David J. Albritton is Vice President and Chief Communications Officer for Exelis Inc., a diversified, top-tier global aerospace, defense and information solutions company. He assumed that role upon the company’s October 2011 spin off from ITT Corporation. Albritton joined Exelis, then ITT Defense & Information Solutions, in November 2008 as the Vice President of Communications. In his current role, he is responsible for global brand and reputation management, executive communications, public relations, employee communications, crisis communications, corporate advertising, community relations, corporate philanthropy and special events.
Prior to joining Exelis, Albritton was Director of Media Relations on the Corporate Public Relations team at Raytheon Company. He was responsible for the development and execution of strategic communications plans and activities to help position Raytheon as an industry leader with key influencers in Washington, DC. He also served as a liaison with key Washington, DC media, handling sensitive business and industry issues as a media spokesperson.
Earlier, Albritton was the Senior Vice President of Communications for The Caraway Group, Inc., a public relations and public affairs agency based in Washington, DC. Prior to joining The Caraway Group, he was the Vice President for Field and Media Communications at United Way of America, the national leadership organization for all 1,400 local United Ways in the country. He has also held senior public relations positions with Hewlett-Packard Company, Compaq Computer Corporation and Sears, Roebuck and Co.
Early in his career, Albritton spent 10 years as an officer in the U.S. Navy, which included service aboard USS PORTLAND (LSD 37) during Desert Shield/Desert Storm. He also served in the Pentagon as an official Navy Spokesman on the Navy News Desk and as the Flag Lieutenant / Aide de Camp for the U.S. Navy’s Chief of Information, a two-star admiral. He spent nearly three years living abroad in London, England, while assigned as the Deputy Public Affairs Officer on the headquarters staff of Commander-in-Chief, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe.
Albritton holds a bachelor of science degree from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., as well as a master of science in Management from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif. In 2011, he was selected to become a member of the Executive Leadership Council, the nation’s premier leadership organization comprised of the most senior African-American corporate executives in Fortune 500 companies, representing well over 380 major corporations. The Council represents senior executives in positions one to three levels from the chief executive officers of Fortune 500 companies, CEOs themselves, and other entrepreneurs.