Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) has appointed Toni Townes-Whitley as the company’s chief executive officer. She will also join the SAIC board of directors upon assuming the role.

Ms. Townes-Whitley will succeed Nazzic Keene, who SAIC says has decided to retire as CEO and from the SAIC board. Ms. Keene will become special executive advisor to Ms. Townes-Whitley and the company through February next year.

Ms. Townes-Whitle was most recently president, U.S. Regulated Industries at Microsoft. Prior to that, she was president of CGI Federal. She has also held several management roles at Unisys.

Ms. Townes-Whitley currently serves as an independent director/trustee on boards for Nasdaq, Johns Hopkins Medicine, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Partnership for Public Service and the Princeton University Faith & Work Initiative. She is also a guest lecturer on technology, ethics and entrepreneurism in the public sector at Stanford and Princeton Universities.

Ms. Townes-Whitley earned her bachelor’s degree in Public Policy and Economics from Princeton University’s School of Public & International Affairs.

[Image courtesy: SAIC]