Ingalls President Wilkinson to lead Newport News Division come January

• Brian Blanchette will take over as President of HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula.

A change in leadership is coming at Ingalls Shipbuilding in Pascagoula.

Huntington Ingalls, the nation’s largest military shipbuilder, announced Wednesday morning that its Board of Directors has elected Ingalls president Kari Wilkinson to serve as president of the company’s Newport News Shipbuilding division, effective Jan. 1, 2025.

The Newport News facility is HII’s largest division, with more than 26,000 shipbuilders. Pascagoula’s Ingalls Shipyard has roughly 11,000 shipbuilders. The two shipyards make HII the largest industrial employer in both Virginia and Mississippi.

Wilkinson, who has served as president of HII’s Ingalls Shipbuilding division since 2021, will succeed Jennifer Boykin. Boykin is retiring from her position at year’s end after 37 years with the company.

“I have asked Jennifer to stay on in an advisory capacity through March to support a seamless transition to Kari,” HII CEO and President Chris Kastner said. “You will not find a more loyal advocate than Jennifer for her shipbuilders and the Hampton Roads community. 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.” 

HII noted that under Wilkinson’s leadership, Ingalls secured the recent $9.6 billion multi-ship procurement contract for construction of three San Antonio-class (LPD 17) amphibious ships, and contract modification for the next America-class (LHA 6) large-deck amphibious ship.

READ MORE: Ingalls awarded $9.5 billion multi-ship U.S. Navy contract

Elected to succeed Wilkinson as executive vice president of HII and president of Ingalls Shipbuilding, overseeing all programs and operations, is Brian Blanchette, who has served as vice president of quality and engineering at Ingalls since May 2021.

Blanchette joined Ingalls in 1996 and has served in a range of roles including in technical and design engineering, program management and business development.