Anderson steps down as head of Northrop IT business

Herb Anderson, one of the architects of Northrop Grumman Corp.'s rise as an information technology powerhouse, is stepping down May 1 in keeping with the company's retirement policies. James O'Neill will assume Anderson's position as corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman IT, a $4.8 billion unit of the Los Angeles-based defense contractor. O'Neill, 50, serves as president of the TASC business unit, which focuses on the intelligence, space and enterprise security markets.Anderson, 64, will stay with the company through Nov. 1, serving as corporate vice president in charge of special projects. Anderson will then retire at age 65 as required by company policy for officers.When Anderson took over Northrop Grumman's IT business in 1994, the unit had about $300 million in annual revenue. Since then, he has led the integration of numerous acquisitions, including Logicon Inc., the PRC and TASC units of Litton Industries Inc., and TRW Inc. Northrop Grumman placed No. 2 on 2003 Top 100 list, which measures federal government IT contracting. *