Company: Lockheed Martin
Revenue: US$453.76 billion
Valuation: US$88.2 million
Age: 66
Some of the world’s most advanced combat weapons are developed by Lockheed Martin, a global American company specializing in aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technologies. At the helm of this giant stood one of the most powerful women in the world: Marillyn Hewson.
The company itself works with the highest-profile U.S. agencies, including surveillance and information processing for the CIA, FBI, IRS, NSA, and the Pentagon. In 2008 alone, it received US$36 billion in government contracts — the highest ever awarded to a single company in history.
Hewson was raised by her mother, a member of the Women’s Army Corps (WAC), the women’s branch of the United States Army. Her father died when she was just nine, and she credits her leadership skills to her mother’s ability to raise five children on her own.
Before joining Lockheed Martin, she earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s in economics from the University of Alabama. She later completed executive development programs at Columbia Business School and Harvard Business School.
She joined Lockheed Corporation in 1983 as a senior industrial engineer. She would go on to hold numerous executive positions, including president and COO, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Electronic Systems business area, executive vice president of Lockheed Martin Systems Integration, executive vice president of Global Sustainment for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, president and general manager of Kelly Aviation Center, L.P., and president of Lockheed Martin Logistics Services.
In 2012, she was appointed to the company’s board of directors and became CEO in 2013.
Lockheed Martin is currently the largest weapons manufacturer in the world. When Donald Trump announced tariffs on imports from China, several corporate leaders supported his stance — including Hewson.
Leadership advice
Marillyn Hewson affirms that leadership isn’t for everyone — she spent 30 years climbing the ladder to reach the position she held. Since then, she managed to double Lockheed Martin’s market capitalization, despite a drop in defense spending ordered by the Pentagon, the company’s most important client.
Her vision and leadership style inspire trust among investors, reflected in Lockheed Martin’s consistent stock market performance.
Thanks to her deep experience, financial knowledge, and strategic thinking, Hewson focuses more on having a clear long-term goal than on a rigid plan. She believes in being committed to the goal, not necessarily the method — which can change as needed.
She always seeks opportunities, using an awareness of weaknesses to leverage the company’s strengths within its business context. She focuses on the areas with the greatest growth potential.
Her leadership style is defined by consistency, strong commitment to the end goal, and the flexibility needed to reach it.