New VP of HR and trades named at Newport News Shipbuilding

Newport News-based Huntington Ingalls Industries has named Xavier Beale vice president of human resources and trades at the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding division, effective April 1.

Beale will oversee human resources administration, employment, labor relations and recruitment, as well as his previous role as vice president of trades, according to a news release announcing his promotion.

Beale succeeds Susan Jacobs, who was promoted to vice president of human resources and administration at HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division in February.

“As part of our transition plan, and because our 2022 priorities include hiring and retention, continuous learning and development, and training, we have an opportunity to streamline the ‘people organizations,’” Newport News Shipbuilding President Jennifer Boykin said. “To support this effort, we are combining our human resources and administration and trades organizations.”

Dave Horne was promoted to senior director of trades to support Beale in his oversight of that area within the organization. Horne will oversee production trade execution and trades management, a critical role within the shipbuilder’s human resources and trades organization given the complexity of the large backlog of work at Newport News and the demographics of its current workforce, the company said.

Horne started his career in the trades. He earned a bachelor’s degree in computer science from Christopher Newport University, a master’s degree in engineering management from Florida Institute of Technology and is a Newport News Shipbuilding Apprentice School graduate.

Beale is a second-generation shipbuilder and has served as vice president of trades since 2018. Prior to that, he held positions of increasing responsibility within human resources. Beale earned a bachelor’s degree in governmental administration from Christopher Newport University and a master’s degree in human resources from Troy University.

Huntington Ingalls Industries is the nation’s largest military shipbuilder. The Fortune 500 company employs more than 44,000 workers and is Virginia’s largest industrial employer. Its Newport News Shipbuilding division is the United States’ only manufacturer of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.