NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Jennifer Boykin, the current president of Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS), will retire at the end of the year, ending her 37 years at the company. Kari Wilkinson will replace her as the company's Newport News division president on Jan. 1, 2025.
Wilkinson has served as HII's Ingalls Shipbuilding division president since 2021, overseeing the U.S. Navy's amphibious assault and surface combatant ship programs along with the division's 11,000 shipbuilders, making HII the largest industrial employer in Virginia, and Mississippi as well.
“Leading shipbuilders in the critical work we do for the nation has been and will continue to be the greatest honor of my life,” Wilkinson said in a release announcing her new position. “I join the Newport News team with deep respect for its nuclear culture, commitment to safety, and an exceptional legacy further strengthened by Jennifer and the NNS team. I am fully committed to advancing our mission in support of our sailors, their families, and for all of us who depend on them for freedom and security.”
Replacing Wilkinson as executive vice president of HII and president of Ingalls Shipbuilding will be Brian Blanchette, vice president of quality and engineering.
HII CEO and President Chris Kastner applauded Boykin and Wilkinson, the former of which he has asked to remain on board in an advisory capacity until March.
“You will not find a more loyal advocate than Jennifer for her shipbuilders and the Hampton Roads community," Kastner said in the announcement. "Kari’s leadership has steered Ingalls Shipbuilding into its next phase of growth, having secured serial production contracts for both the destroyer and amphibious ship programs. She is a tremendous leader and now brings her great energy and expertise to Newport News.”
