Kane was formerly Northrop Grumman's IT services director on the U.S. Missile Defense Agency Joint National Integration Center Research and Development Contract program. The company lauded Kane’s technical and leadership expertise in a news release Tuesday, July 12.
Kane is replacing Sam Abbate, who worked the past two years with state CIO Sam Nixon and state lawmakers to improve Northrop Grumman’s multiyear, $2.3 billion contract as the prime contractor for the state government’s technology modernization and infrastructure.
The enterprise agreement, agreed to in 2005, is thought to be the largest of its kind in state government. But the partnership ran into trouble after complaints of cost overruns and inadequate service levels. In May, Northrop Grumman announced it would pay nearly $5 million in compensation related to a weeklong IT outage in summer 2010 that knocked out computers at the Department of Motor Vehicles and several other state agencies.
Kane is taking over for Abbate on Sept. 19. Nixon called Abbate’s work “instrumental” in the state’s technology transformation, while also complimenting Kane’s abilities.
"[Kane’s] experience as a CIO and in-depth information technology background will benefit the commonwealth as we continue to work together to enable the business of government,” Nixon said in a statement Tuesday. “We look forward to working with Jim and welcome him and his wife back to Virginia."
During his 17-year career with Northrop Grumman, Kane has served in a variety of management positions, including roles as CIO and manager of information systems.