Federal Contractors | Technology 2024: KATHY WARDEN

After previously serving as its president and chief operating officer, Warden in 2019 was named CEO of Northrop Grumman, the world’s third largest aerospace and defense company. No. 38 on Forbes’ 2023 list of the World’s 100 Most Powerful Women, Warden previously worked for General Dynamics and Veridian before joining Northrop Grumman in 2008.

Ranked No. 382 on the Fortune Global 500 this year, Northrop Grumman reported $39.3 billion in sales in 2023, an increase of 7% from the previous year. The company employs some 95,000 workers, including 6,800 in Virginia.

In February, Northrop Grumman broke ground on a $200 million-plus electronics facility in Waynesboro that’s expected to create 300 jobs. And in July, the company finalized a deal to co-produce ammo in Ukraine, making it the first American company to make weapons within the besieged country’s borders since Russia invaded in 2022.

A James Madison University alumna and former board of visitors member, Warden also holds an MBA from George Washington University. In January, Warden became chair of the Greater Washington Partnership. She also serves on Merck’s board and is board chair of global nonprofit Catalyst. In 2022, she received Columbia Business School’s Deming Cup for Operational Excellence.