Cognizant, a leading provider of information technology, consulting, and business process outsourcing services, announced that Leo S. Mackay, Jr. has been elected to its Board of Directors and will serve on the Company's Audit Committee.

Mackay, 51, is currently Vice President, and an elected corporate officer, of Lockheed Martin Corporation where he oversees the company’s ethics and corporate sustainability programs. During a career spanning almost three decades, Mr. Mackay has held key roles in the U.S. government, and general management positions at Lockheed Martin, ACS State Healthcare, and Bell Helicopter, a Textron Company.

A 1983 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, Mr. Mackay is a former Navy F-14 pilot, a Naval Fighter Weapons School graduate, and a veteran of Operation Earnest Will. He later served as the Deputy Secretary and Chief Operating Officer of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), where he received the Exceptional Service Medal, the VA’s highest honor. He is also the 2012 recipient of the Black Engineer of the Year Award for Career Achievement from US Black Engineer magazine.

“We are delighted to welcome Leo to Cognizant’s Board of Directors,” said Francisco D’Souza, Chief Executive Officer of Cognizant. “Strong ethics and corporate responsibility have been fundamental building blocks of Cognizant’s culture. Leo’s rich experience in these areas, coupled with his deep understanding of the government sector and the business services industry, will serve Cognizant well as we continue to grow.” 

Mr. Mackay holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. in public policy from Harvard University. He is a member of the Aspen Strategy Group, and the Council on Foreign Relations. He currently serves on the board of the Center for a New American Security, and chairs the Board of Visitors of the Graduate School of Public Affairs at the University of Maryland.

With his election, Cognizant’s Board of Directors now consists of ten directors, eight of whom are independent under NASDAQ’s rules.