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Tag: SVP

Leidos names new SVP of government affairs

Leidos Holdings promoted Amy Smith to senior vice president of government affairs, the Reston-based Fortune 500 contractor announced Wednesday.

Smith’s previous position was vice president of government affairs, which she had held since joining Leidos in 2020. In her new role, she will manage the company’s government affairs operation and be its lead advocate in Washington, D.C.

“Amy’s impressive career in government and bipartisan reputation on Capitol Hill will continue to serve Leidos well as we enter our next decade as a leading provider of products and services to the military and federal government,” Debbie Opiekun, Leidos’ chief business development officer, said in a statement.

Before joining Leidos, Smith was chief of staff and senior director of international operations and policy at Boeing for seven years. She spent the first 17 years of her career as an adviser in the U.S. House of Representatives. Smith served as policy analyst for appropriations under former U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, then the majority whip, then served as floor director under former U.S. Rep. Roy Blunt when he was majority whip. She worked as policy director for the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for six years.

Smith has a bachelor’s degree in political science and government from Florida International University.

Leidos provides technology, engineering and science services to defense, intelligence, civil and health markets. The company employs 46,000 people and reported $14.4 billion in 2022 revenue. In May, Thomas Bell took over as CEO from Roger Krone, who had led the company since 2014.

SAIC hires SVP of Navy unit

Barbara Graham has been hired as senior vice president of Reston-based Fortune 500 federal contractor Science Applications International Corp.’s Navy business unit, SAIC announced Wednesday.

Graham, who started Tuesday, will oversee the $1 billion SAIC unit, which serves U.S. Navy and Marine Corps customers. She reports to Bob Genter, president of SAIC’s defense and civilian sector.

“Barbara is an exceptionally talented and experienced leader whose deep customer relationships and knowledge will drive results for our Navy and Marine Corps customers,” Genter said in a statement. “As a growth-minded leader, she will continue building our Navy business, drive organic growth, scale into key submarkets and focus on developing a new generation of talent and innovative capabilities.”

Graham previously served as vice president and general manager of GDIT’s Navy and Marine Corps sector for five months. Before that, she worked for CACI International Inc. for almost four years, ending her tenure there as a senior vice president. Prior to joining CACI, Graham held various roles with BAE Systems Inc., most recently as director of strategic capture.

Graham is a Navy veteran who holds a bachelor’s degree in management computer information systems from Park University.

SAIC employs approximately 26,000 people and reported $7.4 billion in fiscal year 2022 revenue.

Torc names regulatory, safety SVP

Blacksburg-based Torc Robotics has named Michelle Chaka as senior vice president overseeing safety and regulatory matters, the self-driving truck company announced Wednesday.

Chaka, who most recently has worked as a director for safety assurance and standards for Pittsburgh-based autonomous trucking solutions firm Locomation Inc., will oversee and coordinate safety across the company, including its safety management system program, regulatory compliance and industry best practices. She will also chair Torc’s safety board and co-chair its legal and regulatory safety committee.

Chaka has more than 25 years of safety and regulatory experience in transportation, including in engineering and management roles at Ford Motor Co., and also worked as program and division director at Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, according to her LinkedIn account. She has also led automated driving research projects sponsored by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Chaka has a master’s degree in automotive engineering technology from the University of Michigan and a bachelor’s in mechanical engineering from Michigan State University.

“Torc is dedicated to saving lives through the use of innovative technologies. From my first conversation with the Torc team, it was evident that saving lives was more than an aspirational mission, it is a Torc core value,” Chaka said in a statement.

Torc is an independent subsidiary of Daimler Truck AG. The company announced in August 2022 that Peter Vaughan Schmidt would succeed Michael Fleming as CEO. Torc was acquired by Daimler Truck in 2019.