SAIC names government affairs senior VP

John Bonsell rejoins the Reston defense contractor

Published February 19, 2021 by Sydney Lake

Reston-based Fortune 500 defense contractor Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC) announced Thursday that John Bonsell will rejoin the company as its senior vice president government affairs, effective immediately. He succeeds Tom Eldridge, who will retire this spring.

Bonsell worked with SAIC as a consultant from 2007 to 2012 and as a vice president within government affairs from 2015 to 2018. He most recently served as majority staff director for the Senate Armed Services Committee.

“We are incredibly excited for John to rejoin SAIC,” SAIC CEO Nazzic Keene said in a statement. “He brings extensive industry knowledge and government experience as well as his in-depth working knowledge of the Department of Defense.”

Bonsell has also served as ranking staff director for the Senate Armed Services Committee and was legislative director and deputy chief of staff for U.S. Sen. James Inhofe. During his time with the U.S. Army, he served as chief of concepts and doctrine. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and government from Penn State University.

SAIC employs more than 25,000 people and has pro forma annual revenues of $7.1 billion.