CACI CEO says he's prepared multiple potential successors

By Marjorie Censer / March 5, 2019 at 3:59 PM

Ken Asbury, CACI's chief executive, has been on the job six years and is preparing multiple potential successors.

Though he hasn't announced a planned retirement date, Asbury told Inside Defense last week it's critical for a company to be thinking about the next set of top executives.

Nearly two years ago, CACI hired DeEtte Gray, a former BAE Systems executive, to serve as president of U.S. operations. John Mengucci, who had led U.S. operations along with acting as chief operating officer, remained COO and took on new duties, including overseeing business development, mergers and acquisitions and recruiting.

Asbury said the move allowed a "fresh look" at managing U.S. operations and freed Mengucci up to take on new initiatives.

"I have two, maybe four [executives] that are in various stages of development, which is to me incredibly healthy," Asbury said. "A CEO should never be in the position to pick a successor . . . but my job is to be sure there is the kind of talent in the business at all levels."

He said not all of the people he's developing are CACI employees.

"Not all of them are in the company," Asbury told Inside Defense. "I have prepared some people on the outside."

Meanwhile, during the same interview, Asbury said top LGS Innovations executives, including CEO Kevin Kelly, will remain following CACI's acquisition of the company.

He said CACI is working on its fiscal year 2020 plan, which is set for completion next month.

"Then we'll start looking at, are there organizational options" for LGS, he said. "We're obviously thinking about some, but they're not complete yet. We really want to get the LGS leadership into the business."

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