L3 Technologies [LLL] on Monday said it has hired Sean Stackley, the Navy’s former top acquisition official, to a new position that will have him focus on aligning the company’s capabilities with its strategy, business opportunities, and mergers and acquisitions.
The hire is L3 President and CEO Christopher Kubasik’s first as the chief of the company. He became CEO on Jan. 1, following the retirement of Michael Strianese, who is still chairman of L3.
Kubasik joined L3 in 2015 and has been steering the company toward more acquisitions in areas such as unmanned underwater systems, aviation security technology, and flight training. He plans to continue the acquisition efforts and is also undertaking steps to further integrate the company’s capabilities to better meet customer needs.
“As we prepare for L3’s future, we will continue to hire the best talent,” Kubasik said in a statement. “Our strategy and vision have gained traction and are appealing to a lot of leaders. Sean was one of the most respected leaders at the Pentagon, and he adds to L3’s strong industry, policy and engineering expertise, which will speed our ability to develop the technologies that help our customers with their most critical missions.”
Stackley, whose title is corporate vice president, Strategic Advanced Programs and Technology, will report to Heidi Wood, senior vice president for Corporate Strategy and Technology.
“Sean’s experience in managing many of the DoD’s most complex major programs and R&D initiatives is ideally suited to our vision for L3 as a major systems provider for the department’s advanced capability needs,” Wood said in a statement.
Stackley serviced as assistant secretary to the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition during the eight years former President Barack Obama was in office and for the first six months President Donald Trump’s administration. He also served as the acting Secretary of the Navy during the first six months under Trump. Stackley is a retired Navy captain and also served on the professional staff of the Senate Armed Services Committee overseeing Navy, Marine Corps, and Maritime Administration programs.
In December at L3’s investor conference, Kubasik said that over the next three years he’s looking for the company’s latest acquisitions, its internal investments, and integration efforts to begin paying off in terms of higher revenue. Further out, over five years, he wants L3 to be a “non-traditional ‘sixth prime,’” referring to the ability to provide its government customers with innovative solutions at a faster pace than traditional contractors are able to. The sixth prime refers to L3 becoming the sixth largest defense contractor behind Lockheed Martin [LMT], Boeing [BA], Raytheon [RTN], Northrop Grumman [NOC] and General Dynamics [GD].