Christopher W. Soong
HUNTINGTON INGALLS INDUSTRIESAbout Christopher W. Soong
Christopher W. Soong is Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer (CIO) of HII, serving in this role since April 2023 after previously serving as CIO for HII’s Mission Technologies segment from August 2021 to April 2023; he is 52 years old and has held senior IT leadership roles at Alion Science & Technology, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Sprint. He holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Virginia Tech, a Leadership Certificate from the University of Maryland, and participated in the MIT Sloan CIO Institute . Company performance context for compensation alignment: in 2024 HII delivered revenues of $11,535 million, diluted EPS of $13.96, net cash from operations of $393 million, free cash flow of $40 million, and total stockholder return of -25.7% .
Past Roles
| Organization | Role | Years | Strategic impact |
|---|---|---|---|
| HII (Corporate) | Executive Vice President & Chief Information Officer | Apr 2023–present | Enterprise CIO for a 44,000-employee defense contractor; responsible for corporate IT strategy and execution . |
| HII – Mission Technologies | Chief Information Officer | Aug 2021–Apr 2023 | Led IT for all-domain tech segment; integration and modernization of mission IT capabilities . |
| Alion Science & Technology | Senior Vice President & Chief Information Officer | Oct 2018–Aug 2021 | Enterprise IT leadership at defense technology firm; digital transformation at scale . |
| Booz Allen Hamilton | Executive-level positions (IT) | Not disclosed | Executive IT roles at major federal contractor . |
| Sprint | Executive-level positions (IT) | Not disclosed | Executive IT roles in telecom environment . |
Fixed Compensation
- Structure for elected officers (applies to EVP/CIO): base salary, annual cash incentive (AIP), and long-term equity incentives (RPSRs and RSRs). HII’s program is pay-for-performance, heavily weighted to variable and long‑term equity elements .
- No employment agreements for executives; compensation overseen by independent Compensation Committee with targeted external benchmarking .
Performance Compensation
- Annual Incentive Plan (AIP) design for corporate officers: formula-based payout on enterprise financial metrics and strategic leadership objectives.
- Metrics and weights: 90% Corporate Performance Factor (Operating Margin and Operating Cash Flow) + 10% Strategic Leadership (leadership, ESG, cybersecurity, compliance); Individual Performance Factor ranges 0–1.5 .
- Long-term incentives (LTI) granted under the 2022 Plan:
- Mix and vesting: 70% Restricted Performance Stock Rights (RPSRs) measured over 3 years; 30% Restricted Stock Rights (RSRs) vest ratably 33⅓% per year over 3 years; dividend equivalents accrue but are paid only upon vesting .
Company LTIP metrics and most recent cycle outcome (applies to awards under the 2022–2024 performance period):
| Metric | Weight | Target (100%) | Actual | Payout Contribution | Vesting/Payout Timing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EBITDAP ($M) | 40% | 3,605 | 3,852 | 80 (maxed at 200% on this metric) | 2022 RPSR awards paid at 109% of target; shares issued Feb 24, 2025 . |
| ROIC (%) | 40% | 50.43 | 49.02 | 23 | 2022 RPSR awards paid at 109% of target; shares issued Feb 24, 2025 . |
| Relative EBITDAP Growth (%) | 20% | 55.00 | 31.00 | 6 | 2022 RPSR awards paid at 109% of target; shares issued Feb 24, 2025 . |
| Total LTIP Score | — | — | — | 109% | Cycle concluded with 109% payout . |
Equity Ownership & Alignment
- Stock ownership guidelines: President/CEO 7x salary; elected officers reporting to CEO (including EVP/CIO) 3x salary; may be met via direct shares, RSRs, 401(k) equivalents, and Savings Excess equivalents .
- Holding requirement: for awards granted before Jan 1, 2024, officers must hold at least 50% of shares received as compensation until the earlier of 3 years from issuance or termination due to death/disability; requirement continues for one year post‑separation and applies to awards vesting in that period. Holding requirement eliminated for awards granted on/after Jan 1, 2024 .
- Hedging/pledging: strict prohibitions on speculative transactions, pledging HII stock as collateral, and hedging (e.g., collars, forwards); applies to officers and directors .
Employment Terms
- At‑will employment; no executive employment or change‑in‑control agreements; no tax gross‑ups .
- Severance Plan for Elected and Appointed Officers: upon a “qualifying termination,” lump sum of 1.5× base salary + target bonus, continued medical/dental premiums for 18 months, executive financial planning and outplacement benefits within defined limits .
- Equity treatment on termination:
- Death/disability: RSRs vest in full; RPSRs pay based on actual completed cycle plus prorated target for unvested cycles .
- Retirement eligibility and other terminations: RPSRs prorated/accelerated per plan terms; RSRs prorated or forfeited depending on eligibility; detailed mechanics in 2012/2022 Plan .
- Change‑in‑control with qualifying termination: full acceleration of unvested RSRs; RPSRs accelerate at target; pro‑rata/actual for completed cycle; no separate CIC agreements .
- Clawback: Dodd‑Frank compensation recovery policy for erroneously awarded incentive compensation covering specified officers/vice presidents .
Say‑on‑Pay & Peer Group (Company-Level)
| Year | Say‑on‑Pay Approval (%) |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 97% |
| 2021 | 97% |
| 2022 | 97% |
| 2023 | 97% |
| 2024 | 96% |
- Peer group changes for 2025: removed BWX Technologies, Curtiss‑Wright, Moog; added Cognizant, General Dynamics, Northrop Grumman; moves HII’s relative revenue positioning from ~70th to ~50th percentile within the refined group .
Investment Implications
- Compensation alignment: Soong’s role as EVP/CIO participates in HII’s enterprise pay‑for‑performance system—AIP linked to Operating Margin/Operating Cash Flow and strategic objectives, and LTI tied to ROIC/EBITDAP/relative growth—promoting cash discipline and returns-focused execution across IT initiatives .
- Selling pressure risk: strict anti‑hedging/pledging rules, ownership guidelines (3× salary for EVP-level), and pre‑2024 holding requirements reduce near‑term discretionary selling and align incentives; personal ownership levels for Soong are not disclosed .
- Change‑in‑control/severance economics: standardized plan formula (1.5× salary+target bonus) and equity acceleration under plan terms provide retention value without bespoke CIC agreements or tax gross‑ups; mitigates entrenchment risk while preserving alignment with shareholders .
- Execution focus: recent LTIP cycle paid at 109% on returns and EBITDAP metrics, indicating plan rigor; negative TSR in 2024 underscores heightened performance hurdles for future cycles and potential pressure on variable pay outcomes if company‑level targets are not met .