Science Applications International Corp. announced that David Benson and David Cush have been appointed to its Board of Directors, effective August 20, 2026. Both will serve as members of the Audit Committee and additionally, Mr. Benson will serve on the Human Resources and Compensation Committee and Mr. Cush will serve on the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. Their appointments bring the Board to 12 members and further strengthen the Board with deep expertise in operational enterprise transformation, financial leadership, capital allocation, and governance.
Mr. Benson is a seasoned financial services executive and former President, Chief Financial Officer (CFO), and Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Fannie Mae, where he led one of the nation's largest and most complex financial institutions through significant transformation and drove record levels of profitability, overseeing revenue-generating businesses and corporate functions. Mr. Cush is an accomplished chief executive and public company director whose experience leading large-scale aviation and transportation organizations, including Virgin America and American Airlines, spans more than three decades of growth, modernization, and acquisitions.
“I welcome David Benson and David Cush to SAIC as we enhance the Board’s ability to oversee the company’s strategy to drive operational excellence, innovation, and long-term shareholder value,” said Donna Morea, SAIC Board Chair. “Their exceptional track records of leading organizations in value creation, enterprise management, and organizational transformation, will provide valuable perspectives as we continue advancing our customers’ critical missions and positioning SAIC for sustained growth.”
More about David Benson
Mr. Benson brings more than three decades of executive leadership experience in financial services, capital markets, and corporate finance. Most recently, he served as President of Fannie Mae from 2018 to 2024 where he oversaw all revenue-generating businesses and corporate functions, managing more than $25 billion in annual revenue and approximately 8,000 employees. During his tenure at Fannie Mae that began in 2002, he held several senior leadership roles, including interim CEO, CFO, Executive Vice President of Capital Markets, and Treasurer, helping guide the company through significant transformation while strengthening financial discipline, modernizing financial infrastructure, and driving record levels of profitability.
Prior to joining Fannie Mae, Mr. Benson spent 14 years in leadership positions within Merrill Lynch's institutional fixed income businesses in New York and London.
Mr. Benson currently serves on the boards of Essent Group Ltd. and Opendoor Technologies Inc., and he previously served on the Board of Managers of U.S. Fintech (formerly Common Securitization Solutions). He holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business, an M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and a bachelor's degree in Psychobiology from the University of California, Los Angeles.
More about David Cush
Mr. Cush brings more than 30 years of executive leadership and board experience across the aviation, transportation, and other large-scale, asset-intensive industries. Most recently, he served as CEO and a member of the Board of Directors of Service King Collision from 2018 to 2022, where he led the company's operational transformation, financial restructuring, and successful sale following pandemic-related disruption. From 2007 to 2016, Mr. Cush served as President, CEO, and a member of the Board of Directors of Virgin America, leading the airline from its startup phase through its successful initial public offering and subsequent $4 billion acquisition by Alaska Airlines. Under his leadership, Virgin America became recognized for industry-leading innovation, customer experience, and operational performance while delivering strong shareholder returns. Earlier in his career, Mr. Cush held senior leadership positions spanning two decades at American Airlines across global sales, operations, planning, finance, and commercial strategy and he also served as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Aerolíneas Argentinas during a period of operational restructuring and modernization.
Mr. Cush currently serves on several corporate and nonprofit boards and previously served on the boards of Southwest Airlines, Vought Aircraft, and Vive Collision. He earned both his Master of Business Administration and bachelor's degrees from Southern Methodist University.
