Federal Contractors/Technology: WILLIAM J. ‘BILL’ LYNN III

In June, Leonardo DRS, a U.S. subsidiary of Italian defense contractor Leonardo SpA, announced it would merge with Israel-based Rada Electronic Industries Ltd., with plans to go public by the end of this year. Rada will become a wholly owned Leonardo subsidiary, operating under DRS’s Advanced Sensing and Computing segment.

Lynn told Defense News that the acquisition is partly driven by lessons learned during the war in Ukraine; Rada’s radar capabilities would improve Leonardo DRS’ force protection for military customers.

Lynn has led the company’s U.S. arm — its largest subsidiary, with $3 billion in revenue — since 2012. He’s had a lengthy career in national security, serving as U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy’s counsel to the Senate Armed Services Committee from 1987 to 1993 before joining the Department of Defense. After working for Raytheon from 2002 to 2009, Lynn served as deputy defense secretary under President Barack Obama.

Lynn serves on the boards of Accenture Federal Services, the USO, the Atlantic Council and The Marshall Legacy Institute and is a member of the Center for New American Security’s advisory board. He earned degrees from Dartmouth College, Princeton University and Cornell University’s law school.