Dear Shipbuilders,

As you know, we have been on an aggressive journey to transform the way we run our business. Accomplishing this transformation while running our complex business is not a simple task. Our Navy customer expects us to deliver ships on time and on budget so they can meet the evolving demands of the global security environment. And, they count on us to never compromise safety and quality while delivering on our commitments. We simply must deliver more predictable performance while attracting and retaining the best people.

Despite recent extraordinary challenges (COVID, a dynamic labor market, and a challenging supply base), we have made impressive progress over the past two years by establishing new capabilities and stronger processes, while smartly leveraging technology. These processes and tools form a durable foundation for our 21st century shipyard with its deep, diverse portfolio to deliver excellence through our NNSFORWARD Strategy.

It is clear that our ultimate success in safely delivering the highest-quality aircraft carriers and submarines on time and on budget depends on the acceleration of these efforts led by experienced leaders.

To accelerate our operating system transformation, I am excited to announce the following leadership changes:

• Matt Needy will transition from vice president of Navy Programs to vice president and Chief Transformation Officer. In this new position, Matt is responsible for the overall NNS strategy execution, including our Execution Operating System (EOS) deployment, advanced development of non-core business growth – including the next-generation attack submarine SSN(X), enterprise-wide continuous improvement, and risk management. Matt is chartered with the development of our operational health assessment to provide clarity on our progress and accountability for results. Matt’s 34 years of experience in systems engineering, program leadership and operations will ensure success of these critical capabilities.

The following directors and their respective organizations will transition over and report to Matt: Dannon Butts (Industrial Engineering), Don Hamadyk (SSN(X)), and Tim Sweitzer (Strategy Execution and Business Improvement).

 

• With Matt’s move, Bryan Caccavale will transition from vice president of Material and Manufacturing to vice president of Navy Programs. In this role, Bryan is responsible for program execution and financial performance of the portfolio of ships built and maintained by NNS. Bryan’s diverse leadership roles and strong financial experience, together with the operational expertise of our program vice presidents, will increase the down-and-in focus required for improved program performance.

All Program Vice Presidents (Brian Fields, Gary Fuller, Lucas Hicks, Brandi Smith, Jason Ward, and Todd West) will now report to Bryan.

 

• With Bryan’s move, I am restructuring the Material and Manufacturing parts of the business back into two stand-alone divisions. Cullen Glass, director of Supply Chain Procurement, is promoted to vice president of Supply Chain Management, reporting to me. In this role, Cullen is responsible for all procurement, outsourcing, and material logistics functions across NNS.

Cullen brings the needed leadership and experience to build upon the ongoing improvements in Supply Chain Management. He joined HII in 2019 as corporate director of Enterprise Transformation before joining the NNS Supply Chain team, where he led initiatives that leverage technology and project management fundamentals to enable more effective supplier performance oversight. Prior to joining our company, he spent 18 years at Honeywell, including leadership roles in planning, manufacturing, IT, logistics, order management and supply chain. He earned a bachelor’s degree in management from the College of St. Scholastica and an MBA from the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota.

The current Supply Chain leadership team will now report to Cullen (Barry Fallon, Kelly MacDonald, Ray Montgomery, and Stephanie Simmons).

Julia Jones will remain vice president of Manufacturing and report directly to me. Her current direct reports, with the exception of the Industrial Engineering team, will continue reporting to her.

 

These changes are effective immediately. The leadership team and I will work through a structured and facilitated approach over the next 30 days to ensure a successful transition. You have my commitment to removing execution roadblocks, holding myself and others accountable to modeling the necessary leadership behaviors, and celebrating our successes. In turn, I expect you to commit to our new operating system and the continuous improvement efforts that will ensure the success of the larger organization.

It’s taken generations of shipbuilders to create our legacy of Always Good Ships. The demand for excellence in this global security environment is unprecedented. Today, we have both the responsibility and the capability to deliver. This time in history demands it, and we are ready.

Respectfully,
Jennifer Boykin
President
Newport News Shipbuilding