BAE’s Havenstein headed to SAIC in September

Walt Havenstein, chief executiver officer of BAE Systems Inc., is leaving the company on Friday to become CEO at Science Applications International Corp.

A BAE spokeswoman said Havenstein’s last day with BAE is Friday, but that he cannot start in his new post at SAIC until Sept. 20 because he remains under contract with BAE. He also will be leaving his post as director and chief operating officer of BAE's U.K. parent, BAE Systems plc.

A spokeswoman with SAIC said the company has not issued an announcement regarding the CEO position. She declined to comment further on Monday.

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SAIC’s current CEO Ken Dahlberg is close to reaching the company’s mandatory retirement age of 65. Dahlberg is 64, according to SAIC annual report.

SAIC recently lost its chief operating officer, Lawrence Prior, who left to become COO of ManTech International.

According to a recording of SAIC's June 19 annual shareholders meeting, a board committee led by director Tom Young has been working on a succession plan for Dahlberg for the past year. Dahlberg will retire at SAIC 2010 shareholders meeting. Young's update on the success plan did not mention Havenstein, but he said the company was close to making a decision.

The plan is to hire a CEO and have the person work with Dahlberg for several months before Dahlberg retires as chairman.

At BAE, retired Marine Corps Gen. Anthony Zinni, a member of the BAE Systems Inc. board, has been appointed chairman of board and, pending appointment of a permanent successor to Havenstein, he will be acting president and CEO of BAE Systems Inc.

Zinni also will join the BAE Systems Executive Committee in his capacity as acting president and CEO.

Havenstein came to BAE when the company acquired Sanders from Lockheed Martin Corp. in November 2000.

He was named COO and a member of the board of directors of BAE Systems plc in January 2007. He previously served as president of the Electronics and Integrated Solutions Operating Group within BAE Systems. Before that, he was president of BAE Systems’ Information and Electronic Warfare Systems business unit.

BAE Systems Inc., of Rockville, Md., is a unit of BAE Systems plc, of Britain, and ranks No. 14 on Washington Technology’s 2009 Top 100 list of the largest federal government prime contractors. SAIC is ranked No. 7.