Jacobs announced the president and chief operating officer of its Aerospace, Technology and Nuclear business Terry Hagen is retiring after 32 years with the company, and its current board member Dawne Hickton will take over both positions starting June 3.
However, Hagen will continue to work with Jacobs as an executive strategic adviser to the chair and CEO Steve Demetriou overseeing business improvement initiatives and the company’s pending acquisition of KeyW.
“I am grateful to have been part of such an outstanding team and proud to have helped transform Jacobs, creating a foundation that will enable even greater levels of growth and value creation going forward,” Hagen said. He added that this is the right decision for him to focus on priorities outside of his professional career.
And after Hagen’s extensive career at Jacobs, Demetriou reflected on his long-lasting contributions and leadership as the ATN business grew to more than $4 billion in annual revenue.
“It has been an honor to partner with Terry in this work, and I am pleased that we will continue to benefit from his experience and insights as he transitions to retirement,” Demetriou said.
Hickton, who has 30 years of industry experience including more than 15 years as an aerospace industry senior executive, previously served as vice chair and CEO of RTI International Metals Inc. RTI, which sold titanium products to commercial aerospace and defense markets, was acquired by Alcoa in 2015 — but during Hickton’s leadership from 2007 to 2015, RTI grew to one of the world’s largest suppliers of titanium and aluminum parts to the aerospace industry.
She’s also a member of the board of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum and was named one of the top 100 global leaders in STEM by STEMconnector.
And on June 3, Hickton will officially be COO and president of ATN, joining Jacobs executive leadership team and stepping down as director of the company.
“Since joining Jacobs as a member of the Board in 2015, I have developed a deep appreciation for our talented people and the exciting opportunity we have to transform our company and lead our industry through innovation,” Hickton said. “I look forward to building on our many successes as COO and President of Jacobs’ ATN business.”
And according to Demetriou, it’s Hickton’s diverse industry experience and knowledge of Jacobs that make her a natural choice to lead ATN.
“Given her track record of execution at other companies, as well as her contributions as a director to Jacobs, I know that Dawne will be a significant asset as a member of our leadership team as we continue our transformational strategy of delivering innovative and unique solutions to our clients,” Demetriou said.