WashingtonExec has awarded Sheri Murphy, vice president of quality assurance & continuous improvement at AMERICAN SYSTEMS, with the Longevity Award, which recognizes executives who have made outstanding contributions to their companies throughout the years.
Murphy has been with AMERICAN SYSTEMS for 30 years, after an unexpected favor for a friend turned into a decades-long career. And while the mission drew her in, the company’s culture, people and impact have kept Murphy growing within the organization — professionally and personally.
Below, she shares how she got started with the company, the impact she’s made, mentorship moments and more.
Why did you join in the first place?
It’s a bit of a funny story. I wasn’t actively looking for a new role when a good friend, who was trying to sell telecom services to AMERICAN SYSTEMS, mentioned the company was struggling to fill a Telecom Manager position. He asked if I would interview for the position as a favor, which he thought might help him win their business. I agreed, and it turned out to be one of the best decisions of my career!
What made you stay?
The culture, the mission focus, and the opportunity to keep growing. From the beginning, I’ve been surrounded by people who genuinely care about supporting our customers’ critical missions and each other, and that remains true today. That combination of purpose, trust, and ongoing challenge is what has kept me here.
What’s the best part about staying with a company this long?
Having a front-row seat to AMERICAN SYSTEMS’ transformation and knowing I’ve contributed to that journey. Over the years, I’ve helped develop several enterprise programs, including our first internal Help Desk, a Cyber Governance, Risk and Compliance group within IT, a Corporate Quality Management program, and a formal M&A integration process. Seeing those efforts mature into durable capabilities that support our customers and our growth has been incredibly rewarding.
What are some myths about long tenures in organizations?
A common myth is that if you stay at one organization too long, you’ll stagnate and stop growing. My experience has been the opposite. I’ve held a variety of roles at AMERICAN SYSTEMS, starting as a Telecommunications Manager in IT and, through networking and seizing new opportunities, ultimately joining the Executive Leadership Team. Each position has stretched me in different ways and broadened my perspective as a leader.
How have you changed as a professional from your first years to today?
Over time, I’ve developed a stronger ability to “connect the dots” across the business. Early in my career, it was easy to focus only on my own tasks and goals. Now, I spend more time understanding how work across teams fits together, how decisions cascade, and how we can align efforts to drive better outcomes for the enterprise and our customers. That shift from task focus to enterprise thinking has been critical to my growth.
What’s the most significant impact you’ve had on your company?
Leading the transformation of our separate ISO 9001, 27001, and 20000-1 certification programs into an integrated Quality Management Program that incorporates Enterprise Risk Management. This work helped break down organizational silos, improved consistency in how we manage quality and risk, and encouraged a more collaborative, enterprise-wide approach to supporting our customers’ missions.
What do you wish you could tell your younger self in that first year?
Get out more and talk to people. Doing your job well is essential, but investing in relationships and collaboration is just as important for your long-term growth. The networks you build will create opportunities and insights you can’t see at the start of your career.
How do you share your institutional knowledge?
With my experience and tenure at AMERICAN SYSTEMS, I focus on connecting people with the right resources, stakeholders, and context so they can move faster and with more confidence. I often ask, “what else can I do?” to support a team or project, which opens the door for sharing lessons learned, best practices, and the informal knowledge that doesn’t always show up in a process document.
What has been your most significant mentorship moment?
Rather than one single moment, it has been a series of conversations over the years. I’ve often been told that I have a way of making people feel valued by encouraging their input, which helps build professional confidence. Helping others recognize their strengths and grow into new levels of responsibility has been one of the most meaningful aspects of my career.