Defence giant BAE names its first female chairman
BAE Systems, the UK’S biggest defence firm, is poised to appoint infrastructure expert Cressida Hogg as its first female chairman.
The announcement will come today as the company unveils its earnings for the first half of the year.
Ms Hogg has a wealth of experience in overseeing complex projects, having chaired property firm Landsec and cofounded 3i Group’s infrastructure business in 2005. Her appointment will take the number of female chairmen in the FTSE 100 to 17. In the defence sector she joins Anita Frew, who chairs Rollsroyce, and Ruth Cairnie, who oversees the board of shipbuilder Babcock.
It means all three of the largest arms makers in Britain have women running their boards.
Ms Hogg is the daughter of Sir Christopher Hogg, who chaired newswire Reuters and Glaxosmithkline. She is also a non-executive director of London Stock Exchange Group and Troy Asset Management.
Ms Hogg will join after a lengthy background check because of the sensitivity of the work BAE carries out. The company designs and builds Britain’s nuclear submarines for the Ministry of Defence, which carry the nation’s nuclear deterrent and its fighter jets.
She replaces Sir Roger Carr, who became chairman in 2014, and who will step down in May. Sky News first reported Ms Hogg’s appointment. BAE declined to comment.