Leidos Holdings Inc. today announced it has appointed Roger Krone as chief executive of the company to succeed General John Jumper. General Jumper has stood at the helm of Leidos since March 2012.
Krone, set to take the reins at Leidos on July 14, is currently president for the Boeing Company’s Network and Space Systems. Jumper, who announced in February his intentions to retire from his post as CEO of the Fortune 500 science and technology solutions provider, will continue to serve as chairman of the company’s Board of Directors.
Lawrence Nussdorf, the lead director of the company’s board of directors, said the Krone appointment comes after a thorough and extensive search by the board.
“Roger has a solid track record of operational, strategic and financial execution. In addition, he has demonstrated his ability to lead organizations that serve government, intelligence and commercial customers, both in the U.S and abroad,” Nussdorf said. “Roger’s depth of experience will enable him to drive the Leidos strategy, while enhancing and optimizing the Company’s operational and financial performance. The entire Board would like to thank John Jumper for his leadership, vision, and the execution of the split of SAIC into two world-class companies.”
Krone, who holds a master of business administration from Harvard Graduate School of Business, currently leads 15,000 employees in his role at the Boeing Company and brings with him engineering and financial expertise.
Mark HuYoung, a Managing Partner at Northwind Partners, said Krone was a “smart selection” for Leidos given the current market.
“Roger has always been known for his solid operational and fiscal discipline. Given Leidos’ overarching goals, being just shy of a year from the split, and considering the current market, which will remain turbulent for the foreseeable future, Roger is a smart selection,” HuYoung said. “With a breadth of experience across engineering, finance, and P&L roles during his career at both GD and Boeing, Roger knows what is required to get the trains running on time. He’s a great leader for the company’s current season.”
Prior to serving at the Boeing Company he held finance and senior program management positions at Boeing’s McDonnell Douglas Corp. and General Dynamics.
“I’m honored to have been selected to lead Leidos and am fully prepared to tackle the challenges facing our industry,” Krone said. “I look forward to building on the success achieved under John Jumper’s leadership. John’s steadfast commitment in guiding the company through a transformational year has positioned Leidos to capitalize on its inherent strengths. Joining the 22,000 Leidos employees, together we will build on John’s legacy and provide solutions vital to our nation and our world.”
At the turn of 2013, Krone predicted that the companies best adapted to succeed in the coming year would be aerospace industry companies that were able to adapt to DoD’s renewed emphasis on program execution and cost containment while maintaining their ability to invest. Read his 2013 market outlook here.
Leidos, based in Reston, Va., descends as a Sept. 2013 spin-off from the former Science Applications International Corp.
