About
Fred Ferguson — Executive Advisor & Association CEO
Experience from inside the decisions.
Hawk was built on the belief that the most useful advice comes from having carried responsibility—not simply observed it.
Executive experience across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.
Fred Ferguson
Senior executive experience across government, business, and nonprofit organizations.
A career built by earning greater responsibility.
Ferguson became a congressional Chief of Staff within five years of answering phones on Capitol Hill. After joining a public company as its lead lobbyist, he advanced within two years to lead corporate communications. He was later selected as a first-time CEO to succeed an association leader who had served more than 25 years at the helm.
Across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, the pattern has been consistent: rapid progression into larger leadership roles and a record of delivering results once there.
Fred Ferguson is a senior executive leader with nearly two decades of experience in public policy, strategic communications, and chief executive leadership across government, nonprofit, and private-sector organizations.
As President and CEO of the American Bus Association, Ferguson is the chief spokesperson and advocate for the $158 billion bus and group travel industry. He leads the industry’s largest trade event, ABA Marketplace, and serves as President of both the ABA Foundation—home to the industry’s leading research and economic impact reports—and the National Bus Traffic Association, which facilitates more than $50 million in interlining transactions annually. He works with the boards of directors for each entity and oversees a complex enterprise with more than $15 million in assets and a broad national and international stakeholder base.
Under his leadership, ABA secured an estimated $132 million in tariff avoidance for the motorcoach industry and negotiated agreements expected to save the association more than $5 million. In his first year, Ferguson eliminated approximately $460,000 in long-term and inefficient costs. He also led ABA to one of only two operating profits achieved by the organization in eight years, established a board-approved strategic plan, expanded the association’s events and education platforms, and drove a 450% increase in original content. During this period, ABA was recognized as the National Bus and Group Travel Association of the Year.
Previously, Ferguson served on Vista Outdoor’s (NYSE: VSTO) executive management team, where he led government affairs, corporate communications, and ESG. He helped design and launch Revelyst (NYSE: GEAR) and The Kinetic Group through a complex public-company spinoff. A nationally recognized lobbyist and corporate affairs leader, he has advised public-company and association boards, directed communications for 14 M&A transactions totaling more than $3 billion, and testified before Congress on numerous occasions.
Earlier in his career, Ferguson served as a Chief of Staff in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he managed two successful Full Committee Chairmanship campaigns and helped author 19 laws. He holds two master’s degrees, including an MBA from Oklahoma State University.
Ferguson has been recognized as a 40 Under 40 leader and as one of Washingtonian’s 500 Most Influential People in public policy. He serves on the boards of the Outdoor Recreation Roundtable and Visit Loudoun.