Toni Townes-Whitley didn’t follow a step-by-step blueprint to reach the top of the defense industry. The SAIC CEO’s path was non-linear, stretching horizontally and vertically before reaching the top of the $4.4 billion defense tech giant.

Speaking at the Fortune Most Powerful Women Summit last week, Townes-Whitley said that she made “about three or four key turns” in her career before becoming the second Black female CEO currently in the Fortune 500 .

One of those turns occurred right after she graduated from Princeton. She chose the Peace Corp in Gabon over a full-ride for an MBA. As part of the civilian volunteer program, she helped build 37 schools and taught public health to 820 students over three years.

Her time in the Peace Corp, which many thought would set her back, wa

See Full Page