Memo from Mike Petters: Change of command ahead

Published January 28, 2022

Dear fellow HII employees:

I have news to share that I want you to hear first from me.

As the first CEO of this great company, I can tell you confidently that now is the right time for a change of command at HII. At my recommendation, our board of directors last night elected Chris Kastner to the president and CEO role. The board directed this change to take effect March 1, at which time I will step aside to support the transition. This is a fantastic development for HII.

We have spent the last decade building a company for the 21st century, and building the leadership team to run it. I am proud of the work we have done together, and Chris has been indispensable to it every step of the way. Like me, his leadership experience and familiarity with our business extend for years prior to our spin from Northrop Grumman. More recently, Chris has been essential to the technology-oriented acquisitions that have strengthened and broadened the capabilities HII delivers to our customers. I can tell you without hesitation that there is no better choice than Chris to lead HII into this bright next chapter.

I endorse this transition and in fact I initiated it, for the good of the team, our customers, and the institution of HII that spans geographies, services and centuries. I’ll continue this year to serve the company as executive vice chairman of the board, and I will remain an HII employee during that time, to support Chris and the board as needed.

Please join me in congratulating Chris on his new role. Keep up your important work.

Respectfully,

Mike Petters
President and CEO