Dr. Marcus J. Bendickson is the former CEO and chairman of the board of Dynetics, which, under his leadership, became the second-largest employee-owned company in Alabama.
Dynetics provides high-technology, engineering, IT, and scientific services and solutions to government and commercial customers alike in the national security, cybersecurity, space, and critical infrastructure industries. Its 17th employee, Bendickson facilitated the buyout of Dynetics from its founders through an employee stock ownership purchase (ESOP) and became CEO of the company in 1989, after originally joining Dynetics as an engineer specializing in radar systems.
He knew the company’s business well: the early part of his career was spent on the development of digital simulation techniques used to provide timely and cost-effective methods of predicting radar and missile system performance. These digital models gave detailed insight into failure modes and performance anomalies that sometimes were difficult to achieve with hardware testing. Some of these models have been in continuous use in evaluating a variety of weapon systems for over 40 years.
The commercial operations sector of Dynetics, comprised of automotive electrical rapid prototyping, computer network design, and information security, rose to about 20% of the company’s annual sales under the direction of Bendickson. In 2011, Dynetics became a 100% ESOP Corporation with over 1,500 employees. By the time he retired from the CEO position in 2015, Dynetics generated about $275 million in sales.
Bendickson remained on the Dynetics board of directors following his retirement, supporting the company greatly during its acquisition by Leidos in 2020. This deal was followed by a period of exceptional growth for Dynetics.
Over the last part of his career, Bendickson devoted considerable time and effort in teaching, training, and assisting other companies in realizing the value of employee ownership via Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOP). He has served on a half-dozen ESOP company boards and given numerous talks on the subject. His passion for employee ownership and the value it offers to both the company and the employee are well recognized in the community.
Outside of his professional endeavors, Bendickson has served organizations that propel the business interests of Huntsville forward. He has been a member of the boards of directors for BB&T Greater Huntsville Advisory Board, the Huntsville Chamber of Commerce, and the HudsonAlpha Foundation. Additionally, he is vice-chair of the Board of Trustees for the University of Alabama at Huntsville Foundation and chaired its Campus Planning Committee.
He also lends his expertise to other organizations. He chairs the American Management Association’s board for small growing companies, serves on the Cook’s Museum of Natural Science board, and is on the advisory board of the Alabama Policy Institute.
Bendickson’s service and contributions to industry have been recognized by several organizations. In 1993, he was recognized as a Distinguished Alumni of The University of Alabama at Huntsville and received UAH’s Distinguished Engineering Alumni Award in 2000. In 2002, he was awarded the Professional of the Year award by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, or IEEE.
He earned his doctorate degree in electrical engineering from The University of Alabama at Huntsville. He also holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering from Columbia University, as well as a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University. He was born in Albert Lea, Minnesota.
He and his wife Sheryl live near their two married children and 7 grandchildren. In their spare time, they are working to create a museum of information technology products located in the downtown Huntsville area. The couple were honored as Huntsville’s Heart of the Community by the American Heart Association in 2015. They are also active members of Whitesburg Baptist Church.
