SAIC appoints three initial members to new advisory board

Appointees include former Deputy Secretary of Defense David Norquist

Published July 14, 2021 by Katherine Schulte

Reston-based Fortune 500 government contractor Science Applications International Corp. has formed a new Strategic Advisory Board, the company announced Tuesday, and the first three board members include former U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense David L. Norquist.

Norquist, who served in federal government from 1989 to 2021, served as acting secretary of defense in the two-day interim between the terms of Christopher Miller and present Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. Norquist has served as a partner with Kearney & Co.

The other two appointees to SAIC’s Strategic Advisory Board are former Department of Defense Chief Information Officer Dana Deasy, who was also CIO for JPMorgan Chase prior to joining DOD, and Ellen Lord, former under secretary for acquisition and sustainment. Lord previously was president and CEO of Maryland-based aerospace and defense contractor Textron Systems Corp.

“We are thrilled to have the support of this team of experts to assist SAIC as we continue to innovate and adapt to the changing needs of our clients,” SAIC CEO Nazzic Keene said in a statement. “These leaders bring years of experience in both industry and the federal government, particularly the Department of Defense. … I am confident that they will challenge our thinking in new ways as we continue to strive to be the technology integrator of choice for our government customers.”

SAIC’s Strategic Advisory Board will advise company leaders on customer priorities, acquisition policy, potential disruptions in the environment and possible new growth areas. In the future, the company may also appoint members in different sectors, such as health care and energy, to the board, with the three initial members forming the core, according to its announcement.

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

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