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BAE Systems: Leaders, Founders, and Executives

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Unknown and dangerous threats arise every single day, especially now that we are in the middle of a massive transformation that will go down in history. Whether in land, sea, air, or cyberspace, the federal government is working to secure all spheres to protect the homeland, resources, and us—its people. To ensure its territories are safe from adversaries, the federal government mobilizes its defense contractors, like BAE Systems, Inc.

With a task as important as this, the BAE Systems leaders, founders, and executives work together to achieve this common goal. Get to know the executives of BAE Systems below.

What is BAE Systems, Inc?

A subsidiary of BAE Systems plc, BAE Systems, Inc. is a multinational arm, intelligence, and defense company that designs, develops, and manufactures a full range of products, from military to civilian support services. The Virginia-based arms giant is one of America’s leading defense contractors.

BAE Systems, Inc. History

Evolving from hundreds of names from its origin in 1560 and Waltham Abbey’s Royal Gunpowder Mills, the company’s current name of Bae Systems was created in 1999. It used the historic acronym for the British Aerospace (BAE) coupled with the parent company’s “System”, known as the “Marconi Electronic Systems”. BAE Systems, BAE Systems PLC’s subsidiary,  then became the successor of many popular British defense electronic, aircraft, and warship manufacturers.

Today, the company has engagements in the delivery and development of defense, aerospace, and IT systems products to over 80,000 people internationally.

Who Are The BAE Systems Leaders, Founders, and Executives?

Tom Arseneault - President & Chief Executive Officer, BAE Systems Leadership

Tom Arseneault, President & Chief Executive Officer

Tom Arseneault wears several hats as CEO of BAE Systems. Aside from being the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Arseneault joins the Board of Directors as the appointed Executive Director of BAE Systems, plc, and the Officer Director of BAE Systems, Inc.

His life-long career is dedicated to leading organizations in solving critical and technologically challenging missions. Before being named the President & Chief Executive Officer,  Arseneault was the President and Chief Operating Officer who boosted the organization’s profit growth. He also fulfilled leadership roles under BAE Systems in different sectors, such as being the Executive Vice President of the business’ Product Sectors.

Terry Crimmins, President of Electronic Systems

As the President of the BAE Systems Electronic Systems Sector, Terry Crimmins is in charge of a vast portfolio of products and services, including commercial and military-grade electronic systems, surveillance, and reconnaissance sensors.

Crimmins has been with BAE Systems since 2001 and held several leadership positions such as Product Line Director and Deputy General Manager in the company’s Infrared Imaging division.

Jeremy Tondreault - President, Platforms & Services

Jeremy Tondreault, President of Platforms & Services

Jeremy Tondreault has been with the company since 1996, holding several roles that made him into the leader he is today. As the President of BAE Systems’ Platforms & Services, Tondreault manages six vital U.S. and international businesses that specialize in designing and engineering combat vehicles, gun systems, and ammunition. He also oversees naval ship modernization and repair services.

Al Whitmore - President, Intelligence & Security

Al Whitmore, President of Intelligence & Security

Al Whitmore’s leadership in the Intelligence & Security Sector of BAE Systems has powered up the intelligence community, particularly the U.S. Department of Defense and other federal civilian agencies. This division is one of the leading providers of large-scale systems engineering, integration, and sustainment services across all domains—air, land, sea, space, and cyberspace.

Furthermore, Whitmore has proven himself to be an industry vet. Before joining BAE Systems, the I&S President spent more than 30 years serving General Dynamics and its predecessor.

Alice Eldridge - Senior Vice President, General Counsel & Secretary

Alice Eldridge, General Counsel & Secretary Senior Vice President

Ensuring that the multinational defense and intelligence giant is legally compliant is only one of the several responsibilities of Alice Eldridge. As BAE Systems’ General Counsel & Secretary, she is in charge of all legal matters of BAE Systems, Inc. including the Contracts, Security, Ethics, and Export Control functions.

Travis Garriss - Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer

Travis Garriss, Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer

Travis Garriss is at the forefront of the BAE System’s initiatives to develop cutting-edge IT systems to sharpen the business’s edge against adversaries. He works hand-in-hand with other IT leaders within BAE Systems to map the company’s tech growth and development roadmap to meet the stakeholders’ expanding and high-technology requirements.

Caitlyn Hayden - Senior Vice President of Communications

Caitlyn Hayden, Senior Vice President of Communications

Caitlyn Hayden is BAE Systems Inc.’s Senior Vice President of Communications. With about 20 years of experience in the field, she is responsible for handling global initiatives around the company’s broad portfolio of innovation and domestic and external communications, implementing communication strategies, and developing messages for different communication platforms.

Guy Montminy, Senior Vice President of Finance

Guy Montminy, Senior Vice President of Finance

Guy Montminy is BAE Systems Inc.’s Senior Vice President of Finance. He’s in charge of the company’s financial operations in the U.S. This executive move was brought about by his extensive 30 years of experience in the field and has handled increasing leadership responsibilities in the defense and security sector. In 2018, he was the President of Platforms and Services, where he handled the domestic and international portfolio of weapons systems military vehicles, munitions, and more. He also assumed functional leadership roles in the following areas during the start of his career:

  • Technology licensing
  • Divestitures
  • New business capture
  • Acquisitions

Leslie Jelalian - Senior Vice President, Strategy & Corporate Development

Leslie Jelalian, Senior Vice President, Strategy & Corporate Development

As the Senior Vice President for Strategy & Corporate Development, Leslie Jelalian is in charge of strategizing corporate actions and initiatives that can develop and expand the business portfolio, whether through organic development of strategic activities or through acquisition.

Jelalian has been part of BAE Systems, Inc. for more than 30 years, serving in a number of leadership positions in engineering, program management, and strategy development.

Michelle Murphy - Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer

Michelle Murphy, Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer

Michelle Murphy, BAE Systems’ Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, has been in the aerospace and defense industry for quite a long time. Boasting more than 25 years of human resources expertise, Murphy is in charge of the entire BAE Systems HR activities, including health and environmental, safety, and employment-related initiatives.

Shelly O’Neill Stoneman - Senior Vice President, Government Relations

Shelly O’Neill Stoneman, Senior Vice President Government Relations

Shelly O’Neill Stoneman, BAE Systems’ Senior Vice President for Government Relations, is at the helm of managing the company’s affairs with the federal government.

When she first joined in 2013, she was the Vice President for the Executive Branch and International Government Relations. As the liaison for the Executive Branch, White House, Pentagon, State Department, and the Intelligence Community, Stoneman supported the company’s foreign military and direct commercial sales activities.

Ann Ackerson - Chief Procurement Officer

Ann Ackerson, Chief Procurement Officer

Supported by her three decades worth of expertise in strategic sourcing, material management, and global supply chain leadership, Ackerson leads the Procurement initiatives as its Chief Procurement Officer.

Prior to joining BAE Systems, Inc., Ackerson was Freeman’s Senior Vice President for Global Supply Chain Management.

Paige Gerelick - Vice President, Internal Audit

Paige Gerelick, Vice President of Internal Audit

Paige Gerelick is BAE Systems, Inc Vice President for Internal Audit with more than 20 years of experience handling business operations, strategic planning, and finance. Her key responsibility is to ensure a high level of accountability and governance to boost operational efficiency and effectiveness.

Gerelick began her career in BAE Systems, Inc in 2008 as Finance Manager in Platforms & Services. Before she was officially named in her current position, she was the Finance Director for Ground Vehicles in the Combat Mission Systems business.

Kimberly Kaminski - Chief Ethics Officer

Kimberly Kaminski, Chief Ethics Officer

An expert in the defense industry with more than four decades of experience, Kim Kaminski leads her team in designing and developing critical business ethics programs for the company. As the Chief Ethics Officer of BAE Systems, Inc., Kaminski is in charge of supporting the senior leaders on matters concerning ethics, including communication and training, auditing and monitoring, and implementing ethics policies and procedures.

A Multinational Defense and Intelligence Conglomerate

BAE Systems, Inc. is a multinational defense and intelligence conglomerate led by a stellar team of industry veterans who work together to achieve their vision of building a better and safer tomorrow.