It’s one thing to take over as head of a $7.1B engineering and IT weapon systems company. It’s entirely something else when the CEO steps into the role just days before one of the deadliest and most intense conflicts in the Middle East breaks out.

Toni Townes-Whitley joined Virginia-based SAIC (SAIC) as CEO on October 2, 2023. Five days later, Hamas attacked Israel in the most deadly assault the US ally has seen in its history. Since then, Townes-Whitley has been not only looking to cement her place and style of leadership at the 55-year-old company, she has been focusing on shifting the company’s efforts to a more robust, technology-driven approach to supporting US allies in the throes of military conflict, notably Israel and Ukraine.

With 75 % of SAIC’s business coming from partnerships with the Department of Defense, Townes-Whitley, a Microsoft (MSFT) ethical AI veteran, a daughter of a decorated, three-star general, is passionate about not only supporting and protecting the US and its allies from bad actors, but in being part of a longer-lasting peace effort using technology to create what she calls, “deterrent power.” SAIC plays a big role in not only defense but using data in the intelligence space to improve security such as facial recognition systems at airports and border crossings as well as to deter conflict around the world, according to Townes-Whitley.

Yahoo Finance sat down with Townes-Whitley at SAIC’s headquarters in Virginia and its biometric testing facility in Maryland to discuss her experiences, skills and key decisions that have shaped her leadership of one of the largest US defense companies.

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