Textron's CEO transition and more leadership moves across the market

Textron

Lisa Atherton, president and CEO of the conglomerate’s Bell rotorcraft subsidiary, will become chief executive for the corporation on Jan. 4 and join the board of directors.

She succeeds Scott Donnelly, who has led Textron as CEO for 16 years and will transition to executive chairman on that date.

Bell’s major defense program portfolio includes its V-280 Valor tiltrotor, which the Army selected in December 2022 for its Future Long-Range Assault Aircraft program.

Bell’s $3.6 billion in revenue for 2024 represented 26.2% of Textron’s total sales.

The Aerospace Corp.

Steve Shinn is now chief financial officer at this nonprofit organization that operates a federally-funded research-and-development center focused on space,

Shinn started at Aerospace on Oct. 20 following a brief stint as NASA’s acting chief financial officer during the Biden-to-Trump transition. He is also a former deputy CFO at NASA, where his 15-year career also includes service as CFO for the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Aerospace previously announced Tanya Pemberton would succeed longtime leader Steve Isakowitz as CEO.

AeroVironment

Mary Clum has moved up to president for the defense technology company’s space, cyber and directed energy business segment.

The 25-year industry veteran joined AV in May via its acquisition of BlueHalo, where she worked as president of the product and space systems portfolio. She also spent a decade at Raytheon.

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AV also announced Michael Pace, senior VP of space radio frequency systems, is now SVP for space and directed energy mission systems.

In October, AeroVironment hosted an investor open house to walk through its vision and long-term strategy following the BlueHalo transaction.

Benchmark Space Systems

Brad Morrison has joined the propulsion and mobility systems maker as chief financial officer, a role that also involves strategic development functions.

Benchmark touts Morrison’s 25-year background as including experience in Big Four accounting, corporate development, capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, and a startup CEO stint.

Morrison is also a member of the Texas Space Commission’s board of directors.

Koniag Government Services

Dr. Theon Danet has joined this provider of IT and operations management services as senior vice president of strategic intelligence, a role that involves advancing the company’s artificial intelligence work.

Danet brings 34 years of federal technology experience to KGS, where she will also expand its efforts in Small Business Innovation Research programs and shape the overall tech strategy.

She most recently served as executive director for IT at the Defense Commissary Agency.

Lockheed Martin

Sarah Bedsaul Hiza has joined this blue chip defense company as senior vice president of technology and strategic innovation, a role that involves helping establish the overall tech roadmap for key areas.

“Our charter — to define the technologies that will deter future threats through the 2030s and beyond — remains critical to national security,” she wrote in a LinkedIn post on her new role.

Hiza has been with Lockheed for 10 years and started her career at Orbital ATK.

Metis

The aviation and aerospace component maker has hired a new chief financial officer and promoted two other executives from within to its C-level team.

New CFO BJ Foster brings two decades of experience at organizations ranging from growth stage to more complex business structures. She is a former CFO for ESI US and Airbus’ DS3 subsidiary.

Jennifer Paulik has moved up to chief human resources officer after a decade at Metis, while Cari Smiley elevated to chief growth officer from her prior role as defense sector president.

Mission Critical Group

Julie Peffer, the former chief financial officer for BigBear.ai, has taken up the CFO role at this maker of electrical systems.

She worked as BigBear’s CFO in a three-year period that included its combination with Pangiam and several other efforts to bolster the balance sheet, including capital fundraising and debt restructuring.

Peffer’s three-decade career also includes senior roles at Amazon Web Services, Flowserve, Raytheon, Lennox International and Textron.

Odyssey Systems

Julie Vida has joined the provider of technical and other professional support services as vice president of growth, a role she brings 35 years of experience to.

Vida’s new position involves responsibility for Odyssey’s business development, capture, proposals and marketing functions.

She most recently worked as vice president of defense growth at ManTech and is a 24-year Navy veteran, having retired as a commander.

Science Applications International Corp.

Deborah Torosian has joined SAIC as chief talent officer after two decades of human resources experience in other industries.

She will oversee workforce transformation efforts at the 24,000-employee company. Kathleen McCarthy, SAIC’s chief HR officer, cited Torosian’s background in talent management and HR strategy in a LinkedIn post announcing the hire.

Torosian’s career includes HR and talent leadership roles at Conduent, American Express and Citigroup.

V2X

Jeff Cheatham has joined the global government services company as vice president of contracts and subcontracts, a role he brings 25 years of experience to.

He will oversee all aspects of contract strategy, negotiation and administration across V2X with the goals of driving operational success and customer engagement.

Cheatham most recently worked as VP of contracts at Peraton.

Babel Street

Bob Genter has joined the risk intelligence software provider as chairman of its board of directors amid the company’s push to scale both operations and market presence.

He brings 25 years of professional services industry experience to the role, including the most recent 11 of them at Science Applications International Corp.

Genter led SAIC’s defense and civilian segment for three years until February 2024.

SixGen

Stu Shea has joined the cybersecurity company’s board of directors following 40 years in the national security sector, including seven as Peraton’s chief executive until his retirement in 2024.

Shea oversaw Peraton’s formation in 2017 via a carveout from its former parent Harris Corp. and subsequent run of acquisitions that grew the company to annual revenue north of $7 billion.

He also helped oversee the 2013 split of “Old” Science Applications International Corp. into today’s iteration of SAIC and Leidos, where he was chief operating officer for one year.

Verisign

Matthew Desch, chief executive of Iridium for the past 19 years, has joined the board of directors at this network infrastructure operator responsible for two of the Internet’s 13 root nameservers.

Verisign’s board increases in size to eight members from seven with this appointment.

Desch has led Iridium through several significant events, including its 2009 initial public offering and launches of the Iridium NEXT satellite constellation from 2017 to 2019.