Derby, UK. 16 December 2021. BAE Systems, Inc. today announced that former U.S. Senator and current board member Kelly A. Ayotte was elected as the new Chair of the BAE Systems, Inc. Board of Directors for a three-year term. Ayotte was first appointed to the BAE Systems, Inc. Board in June 2017.
“As a board member, Senator Ayotte’s substantial experience in national defense and security have helped guide our work to support our customers’ most critical missions,” said Tom Arseneault, president and CEO of BAE Systems, Inc. “We look forward to the leadership and stewardship she will provide in this expanded role as Chair of our Board.”
She succeeds former Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff, whose term as Chair of the BAE Systems, Inc. Board concludes this month. Chertoff has served as Chair since April 2012 and as a member of the Board since May 2010.
Charles Woodburn, group chief executive of BAE Systems plc, said, “We are deeply grateful for Secretary Chertoff’s contributions to BAE Systems. His distinguished leadership as Chair has helped our Company, our customers, and our allies navigate through a time of increasingly complex global security challenges.”
BAE Systems, Inc., a U.S. corporation, operates under a Special Security Agreement (SSA) among the U.S. Government, BAE Systems, Inc., and BAE Systems plc. The agreement calls for the appointment of outside directors who help to oversee the Company’s compliance with U.S. government security and export regulations, thereby allowing BAE Systems to supply products and services to the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, Homeland Security, and other agencies involved in U.S. national defense.
