Conduent names GD vet Collier as government head

Business process outsourcing firm Conduent said Tuesday it has hired 35-year IT veteran and former General Dynamics executive Marcus Collier as CEO of the government business.

Conduent announced the appointment of Collier in the same week the company said it would sell its local and municipal constituent government software solutions business to Avenu. Collier will lead efforts to strengthen Conduent's government market portfolio and drive organic growth, CEO Ashok Vemuri said in a release.

At GD, Collier more recently led the health and civilian solutions division within the company's broader IT services segment. That portfolio included cloud computing and other IT services to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and other civilian agencies.

Florham Park, New Jersey-based Conduent spun off from its former parent Xerox last year. The deal with Avenu is part of Conduent's plan to divest almost $1 billion in assets as part of a portfolio reshaping effort.