Leonardo DRS CEO William Lynn to retire after 14-year run at the company
Bill Lynn is retiring as chairman and CEO of Leonardo DRS after 14 years at the helm. Leonardo DRS
By
Nick Wakeman
John Baylouny, chief operating officer and a 35-year company veteran, will take the helm as CEO and board member Fran Fargos Townsend will become chair.
Leonardo DRS’ long-time chair and CEO is calling it a career and will retire at the end of the year after leading the company for 14 years.
William Lynn will be succeeded by John Baylouny as president and CEO, while the board of directors has elected Fran Fragos Townsend as chair.
Lynn became CEO of Leonardo DRS in 2012 and he has guided the company through its focus on four core markets: advanced sensing, network computing, force protection, and electric power and propulsion technologies.
“The company has undergone tremendous transformation under Bill’s leadership and vision,” Townsend said.
Townsend steps up as chair after being the lead independent director. She has been on the board for 15 years.
Some marquee wins under Lynn include propulsion content on the Columbia Class submarine and premier counter-UAS and short-range air defense positions.
Lynn also led the acquisition of RADA in 2022, a maker of tactical radars, in a move that also returned Leonardo DRS to the public markets.
Baylouny steps into the CEO role after spending more than 35 years at Leonardo DRS. He currently is the chief operating officer, a position he has held since late 2018. He also has been the chief technology officer and general manager of the company’s land Systems and advanced ISR businesses.
“In 2018, I asked John to take a company-wide leadership role as my right-hand and as our chief operating officer. He has excelled in that role and has gained the respect of the board, management and employees at all levels, as well as both our customers and partners,” Lynn said of his successor.