Huntington Ingalls Industries names new CFO

Published October 30, 2015 by Robert Powell, III

Newport News-based Huntington Ingalls Industries has named Christopher D. Kastner to succeed Barbara A. Niland as its chief financial officer and corporate vice president, business management.

The change takes effect with Niland’s retirement on March 1.

In addition, the shipbuilding company announced the promotion of two corporate vice presidents, Philip Luna and Michael S. Smith, to its senior management team.

Niland joined Northrop Grumman Newport News in 2004. Huntington Ingalls President and CEO Mike Petters said she was instrumental in HII becoming a publicly traded company in 2011 when it was spun off by Falls Church-based Northrop Grumman. She was named the publicly traded company category winner in the 2013 Virginia CFO Awards.

“I’ve relied upon her financial acumen and sound judgment, and she always gives 110 percent to every project or task, Petters said in a statement. “She demonstrates excellent leadership and a great commitment to the men and women who make up the HII enterprise, and we will miss her.”

Kastner currently is corporate vice president and general manager, corporate development.

Before being named to his current position in 2012, he was vice president and CFO for HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division in Mississippi.

He also has been vice president, business management, and CFO for Northrop Grumman Shipbuilding-Gulf Coast and vice president, contracts and risk management, for Northrop Grumman Ship Systems.

He serves on the boards of Hampton Roads public broadcasting station WHRO and Eastern Virginia Medical School.

Luna has been corporate vice president and president, UniversalPegasus International, an HII subsidiary. His promotion to the senior executive team takes effect immediately.

Smith is corporate vice president, corporate development and nuclear and environment sciences. On March 1, he will join the senior executive team as corporate vice president, strategy and development.
Both executives will report to Petters.

Huntington Ingalls Industries is the largest military shipbuilding company in the nation.  It employs 37,000 people operating in the U.S. and overseas.