Kathy J. Warden is the CEO and Chairman of Northrop Grumman, a key player in the aerospace and defense sector. She stepped into the CEO role in January 2019 and quickly made her mark by pushing for strategic growth. Under her leadership, Northrop Grumman's total backlog jumped by 21%, signaling the company's strong position in the market. Before this, Kathy held various leadership roles at Northrop Grumman and other companies like General Dynamics. With a strong academic background—having earned a Computer Science degree and an MBA—she began her career in the tech and defense industries. Kathy is not just focused on business; she actively participates on boards, including Merck & Co. and the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. Her commitment extends to diversity, a major part of Northrop Grumman's culture, which has improved significantly during her tenure.

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Kathy J. Warden

CEO of Northrop Grumman

Education

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from the University of Maryland, and an MBA from George Washington University

Field of Expertise

Business & Management

Sector of Economy

Industrials

Born

December 15, 1970 - 54 years ago

CEO of Northrop Grumman for

6 years 3 months (Jan 2019 - Present)

Previous Experience

Corporate Vice President and President, Mission Systems; Corporate Vice President and President, Information Systems

Rivals

Competitors/colleagues of Kathy J. Warden

Christopher E. Kubasik

CEO of L3Harris Technologies

2023 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$1.54M

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$1.06M

Total Holdings

$91.47M

Roger A. Krone

CEO of Leidos Holdings

2022 Compensation

Stock

$0.00

Salary

$1.27M

Bonus

$0.00

Other

$34.30K

Total Holdings

$86.00M

Robert Mehrabian

CEO of Teledyne Technologies

2023 Compensation

Stock

$1.57M

Salary

$1.10M

Bonus

$3.18M

Other

$12.00K

Total Holdings

$77.40M

Scott C. Donnelly

CEO of Textron

2022 Compensation

Stock

$12.33M

Salary

$1.28M

Bonus

$2.70M

Other

$160.67K

Total Holdings

$65.78M

James D. Taiclet

CEO of Lockheed Martin

2023 Compensation

Stock

$15.20M

Salary

$1.10M

Bonus

$3.37M

Other

$43.02K

Total Holdings

$98.39M

Christopher D. Kastner

CEO of Huntington Ingalls Industries

2023 Compensation

Stock

$1.78M

Salary

$1.18M

Bonus

$3.00M

Other

$160.52K

Total Holdings

$20.94M

Holdings

See how much did Kathy J. Warden make over time.

Kathy J. Warden has significant holdings in Northrop Grumman, largely from stock grants. In 2022, her vested stock was valued at over $22 million. This wealth is tied to her performance at the company, showing her commitment and belief in Northrop Grumman's success. At one point, the value of her holdings peaked significantly, reflecting both the company's growth and her strategic leadership. She has received millions in stock grants since becoming CEO, which is designed to align her interests with those of shareholders. This shows that she stands to gain as the company's performance improves, making her a key player in its future.

Mar 11, 2025

NOC @ $489.33

Total Stock Sold

$13.15M

NOC

$13.15M

40,175 NOC shares

What if they kept their stock?

If Kathy J. Warden didn't sell their stock, today they would have:
Extra NOC40,175 shares worth $13.24M.
This is 0.69% and $90.71K more than what they got when they sold the stock.

Charitable Transactions

NOC

2,850 shares

NOC

Recent Charitable Transactions

NOC

1,935 shares

NOC

May 9, 2022

Charity

NOC

915 shares

NOC

Aug 9, 2021

Charity

Insider Trading

See recent insider trades of Kathy J. Warden.

NOC

$4.82M

NOC at $481.62/share

Aug 4, 2022

Sale

NOC

1,935 shares

NOC

May 9, 2022

Charity

NOC

915 shares

NOC

Aug 9, 2021

Charity

NOC

$1.73M

NOC at $352.04/share

May 3, 2021

Sale

NOC

$2.42M

NOC at $353.66/share

Jul 29, 2019

Sale

NOC

$19.87K

NOC at $296.51/share

Oct 16, 2017

Sale

NOC

$19.77K

NOC at $295.07/share

Oct 16, 2017

Purchase

NOC

$2.45M

NOC at $263.41/share

Aug 1, 2017

Sale

NOC

$825.17K

NOC at $189.00/share

Mar 10, 2016

Sale

NOC

$878.51K

NOC at $187.04/share

Nov 4, 2015

Sale

Compensation History

See how much did Kathy J. Warden make over time.

In 2022, Kathy J. Warden's compensation totaled about $20.6 million, including a salary of $1.6 million and a bonus of nearly $4 million. Her bonus was determined based on Northrop Grumman's overall performance, which included achieving specific financial goals. Vested stock grants made up a large part of her pay, valued at over $22 million, reinforcing the idea that her interests are linked to the company's success. This structure reflects Northrop Grumman's commitment to tying executive pay to performance, ensuring that leaders like Kathy are rewarded for effectively guiding the company. Other perks, like financial planning and security services, rounded out her overall package, showcasing the benefits that come with her leadership position.

Year

2022

Total Compensation

$28.72M

Salary

$1.64M

Board Justification

Northrop Grumman's compensation philosophy for the CEO in 2022 focused on aligning executive compensation with company performance, shareholder interests, and long-term value creation. The compensation structure included a mix of fixed and variable pay, with a significant portion tied to performance metrics and long-term incentives.

Bonus

$3.98M

Board Justification

The bonus for Kathy J. Warden in 2022 was determined based on the company's performance metrics, including financial and non-financial goals. The performance metrics included Adjusted Cash Flow from Operations, Adjusted Segment Operating Income Growth, and Pension-Adjusted OM Rate, among others. The overall company performance factor was determined to be 134%, which influenced the final bonus payout.

Other

$801.86K

Board Justification

Other compensation for Kathy J. Warden in 2022 included perquisites such as security protection, financial planning services, and contributions to defined contribution and deferred compensation plans.

Restricted Stock

$22.30M(47.95K RSR)

Board Justification

The vested stock for Kathy J. Warden in 2022 consisted of Restricted Performance Stock Rights (RPSRs) and Restricted Stock Rights (RSRs) that were granted in previous years and vested based on the company's performance over a three-year period. The 2020 RPSRs vested based on the three-year performance period which ended on December 31, 2022, and were distributed in February 2023.

Performance Metrics

The performance metrics for determining the CEO's compensation in 2022 included financial metrics such as Adjusted Cash Flow from Operations, Adjusted Segment Operating Income Growth, and Pension-Adjusted OM Rate, as well as non-financial metrics related to diversity, employee experience, environmental sustainability, quality, and customer satisfaction.

Other Northrop Grumman CEOs

Here are other CEOs of Northrop Grumman

Wesley G. Bush

Ex-CEO of Northrop Grumman

January 2010 - January 2019