MCLEAN, VA--Lucy Fitch has departed her role as SVP of communications at BAE Systems to lead corporate comms at another major defense contractor, Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC).

Fitch will lead the company's media relations, employee communications, and corporate marketing.

Before joining BAE in 2000, she was the director, business development and strategic planning at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Sector, among other positions in the defense industry. She began her career as a journalist focusing on business, aerospace and defense, and technology.

"Lucy brings communication and leadership skills, a strategic orientation and a breadth of business experience that combine to make her uniquely qualified to lead SAIC's communications," said Debbie Lee James, SAIC’s EVP for communications and government affairs, in a statement.

SAIC is a Fortune 500 company that specialises in scientific, engineering and technology applications. Among its biggest clients are the Department of Defense, Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Agency.