Theodore “Ted” Tanner Jr. replaces Jim Carlini
Reston-based Fortune 500 federal contractor Leidos has named Theodore “Ted” Tanner Jr. its next chief technology officer, according to an announcement Monday.
Mr. Tanner previously served as Chief Technology Officer and Strategy Officer at BigBear.ai, a McLean-based artificial intelligence provider for defense, national security and critical infrastructure.
“Ted is an impactful leader who combines entrepreneurial creativity and execution discipline to solve tough deep technology challenges,” Leidos CEO Tom Bell said in a news release.
Mr. Tanner will assume his role on January 5, 2026. He will succeed Jim Carlini, who has served as Leidos' chief technology officer (CTO) since 2019. Mr. Carlini will continue to serve as Mr. Bell's senior adviser on national security issues.
At BigBear.ai, Tanner led the development of AI and machine learning capabilities for the U.S. Department of Defense, also known as the Department of the Army, intelligence and civilian agencies. Previously, Tanner worked at Apple, Microsoft, and IBM Watson Health. He also co-founded the startup PokitDok, a platform-as-a-service company for healthcare, and Belief Networks, a machine learning and natural language processing company as a service.
Tanner currently serves on the scientific advisory board of QuiverBioscience, a Massachusetts-based company that uses technology to develop drugs for the brain. He holds 18 U.S. patents related to artificial intelligence, machine learning, and other technologies.
Earlier this year, Leidos announced its NorthStar 2030 growth strategy. This aims to differentiate the company in the space and maritime industry, digital modernization and full-spectrum cyber, managed health services, mission software, and energy infrastructure. “Advances in these and other areas are being greatly facilitated by driving proven AI outcomes,” the company said in a news release Monday.
Leidos, which has 47,000 employees worldwide, reported $16.7 billion in revenue for the fiscal year ended Jan. 3.
s
