A former United Airlines president has been elected to succeed former Rockwell Collins chairman and CEO Donald Beall on the company’s board of directors.

John A. Edwardson will replace Beall when he retires from the Rockwell Collins board in February 2013, the company said. He is subject to reelection at the company’s annual shareholders meeting in February 2013.

Edwardson is presently chairman of Illinois-based CDW Corporation, a privately held supplier of information technology products to government, education and business markets. He served as CEO of the company for 11 years. Prior to joining CDW, he served as the president and chief operating officer of UAL Corporation and United Airlines.

Edwardson is on the board of directors of FedEx, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Art Institute of Chicago.

“His leadership ability, knowledge of technology and air transport industry experience will be invaluable to our company,” Rockwell Collins chairman and CEO Clay Jones said in prepared remarks.