Alene G. Kaufman

Vice President and Chief Information Officer
Northrop Grumman Information Technology

Leni Kaufman is vice president and chief information officer for Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Newport News sector. She establishes the IT strategic direction and the day-to-day leadership of all information systems at the sector.

Her background in manufacturing and supply chain, along with her knowledge of technology, contributes strategic value to Northrop Grumman’s overall operations and business.

Prior to her CIO role, Leni served as a program director for Northrop Grumman’s Integrated Systems sector in Melbourne, Fla. She began her career with Northrop Grumman in 1979 and has held several leadership positions of increased responsibility that include project manager of Integrated Solutions, manager of Software Engineering, and technical specialist of Manufacturing Systems.

Leni is a recognized authority on IT portfolio management, speaking frequently to audiences on portfolio management best practices. She is a member of CIO magazine’s Executive Council, a national collaborative network of the best and brightest CIOs. Among her accomplishments, in 2007, Forbes Magazine recognized her in Tough, Tech-Smart, and Female. She was also recognized by Inside Business, The Hampton Roads Business Journal in the publication’s fifth annual Women in Business Achievement Awards.

An active mentor and community leader, Leni is the first CIO from the CIO Executive Council to participate in the ITWomen Role Model Speakers Program. She participated as one of 14 CIOs nationwide in the fourth annual ITWomen Scholarship drive, to raise scholarships for young women pursuing technology degrees. She is involved with the Newport News school district’s 21st Century Program, coaching students on creative thinking and applying ideas. She is also an executive sponsor for the Hampton Roads Chapter of Women in Northrop Grumman (WiNGs).

Leni earned her bachelor's degree in professional studies at Barry University, Miami, Fla. She also holds Software Engineering Institute Level II and III certification and is a member of the American Production Inventory Control Society and the Project Management Institute.

Northrop Grumman Newport News, headquartered in Newport News Va., is the nation’s sole designer, builder, and refueler of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers and one of only two companies capable of designing and building nuclear powered submarines. Newport News also provides after-market services for a wide array of naval and commercial vessels. The Newport News sector employs more than 21,000 people.

Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Information Technology sector, based in McLean, Va., is a trusted IT leader and premier provider of advanced IT solutions, engineering and business services for government and commercial clients. The company’s technological leadership spans such areas as homeland security solutions, secure wireless, cyber and physical assurance, IT and network infrastructure, managed services, knowledge management, modeling and simulation, and geospatial intelligence solutions.