The business of war, deterrence, and national security has long incorporated cutting-edge technology.
Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) CEO Toni Towns Whitley is on a mission to advance its cutting-edge technology, but to do so ethically.
Towns-Whitley took over the top job at Virginia-based SAIC in October 2023, just days before Hamas attacked Israel as the war between Russia and Ukraine escalated. Tasked with bringing the 55-year-old company into the modern era and expanding its reach, Townes Whitley set out to transition SAIC’s efforts to a more robust, technology-driven approach.
“As soon as we were informed of that conflict, SAIC had a team on the ground to support our customers who were providing capabilities locally,” Towns-Whitley told Yahoo Finance (video above). “You’re in the middle of a global conflict. What data is flowing through you? How can you share that data not just with the U.S. military, but with multiple coalition forces?”
A Ukrainian soldier checks a military GPS tracker near a frontline area during the Russia-Ukraine war in Bakhmut, Ukraine, April 2, 2023. (Muhammad Enes Yildirim/Anadolu Agency, via Getty Images) (Anadolu Agency, via Getty Images)
Key to Townes-Whitley’s vision, and SAIC’s transformation, is to bring artificial intelligence to SAIC’s products and set the standard for “ethical AI,” according to Townes-Whitley. This is essential to securing the company’s leadership as a provider of security and military software, it said. And resources.
“Think of ethics as a portfolio for understanding the maturity of technology and its ability to actually do what it says it will do,” Townes-Whitley explained. “Early AI was very immature. We were testing what algorithms could do. So was the AI itself ethical? It was simply immature.”
He added that SAIC is considering potential sensitive and unintended use cases for its technology, such as the impact of biometrics in the justice system and various industries. At a 24,000-square-foot test facility in Maryland, the company’s scientists continue to test how AI can connect security, technology, and public trust in more ethical and profitable ways.
“We built the first ethics framework for AI at Microsoft, and now at SAIC we have the same kind of framework for how we think about the impact of the technology we’re building.” she added.
“Challenge ideas, not each other.”
SAIC is much more than a provider of military systems and the technology that supports them. Founded in 1967, the company has expanded its focus over the years to specialize in data analytics, security, and modern warfare, specifically providing technology and resources to one of its largest customers, the U.S. military.
The $7.1 billion company is also involved in non-military operations and support, such as using operational AI to train all U.S. air traffic controllers.
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Despite years of success, SAIC has suffered from competition and a lack of innovation. Additionally, the workforce was less energized and less proactive or creative in implementing new forms of technology and cybersecurity.
Towns Whitley has begun to address this issue by investing in SAIC’s employees.
“We know that the skills we need are not just those that can be found in the marketplace,” she said. “We have to develop them here. We have 25,000 employees. We need to upskill some of those employees in key skill areas. So, this is also an important investment: human capital.”
SAIC CEO Toni Townes-Whitley (Yahoo Finance)
Beyond technology, Towns-Whitley has focused on fostering an inclusive culture throughout her career and within SAIC.
“What I love about applied innovation technology is that it seems to be democratizing the industry in a way,” she said. “You can come from anywhere and if you’re good, there are opportunities. We just need to make sure those avenues are open.”
As one of only two Black women leading a Fortune 500 company, she emphasized the importance of bringing your all to work and encouraged her team to do the same.
“We have to challenge each other with respect,” Towns-Whitley said. “SAIC has a very militaristic culture, and there’s a lot of ‘Yes, ma’am.’ No, ma’am.’ But we can’t let that prevent us from discussing the root causes. We need to challenge ideas, not each other.”
From land, air, sea, and space
Townes-Whitley’s transformative year as CEO has included developing SAIC’s national mandate, a list of America’s critical challenges that require technology, which will require both internal and external engagement. She said it was key to moving forward. These imperatives include undersea control, border security, improving the national experience, full spectrum warfare, and next-generation space technology.
These priorities reflect the strategic demands of SAIC’s major customers, including NASA, the Department of Defense, and the Department of Homeland Security.
“When we started the command…(everyone) was doing what they were supposed to do,” Towns-Whitley recalled. “And then we start talking about Old Main, and we start talking about next-generation space and civic experiences, and then our heads go up, our shoulders go back, and our phones go down.”
“People lean into it because that’s the mission of why they come to work,” she added.
This trend, reinforced by Townes-Whitley’s past experience in technology and her upbringing as the daughter of a decorated three-star general, is what some analysts attribute to SAIC’s recent success. .
In Townes Whitley’s first year as CEO, SAIC’s stock price rose about 30% and the company won significant new business. That includes a $229 million contract to advance IT solutions for NORAD and the U.S. Northern Command.
Indeed, Towns-Whitley argues that success is not just about the size of the deal. It’s about alignment with SAIC’s mission and long-term strategy, and from her perspective, this includes not just AI but ethical AI.
“There’s definitely a commercial element to what we’re doing,” Towns-Whitley said. “But fundamentally, this organization is about advancing the mission, protecting this country, and changing the way people interact with their government.”
“So we don’t have any concerns about where our hearts and minds are. It’s just that you can do good things, make money, take care of your shareholders and meet expectations.” she said.
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