participation. They assumed, rightfully so, that the same standard would be used for the book. That was a good assumption. I think the blog was a good experiment, and that's actually how we approached it. In my mind, we’d run it for a month or so, and see if it worked. If it didn’t work we could shut it down. If it did, we could keep it running, or we could advance it. I think that it worked out better than any of us could have expected.

Q: During the book writing process, was there anything you learned about your dad and SAIC that you didn't realize or appreciate before? 

A: I learned that Dad is actually a good writer, but he needed to be prodded to do that. He seemed to enjoy talking with Peter Economy, his co-author, and reviewing materials more than writing. But he really cranked at times. I think we all underestimated exactly what this would take. I can remember in the beginning when he said, “Well, you know all that material is there. Take the unpublished manuscript from ten years ago, my presentations, and take all of this other stuff. It's all in my folders. I've been talking about this stuff for 20 years, and it's all there.” Well, as it turned out, the project went well beyond this, and we all underestimated its full extent. But, when we realized that this was a much bigger project, he didn't falter at all. There were many new stories and new materials written for this book, and some didn't actually make it into the book.

Q: How did your dad respond to the book writing process? Were there any aspects that he particularly enjoyed or disliked? Was he nostalgic about taking an in-depth look at the past and reconnecting with old friends and co-workers?

A: His initial reaction was lukewarm which actually, if you know him, gives you a sign of hope. If he didn't say no or give you a look of total disgust, you know there's hope. I knew I had to shape the value proposition for what could be really accomplished and why he should do this. Although he was looking for something to do, I think he was questioning why anybody would really be that interested in the book or in his perspective. He is very proud of the SAIC story, but he is modest and really questioned whether this project would be worth the time. I think he was kind of on the fence about whether this was going to work.

I believe the day he agreed to write in first person, he said, "I've got it. This is my voice. This is my message. This is my view of how it worked."  That occurred around June 2006. And that happened as a result of the red team's responses because people were saying, "Where's your father?  We want to hear your father, Dr. Beyster, his point of view." I believe he got a real kick out of reconnecting with so many SAIC’ers, both past and present. A couple takeaways that tell you about the character of these individuals. Number one, they had absolutely sincere interests in the story being right. That was just front and center. Sure, everyone had their spins and would let you know those, but what was most important was that it was right. Everybody involved has an opinion on what happened, why it happened, and what should be told and was more than willing to state their case multiple times and multiple ways but also very respectful that this was my father’s book. This was his story. But that didn't stop anybody from giving their full opinion on how things went. This is an important project for many people way beyond just my father. I think that was really neat to see.

Q: What were the most interesting sections/aspects of the book for you, and what do you think readers will find most interesting or insightful?

A:  Many people have already gotten back to me about how much they like the book. “My Life before SAIC” comes up as a favorite section. It’s Appendix A. It helps people understand more about influential people and events in his life that later shaped his views and values. I like this section, too, and learned new things about my father.

I also especially like Chapter 14, which is where he lays out what he believes are important national issues and the future of technology areas and employee ownership in helping to address those issues. Perhaps not surprising, given his background, areas of national security are on the list. He also includes areas of energy and environment. The specifics of why these are important and what should be done are interesting. I am looking forward to seeing where he goes with his interest. He’s only 82 years old, after all.

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