Imani Barton is the Head of Strategic Partnerships for the Chief Innovation Office for Northrop Grumman, a leader in aerospace & defense technology. She leads the strategy and execution of emerging technology partnerships as well as validating innovative solutions enterprise wide.

Imani has held a number of positions since joining the company in 2017. As the Strategic Partnerships PM she is responsible for identifying emerging technology companies that serve the needs of Northrop Grumman world wide. She’s holds pride in developing the technical scouting process that advances the Innovation Ecosystem of the enterprise and positions NG as a cutting edge technology company.
Before her role in the CIO, Imani served as the Global Supply Chain Process Excellence Manager for the Strategic Space Systems Division; the largest space business in the world at that time. She was responsible for integrating compliance, process improvement, and digital transformation training efforts to establish a more efficient, end-to-end experience for Global Supply Chain Operations.
Prior to this, she served as an Integrated Product Team (IPT) Lead for the Australia region for the Mission Systems Sector. Her efforts of advising strategically for business development led Northrop Grumman to improve their global ranking to ‘The Top 5 Most Successful Companies' in a global contract.
Imani’s initial introduction to Northrop Grumman was through the Mission Systems Pathways Program where she rotated in various supply chain roles and ultimately exited to an international program as a Supply Chain Planning lead in the then Aerospace Sector.
Imani has also served as the Chairman of the African American Task Group in South Bay where she oversaw the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) strategy, workforce development, and leadership development to build a culture of belonging at Northrop. Her work assisted Northrop Grumman in earning ‘Top 50 Company for Diversity” throughout aerospace and defense.
Imani is a proud HBCU graduate, she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and leadership from Oakwood University. She has also completed a program in Entrepreneurial Studies at Cornell University and a host of leadership-development programs. She holds certifications as a Scaled Agile Consultant and Practitioner.
Imani is a passionate Thought Leader looking to drive innovation, cultivate partnerships, and champion diversity one strategic move at a time.