Northrop Grumman Corp. has announced CEO Wes Bush will step down in January 2019 and will be replaced by Kathy Warden, currently the company’s president and chief operating officer.
The company’s board of directors elected Warden to the new post and voted to place her on the company’s board effectively immediately.
The transition plan was announced July 12.
Warden has held a number of roles since she joined the company in 2008. She previously served as vice president and general manager of the company’s cybersecurity business, president of its former Information Systems sector and president of its Mission Systems sector.
The announcement came just weeks after Northrop Grumman completed its acquisition of Orbital ATK.
“I am delighted that Kathy will become our company’s next CEO,” Bush said in a statement. “She has demonstrated exceptional leadership in her roles leading the operations of our company, and she brings the vision and values to lead Northrop Grumman into the future.”
In a statement, Warden said, “I look forward to leading Northrop Grumman and driving performance for all our stakeholders; working with our employees, our customers, and our shareholders as we move our company forward.”