BAE's US arm adds former Senator Ayotte to board

The U.S. subsidiary of BAE Systems has appointed former Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) to its board of directors for a three-year term.

Ayotte completed her six-year Senate term in January that included memberships on the chamber's Armed Services and Homeland Security committees. She chaired the Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness and Management Support and also held assignments on the Sea Power and Emerging Threats and Capabilities subpanels.

She joins a seven-member panel at BAE Systems Inc. that includes former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff as chairman of the board. Other members include former military officials John F. Campbell, Jonathan Greenert and Robert Natter; plus Defense Department veterans Ellen Tauscher and Michael Vickers.

BAE Systems Inc. employs nearly 5,000 people in New Hampshire and the business' electronic systems segment is headquartered in Nashua.

News of Ayotte's appointment comes a day after Textron announced former Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James will join its board of directors in July.