ManTech International [MANT] yesterday said its operating group presidents will now take on the added responsibility of chief operating officer (COO) for their organizations.

“We believe that this new management structure will contribute to our ability to achieve our financial objectives and support our customers’ critical missions,” George Pedersen, ManTech’s chairman and CEO, said in a statement.

The added responsibilities for the group chiefs follows the abrupt departure last month of ManTech’s former President and CEO Lawrence Prior to run BAE Systems‘ new service sector business (Defense Daily, July 21).

With the new structure ManTech has decided not to appoint a president at the corporate level and instead has elevated the roles of the group presidents.

ManTech’s three group presidents and COOs are Luis Addeo, who manages Technical Services, Terry Ryan, head of Systems Engineering and Advanced Technologies, and L. William Varner, Mission, Cyber and Technology Solutions. All three will report to Pedersen.