Kathy Warden

Early Life

Kathy J. Warden grew up in Smithsburg, Maryland, where she graduated from Smithsburg High School. She earned a bachelor's degree from James Madison University in 1992 and later completed an MBA at George Washington University in 1999.

Career

Warden is recognized as a cybersecurity and information technology expert. Early in her career, she spent nearly a decade at General Electric before moving into executive roles at Veridian Corporation and General Dynamics. She also served as a principal at a venture capital firm, where she worked with companies on improving business models and electronic publishing services.

Warden joined Northrop Grumman in 2008 as vice president and general manager of the company's cybersecurity business. By 2015, serving as president of Northrop Grumman Information Systems, she was named to Federal Computer Week's "Federal 100" list. The publication credited her with expanding Northrop Grumman's participation in the CyberPatriot program, establishing the Advanced Cyber Technology Center, and overseeing $1.5 billion in contracts during fiscal year 2014.

In January 2016, Warden became president of the Mission Systems sector, formed when Northrop Grumman merged its Information Systems and Electronics Systems divisions. She was elevated to president and COO of the entire corporation in January 2018, and assumed the role of CEO on January 1, 2019. She joined Northrop Grumman's board of directors in July 2018 and became its Chair in August 2019.

Warden has been credited with leading the integration of Orbital ATK, which was subsequently rebranded as Northrop Grumman Innovation Systems.

Advisory and Board Roles

Warden has held a broad range of advisory and governance positions throughout her career. She served on the Clinton administration's Internet Advisory Council and worked with the Aspen Institute's computer security strategy group. She served on the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond board from 2018 to 2020, and was appointed to the National Space Council's users' advisory group in May 2020, with a subsequent term beginning in December 2022.

In April 2024, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security appointed her to its Artificial Intelligence Safety and Security Board. She is a member of The Business Council, sits on the executive committee for the Aerospace Industries Association — having previously served as its board chair — and chairs both the Greater Washington Partnership (as of January 2024) and the nonprofit Catalyst (as of 2024). She joined the board of Merck & Co. in 2020. Warden has also been affiliated with James Madison University's board of visitors since October 2018, and previously served on the board of the university's College of Business starting in 2016.

Recognition

In 2022, Warden accepted the Collier Trophy on behalf of Northrop Grumman in recognition of the successful launch of the James Webb Space Telescope. She was included in Federal Computer Week's "Federal 100" list in 2015.

In April 2022, Warden was sanctioned by Russia along with 28 other American nationals. In May 2024, she was sanctioned by China in connection with arms sales to Taiwan.