Parsons Corp.’s board of directors unanimously elected President and CEO Carey Smith as chair, effective April 14.
Smith succeeds Charles “Chuck” Harrington, who serves as executive chairman and will retire when his current term on the board of directors expires in April, following 40 years with the company.
“I’m honored to be elected Parsons’ chairwoman, and grateful for the trust and confidence of our board and of our workforce,” Smith said. “Every day, our global workforce is delivering integrated solutions and services in a complex security environment and a world of digital transformation.”
The board also elected Steven Leer to serve as lead independent director effective April 14. Leer will succeed James “Jim” McGovern, who has served as a director since joining the Parsons board in 2005 and is lead independent director.
“Carey Smith has proven herself as an exceptional leader throughout her career and during her successful tenure with Parsons,” Leer said. “She is the right person to serve as our next chairwoman and to lead Parsons into the future. We are confident in her ability to capitalize on the growth opportunities ahead for the company and to bring together Parsons’ unique capabilities into integrated solutions that deliver value for our customers.”
Smith joined Parsons in 2016 as president of the federal solutions business. She was promoted to chief operating officer in 2018 and then to president and chief operating officer in 2019 before being appointed president and CEO in July 2021. She was elected to the company’s board of directors in December 2020.
Leer has been an active leader of Parsons’ board of directors since joining in 2013 and most recently was chair of the board’s compensation and management development committee and a member of the executive and audit committees.