Booz Allen’s CEO sets retirement date

Ralph Shrader, chairman and CEO of Booz Allen Hamilton, has set Dec. 31 as his last day as CEO of the company, calling it quits after a 40-year career with the company.

He’ll continue as chairman of the company.

Horacio D. Rozanski will take over as CEO on Jan. 1 and join the company’s board. Rozanski has been seen as Shrader’s heir apparent and currently serves as president and chief operating officer of the company.

During Shrader’s time as Booz Allen’s leader, he has overseen dramatic changes at the company, including growth from $1.5 billion in 1999 when he became CEO to current revenue of $5.5 billion. The number of employees has grown from 10,000 to 23,000.

He also led the spinoff of the company’s commercial business and the sale of a majority of Booz Allen’s stock to the Carlyle Group in 2008. In November 2010, Booz Allen became a publicly-traded company.

As for his replacement, Rozanski was a partner when Shrader tapped him for a company-wide leadership role, which set him on the track toward becoming CEO.

“In his client-facing and internal leadership roles, Horacio has gained the respect of management and staff at all levels, and of the Board and investment community,” Shrader said in a company statement.

Rozanski joined the firm in 1992 as a consultant focusing on marketing and channel strategy across a range of industries. He was elected vice president in 1999, appointed chief personnel officer in 2003, named chief strategy and talent officer in 2010, chief operating officer in 2011, and president in 2014.

He also is one of the main architects of the company’s Vision 2020 long-term strategic plan.

He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin Eau Claire and a masters of business administration degree with high honors from the University of Chicago. He sits on the board of directors for the Wolf Trap Foundation for the Performing Arts.

Booz Allen is ranked No. 7 on the Washington Technology 2014 Top 100.