Huntington Ingalls Industries announced today that Christie Thomas has been appointed corporate vice president, investor relations.
Thomas, formerly the vice president of contracts and pricing at HII’s Newport News Shipbuilding division since 2018, will replace Dwayne Blake upon his retirement on Jan. 1. In her new role, Thomas’ responsibilities will include acting as the primary interface between the investment community and the company with a focus on helping to educate institutional investors and research analysts on the company’s business strategy, operations and financial results.
Thomas will also work closely with the finance, communications and legal teams to analyze financial results, develop earnings announcements, perform competitor and stock trading analysis and ensure compliance with all Securities and Exchange Commission regulations. She will report directly to Tom Stiehle, executive vice president and chief financial officer.
Prior to serving as the vice president at Newport News Shipbuilding, Thomas joined HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division in 2006 and has held director-level positions in supply chain management, business management, business development, and contracts and pricing. In 2017, she was promoted to corporate director of investor relations at HII’s corporate office. Prior to HII, Thomas spent 12 years with Lockheed Martin. A native of Pennsylvania, Thomas earned a bachelor’s degree in economics from Bucknell University and an MBA in finance from State University of New York at Binghamton.
“Christie’s 15 years of experience with HII and the two shipbuilding divisions, plus 12 years of experience with another firm in the defense industry positions her well for success in this new role,” Stiehle said. “Her financial management, contract and pricing knowledge, along with her leadership skills, will bring great value to the team as we continue the transformation and growth of Technical Solutions and maintain our core business of shipbuilding.”