HII (NYSE: HII) announced that former chief executive Mike Petters has been elected to the company's board of directors, according to a press release issued Oct. 20, 2026.

Petters served as the first CEO and president of Huntington Ingalls Industries following its spin-off from Northrop Grumman in 2011, stepping down from the role in 2022. He began his career at Newport News Shipbuilding in 1987 in the Los Angeles-class submarine construction division and rose through the ranks to become president of the shipyard.

Current HII CEO and President Chris Kastner commented on the appointment: "Mike brings deep shipbuilding expertise to the Board, and a unique familiarity with the history, mission, and evolution of HII."

Board Chairman Kirkland Donald also noted Petters' experience: "There are few people with as much experience in shipbuilding as Mike Petters."

Petters holds a bachelor's degree in physics from the U.S. Naval Academy and an MBA from the College of William and Mary. He served aboard the nuclear-powered submarine USS George Bancroft (SSBN 643) and spent five years in the U.S. Naval Reserve.

He has previously served as chairman of the Virginia Business Council and the Aerospace Industries Association, and currently serves on the U.S. Naval Academy Foundation Board of Directors and the U.S. Naval Institute Board of Directors.