Northrop Grumman appoints global biz development officer

Stephen O’Bryan will become corporate vice president and global business development officer for Falls Church-based Fortune 500 aerospace and defense contractor Northrop Grumman Corp. on Feb. 6.

Northrop Grumman announced that the board of directors elected O’Bryan on Monday.

O’Bryan will lead business development organization and contribute to international growth. He succeeds David Perry, who is set to retire March 31. Perry will continue as corporate vice president to support the transition until his retirement.

O’Bryan will report to Kathy Warden, Northrop Grumman’s chair, CEO and president.

“Steve is a highly respected business leader, and with his experience and expertise, he’ll help further position and grow our business in key markets around the world,” Warden said in a statement.

O’Bryan comes from Boston Consulting Group, according to a Northrop Grumman news release. Previously, he served as executive director of GBD Defense Group. From 2018 to 2019, he served as senior vice president and chief global business development officer for L3Harris Technologies Inc. From 2004 to 2018, O’Bryan held various roles with Lockheed Martin Corp., including vice president of strategy and business development.

O’Bryan was an F/A-18 pilot in the U.S. Navy and is a graduate of the Navy Strike Fighter Tactics Instructor program, originally called the Navy Fighter Weapons School and more commonly known as Top Gun.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from Colgate University and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.

Defense contractor Northrop Grumman employs roughly 95,000 employees and reported $36.6 billion in 2022 revenue. The company ranked No. 399 on the Fortune Global 500 list in 2022.