Textron [TXT] on Monday named Ellen Lord as the president and CEO of its Textron Systems segment, succeeding Fred Strader who is retiring from the company.
Lord, who has been leading the Textron Defense Systems (TDS) operating unit within Textron Systems since January 2011, joined Textron in 1984 as a chemist for its Automotive Technology Center. The TDS unit manufactures smart weapons, directed energy weapons, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, and vehicle protection systems.
“Since taking over the leadership of TDS…Ellen has effectively tackled the dynamics of an unpredictable defense industry and shifting customer demands, successfully realigning the business to drive a culture of superior execution and profitable growth,” Scott Donnelly, chairman and CEO of Textron, said in a statement.
As the head of Textron Systems, Lord will manage a $1.9 billion segment that includes TDS as well as the company’s AAI unmanned aircraft systems, test and logistics businesses, Lycoming engines, the Marine and Land Systems unit and Advanced Systems, which includes software solutions and satellite communications systems and light arms technologies.
Strader, 59, joined Textron in late 2007 when it acquired United Industrial Corp., which he had been leading since 2003 (Defense Daily, Oct. 10, 2007). The deal for United Industrial included the defense division AAI, which boasted the successful and ongoing Shadow Tactical UAS program for the Army.
Under Strader, Textron Systems last summer won the Navy’s Ship-to-Shore Connector vessel program and Canada’s Tactical Armored Patrol Vehicle Program, both potentially worth at least hundreds of millions of dollars.