Federal Contractors | Technology 2023: KATHY WARDEN

Warden was named CEO of the world’s third largest aerospace and defense company in 2019 after serving as its president and chief operating officer. Ranked No. 38 on Forbes’ 2022 World’s 100 Most Powerful Women list, she previously worked for General Dynamics and Veridian before joining Northrop Grumman in 2008.

Ranked No. 113 on the Fortune 500 this year and No. 413 on the Fortune Global 500, Northrop Grumman reported $36.6 billion in 2022 revenue, up 3% from 2021. Warden earned an MBA from George Washington University. She and her husband, Eric Warden, both James Madison University alums, established a $1.5 million scholarship match program for Pell Grant-eligible JMU students.

Warden currently serves on the boards of Merck and Catalyst, is vice chair of the Greater Washington Partnership, and is a member of the Business Roundtable. In 2022, she received Columbia Business School’s Deming Cup for Operational Excellence.

In November 2022, NASA launched its Artemis I unmanned moon mission, for which Northrop Grumman provided solid rocket boosters and motors. The contractor will continue to support Artemis missions under a $3.19 billion contract through 2031.