Michael Hardesty, Chief Accounting Officer at Northrop Grumman

Michael Hardesty is the corporate vice president, controller and chief accounting officer at defense contractor Northrop Grumman. He joined the company in 2004.

In his current leadership role, Hardesty serves as a financial adviser to senior management and the board of directors’ audit committee. He leads Northrop’s corporate accounting policies and operations. The chief accounting officer ensures that the company’s financial data and reporting is in line with the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and the requirements set by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Hardesty was VP of business management and chief financial officer for Northrop’s information systems sector before holding his current leadership role. As CFO and business management president, he oversaw sector business management in the finance, accounting, contracts, pricing, procurement, regulatory and export compliance, real estate and facilities segments, Northrop said.

The industry veteran spent 10 years at consulting firm Deloitte before joining the Falls Church, Virginia-based defense contractor.

Hardesty holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Southern California and is a certified public accountant.

Northrop Grumman creates products that support military services across all domains, from sea to space and cyber. Its offerings cover autonomous aerial systems, defense countermeasures and sensors, electronic warfare systems, avionics and logistics. The company has multiple offices across all 50 U.S. states and other locations across the globe.