Northrop Grumman, the $34.8 billion defense contractor, appointed Kenneth Bedingfield corporate vice president and said he will become controller and chief accounting officer once the company files its 2011 annual report. He succeeds Kenneth Heintz, who is retiring. Bedingfield, 39, joins Falls Church, Va.-based Northrop Grumman after 17 years at KPMG, where he most recently served as national client leader of the U.S. aerospace and defense audit practice and audit partner.

Ashland, a $6.5 billion manufacturer of chemical products, named Eric Boni treasurer and vice president. He replaces J. Kevin Willis, who was named vice president of finance for Ashland and controller for Ashland Specialty Ingredients. Boni, 42, most recently was the Covington, Ky.-based company's director of business analysis and was its director of investor relations from 2007 to 2010. Boni has served in both corporate and commercial roles since joining Ashland in 1994.

Gannett Co., the McLean, Va.-based publisher of USA Today and other newspapers with $5.4 billion in 2010 revenue, named Teresa Gendron controller and vice president. She succeeds George Gavagan, who will continue as chief accounting officer until he retires in February. Gendron, 42, joins Gannett from NII Holdings, formerly Nextel International, where she served as controller. Earlier, she was NII's assistant controller and served as a senior manager in KPMG's audit practice.