Theodore “Ted” Tanner Jr. has joined Leidos as CTO to accelerate its deployment of AI, mission-critical software, and cyber and quantum solutions to customers’ most pressing challenges.
“I’m thrilled to join Leidos as CTO,” Tanner said. “Together, we’ll propel this iconic powerhouse into an agentic AI leader, empowering developers to build autonomous systems that orchestrate critical missions for customers across growing markets in defense, health, quantum computing and more.”
Tanner most recently was chief technology and strategy officer at BigBear.ai. He will succeed Jim Carlini, who has served as Leidos CTO since 2019 and is stepping down. Tanner assumes the role Jan. 5, 2026. Carlini will remain a senior adviser to Leidos CEO Tom Bell on national security matters.
“Ted is a high-impact leader who pairs entrepreneurial creativity with execution discipline to solve tough deep-technology challenges,” Bell said. “His track record of delivering bold, disruptive tech to defense, government and healthcare customers is a great fit with our capabilities and NorthStar 2030 growth priorities. As we welcome Ted, we thank Jim for leadership that has shaped the technological foundation of our company and enhanced the security of the United States and its allies.”
At BigBear.ai, Tanner led development of AI and machine learning capabilities for the Defense Department and intelligence and civilian agencies. He also serves on the scientific advisory board of QuiverBioscience, which applies AI to treatments for brain disorders.
Earlier in his career, Tanner held leadership roles at Apple and Microsoft. He holds 18 U.S. patents related to AI, machine learning and other technologies. Before BigBear.ai, he served as CTO and chief architect at IBM Watson Health, where he worked on applications in genomics, pharmacology and oncology. Tanner also co-founded the startups PokitDok and BeliefNetworks.