TONI TOWNES-WHITLEY

On Oct. 23, SAIC announced it had parted ways with Toni Townes-Whitley. She joined the government contractor in 2023 as its chief executive and, at that time, was one of only two Fortune 500 CEOs who are Black women.

Jim Reagan, former Leidos executive vice president and chief financial officer, was installed as interim CEO. SAIC, which has about 24,000 employees, reported fiscal 2025 revenue of $7.48 billion, an increase from $7.44 billion in fiscal 2023.

Townes-Whitley ranked No. 82 on Fortune’s 100 Most Powerful Women in Business list for 2025.

With a bachelor’s degree in public policy and economics from Princeton University’s School of Public and International Affairs, Townes-Whitley volunteered for the Peace Corps after college, serving as a village teacher in Gabon for three years. Before joining SAIC, she served as president of Microsoft’s U.S.-regulated industries and president of CGI Federal, and she held management roles at Unisys.

Townes-Whitley serves on the boards of Nasdaq and Catalyst, a nonprofit supporting women’s advancement and inclusion. She also sits on the advisory board for the Princeton University Faith & Work Initiative.

USA Today named Townes-Whitley one of its 2024 Women of the Year, adding to her list of awards. In 2024, she also received Women in Technology’s inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award; Townes-Whitley is also a past president and past board chair of Women in Technology, which serves the Washington, D.C. area.