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HX5 Founder Margarita Howard Turned Compliance Into a Growth Tool

Compliance is often discussed in the language of obligation something companies do to avoid penalties or satisfy regulators. Margarita Howard approached it differently when she founded HX5 in 2004. For her, investing in a government-approved accounting system was not a regulatory response. It was a growth tool. The distinction matters. A company that invests in […]

May 4, 2026 Marlon Hyatt Jr.

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Business Executive Leaders

From Tricare to Defense Contracts: The Career That Shaped Margarita Howard

Before Margarita Howard became the sole owner and CEO/president of HX5, she spent years inside the systems she would later work alongside as a contractor. That inside experience gave her a significant advantage when she founded HX5 in Fort Walton Beach, Florida in 2004, and it continues to inform how she runs the firm today, […]

April 5, 2026 Marlon Hyatt Jr.

Business Executive Leaders

Margarita Howard on Why Compliance Is Central to HX5’s Growth

Government contracting rewards firms that treat compliance as a core operating discipline, not an administrative afterthought. Margarita Howard built HX5 on exactly that premise, and the Fort Walton Beach company has grown into a 1,000-plus-employee firm supporting the Department of Defense and NASA at 90 locations across the country. The Regulatory Reality of Federal Work […]

March 28, 2026 Marlon Hyatt Jr.

Business Executive Leaders

Margarita Howard Brings Veteran Perspective to HX5 Leadership

Not every defense contractor CEO has worn the uniform. Margarita Howard has, and at HX5, that experience is woven into the company’s hiring strategy and culture. As a service-disabled Air Force veteran who now runs a government contracting firm with about 1,000 employees, Howard brings a perspective to veteran employment that goes beyond policy. From […]

March 21, 2026 Marlon Hyatt Jr.

Business Executive Leaders

Margarita Howard Says Talent Development is Critical for Organizational Growth

Margarita Howard, HX5’s chief architect of organizational development, has instituted a management philosophy centered on rigor, accountability and continuous improvement. Under her stewardship, the company has moved beyond conventional top-down directives to cultivate a measurable, employee-centered culture of excellence. Howard’s approach emphasizes clarity of purpose. At HX5, strategic objectives are translated into specific team goals […]

March 1, 2026 Marlon Hyatt Jr.