Doing the Shuffle at L-3 Communications

What’s in this week’s mailbag from New York““based L-3 Communications, the sixth largest defense company in the United States? A few changes at the top. General (Retired) Charles F. “Chuck” Wald has been appointed L-3“™s new Corporate Vice President of International Business. Leaving that position is Ted McFarland, who is taking on a new role as Vice President of Strategic Planning for Washington Operations. And finally, L-3 has created a brand new position for Gino Malatesta as Corporate Vice President for Planning.

With the changes in L-3“™s executive ranks, Wald will now be responsible for helping grow international business for the firm. He should be well suited to the position, as he has vast international military experience from more than 35 years in the Air Force. Most recently, he was Deputy Commander, Headquarters US European Command (USEUCOM) from 2002 to his retirement from the Air Force in 2006.

Now a local player, Major General Ted McFarland will be reporting to General (Retired) Jimmie V. Adams, Senior Vice President of Washington Operations. McFarland joined L-3 in 2003 after serving as Assistant Deputy Under Secretary of the Air Force for International Affairs. Like Wald, McFarland“™s military experience is extensive, and both men have logged more than 3,000 flight hours. L-3 has offices in Arlington, Virginia, and a number of its divisions are located throughout the DC region.

In his new role at L-3, Gino Malatesta will manage internal financial planning, forecasting, and analysis. Malatesta has more than 23 years of financial management and planning experience in the aerospace and defense industries. He previously served as L-3“™s Senior Group Vice President for Finance. 

L-3 is a prime system contractor in aircraft modernization and maintenance, C³ISR (Command, Control, Communications, Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) systems, and government services. L-3 is also a major provider of high tech products and services.

With 2006 sales of $12.5 billion and a workforce of more than 63,000 employees, L-3 is a contracting behemoth. Washington Technology ranks L-3 number nine on their list of the top 100 federal prime contractors nationwide.