BAE Systems hires new chief information and digital officer

Falls Church-based federal contractor BAE Systems announced Thursday that it has appointed Mona Bates as senior vice president and chief information and digital officer, effective Feb. 23.

Bates brings more than 20 years of IT and business experience, including 15 years with RTX , where she most recently served as chief digital officer for Collins Aerospace, an RTX subsidiary.

In the role, Bates will report to Tom Arseneault, BAE Systems’ president and CEO. She will lead the company’s technology and digital strategies and IT operations to advance business priorities and enhance user experience.

“Mona’s vision, along with her deep technical and business expertise, make her the right leader to help position our company for long-term success,” Arseneault said in a statement. “She will play a key role in shaping the company’s digital transformation agenda by aligning technology investments with evolving business needs. By championing a culture of delivery excellence and leveraging emerging technologies like [artificial intelligence] and advanced analytics, she will work to unlock new capabilities for our company and for our customers.”

Bates has a bachelor’s degree in computer networking from Regis University and an MBA in information technology management from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.

It was not immediately clear if Bates succeeded someone in the role, or whether the position was newly created. BAE Systems did not immediately return requests for comment Thursday.

BAE Systems has about 41,000 employees worldwide and reported $16.85 billion in 2024 sales.