News Story

WIE Advocate Named BAE Systems, Inc., CEO

BAE Systems has announced that Linda Hudson has been appointed chief operating officer of London-based BAE Systems plc, and president and CEO of BAE Systems, Inc., the U.S. division of the international defense giant.

BAE Systems is one of the world's leading defense systems developers. The company is a member of the Clark School's Corporate Partners Program, and a major recruiter of Clark School and other University of Maryland students.

Paige Smith, director of the Clark School's Women in Engineering Program (WIE), notes that Hudson was an original advisory board member of that program and will continue to serve the board while assuming her new corporate responsibilities. Most recently Hudson was the keynote speaker for the 2009 WIE DREAM Conference held on October 10, 2009.

"Linda Hudson is a fast-rising technology and business leader who serves as a remarkable model for women who are interested in engineering," Smith commented. "We are fortunate to have attracted her to the WIE advisory board, and that she will continue, even in her new position at the top of a major corporation, to guide us as we move forward."

Prior to joining BAE Systems, Hudson was a corporate vice president and company president at General Dynamics. Beginning as a research and development engineer at Harris Corporation in 1972, she held a variety of positions in engineering, quality assurance, production and program management at Martin Marietta and Lockheed Martin before joining General Dynamics.

In addition to her work with WIE, Hudson serves on the USO Worldwide Board of Governors and the Association of the United States Army Board of Trustees. She is a member of the International Women's Forum and C200, the premier organization of global women business leaders. In 2009, Hudson was named one of Fortune’s 50 Most Powerful Women.

An engineering graduate of the University of Florida, Hudson has one daughter, an active duty Marine son-in-law and three grandchildren.

October 27, 2009