David F. Melcher
Chief Executive Officer and President , Exelis Inc.
Member
David F. Melcher is Chief Executive Officer and President of ITT Exelis, a top-tier global aerospace, defense and information solutions company. Operating on four continents with strong positions in enduring and emerging global markets, ITT Exelis is a leader in Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) related products and systems, and in information and technical services for military, government and commercial customers.
Melcher joined ITT Exelis in August 2008 as Vice President of Strategy and Business Development for ITT Defense and Information Solutions—then an operating segment of ITT Corporation . In this role, he was responsible for continuing to shape ITT Defense into an increasingly market-centric, customer-focused organization by leading domestic and international business development teams. He was appointed President of ITT Defense in December 2008 and led the company for three years, preparing it to become a Fortune 400 public company on the New York Stock Exchange in October 2011. At that time, he was appointed by the board as Chief Executive Officer and President of ITT Exelis.
Lieutenant General (Ret.) Melcher joined the company following 32 years of distinguished service in the United States Army. His career was highlighted by troop assignments, including battalion and brigade command in Infantry and Armored divisions, and high-level military leadership and staff positions. As a General Officer, he served in the Pentagon as the Army’s Military Deputy for Budget and Deputy Chief of Staff for Programs (G8), and as Commander of the Corps of Engineers – Southwestern Division in Dallas, Texas.
He has more than 25 years of defense community experience in program management, strategy development and finance, and working with key decision makers within the Army, Department of Defense, Office of Management and Budget, and Congress.
Melcher holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and two masters’ degrees, including one in business administration from Harvard University and another in public administration from Shippensburg University. He is a former White House Fellow who served as the Executive Assistant for the Director, Office of Management and Budget in the White House. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the White House Fellows Foundation and Association, and the National Defense Industrial Association, and is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of New Hampshire.