Kari Wilkinson on national defense
From Outgoing Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson looks back on legacy · · WLOX News
“Amphibious warships are part of our national defense strategy — they are supporting the United States Marine Corps and the United States Navy's ability to project power from sea to shore.”
On , Kari Wilkinson, Executive Vice President & President of Ingalls Shipbuilding Division at Huntington Ingalls Industries, spoke about national defense during Outgoing Ingalls Shipbuilding President Kari Wilkinson looks back on legacy on WLOX News.
About Kari Wilkinson
Kari Wilkinson, president of Ingalls Shipbuilding, has been discussing the company's role in national defense and workforce development. She described amphibious warships as "part of our national defense strategy" and stated that "we can't build ships fast enough for our customer right now because they need them today." Wilkinson noted that the company secured a $9.6 billion contract to build ships for the military and said "we've got great line of sight, good backlog — but we just need to execute for our customers." She emphasized that "people are the most extraordinary element of our collective industry" and that "investing in developing and retaining people are the absolute lifeblood of this business." Wilkinson has also addressed the company's evolving workforce and technology. She stated that "today we have a more diverse workforce than ever" and that HII is "expanding and growing into digital and ISR solutions" including "big data and artificial intelligence, autonomy and unmanned systems." She described the company's culture as "whatever we want it to be" and said "it's how we treat one another." Wilkinson announced her transition to a new position at Newport News Shipbuilding, stating "I'm excited to join the Newport News team." Her successor at Ingalls, Brian Blanchette, was noted as taking over the role.