General Dynamics' Novakovic to hand CEO reins over to Deep

General Dynamics' longtime CEO Phebe Novakovic is turning the reins over to company president Danny Deep, effective Jan. 1.

Novakovic will then transition to executive chairman of the board of directors after having led GD since 2013. Deep is a 25-year veteran of the company.

“Danny is a highly skilled executive with rich operating experience. It has been a pleasure working closely with him and I am certain he will be an outstanding CEO,” Novakovic said in the company’s Wednesday announcement. “I very much look forward to our continuing collaboration.”

When Novakovic became CEO in January 2013, the market was headed into sequestration and a declining military demand. She brought a disciplined approach to company operations and how it managed cash.

Novakovic saw the company win major programs as defense spending began increasing later in the decade. Revenue grew from $31 billion in 2017 to $52.6 billion in 2025.

In 2018, GD made its largest-ever acquisition when it bought CSRA for $9.7 billion

“On behalf of the board, we thank Phebe for her outstanding leadership and lasting contributions to General Dynamics,” said Laura J. Schumacher, independent lead director. “We have greatly benefitted from her efforts in setting a clear strategic vision, creating enduring value and in building a strong and capable leadership team.

Deep has held multiple roles at the company including executive vice president of global operations, executive vice president for combat systems, and president of GD Land Systems.

GD's board voted to promote Deep less than a week after the announcement that Amy Gilliland had left the company after a decade as president of the IT services unit. Gilliland had been with GD since 2005.