When people talk about the defense industry, they usually think of fighter jets and massive government contracts. They don't always think about the person steering the ship through a literal storm of budget cuts and political shifts. But honestly, if you look at the era of Marillyn Hewson at Lockheed Martin, you're looking at a masterclass in how to stay relevant when the world is trying to move on.
She didn't just "run" the company.
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Hewson took over in 2013 during a time when "sequestration" was a terrifying buzzword in Washington. Basically, the government was slashing budgets, and for a company that gets the vast majority of its revenue from the Pentagon, that’s usually a recipe for disaster. Instead of shrinking, Lockheed Martin grew. Its stock price didn't just tick up; it climbed nearly 400% during her seven-year stint as CEO.
Most people don't realize how unlikely that was.
The Engineer Who Became an Icon
Hewson’s story isn't the typical "outsider disrupts industry" narrative. It’s the opposite. She was the ultimate insider. She started at Lockheed in 1983 as a senior industrial engineer. Think about that for a second. She spent 30 years working her way through 18 different leadership roles before she even touched the CEO chair.
She knew where the bodies were buried, so to speak.
When she took the lead, she wasn't guessing what the engineers in the labs were doing; she had been one. That technical depth is probably why she was able to double down on the F-35 Lightning II program when it was facing massive criticism for delays and cost overruns. She bet the house on fifth-generation stealth technology, and it paid off. Today, the F-35 is basically the backbone of allied air power.
She also steered the company toward "near adjacencies." That's corporate-speak for "buying things that make sense." Her biggest move? The $9 billion acquisition of Sikorsky Aircraft. Suddenly, Lockheed wasn't just the company making the jets; they were the company making the Black Hawk helicopters, too.
Why Marillyn Hewson at Lockheed Martin Changed the Culture
It wasn't all just hardware and billion-dollar deals. Hewson was famously focused on ethics. You might think that sounds like typical PR fluff, but in the defense world, a single ethics scandal can kill a contract. She pushed for a "customer-focused" culture that prioritized reliability over just being the cheapest bidder.
She was also a massive advocate for STEM.
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She knew that if the U.S. stopped producing engineers, Lockheed Martin would eventually stop producing planes. She and her husband, James, donated $15 million to her alma mater, the University of Alabama, to build Hewson Hall. It wasn't just about charity; it was about securing the pipeline of talent.
- Financial Growth: Revenue hit over $59 billion under her watch.
- Diversity: She was the first woman to lead the company and paved the way for more inclusive leadership teams.
- Strategic Shifts: She offloaded the company's IT and technical services businesses to focus purely on high-tech aerospace and defense.
The Numbers That Actually Matter
If you’re looking at the data, the performance of Marillyn Hewson at Lockheed Martin is staggering. When she started in January 2013, the stock was trading around $90. By the time she stepped down as CEO in June 2020, it was hovering near $400.
She turned a massive, slow-moving defense contractor into a high-growth tech powerhouse.
And she did it while navigating a relationship with a President—Donald Trump—who famously tweeted about the F-35 costs being "out of control." Hewson didn't get into a Twitter war. She went to the White House, sat down, and negotiated. She promised to bring costs down and create jobs. She played the game perfectly.
Lessons for Modern Leaders
So, what can we actually learn from this?
First, institutional knowledge is a superpower. You don't always need an "agent of change" from the outside. Sometimes the person who knows the machinery best is the one who can fix it.
Second, don't ignore the "boring" stuff. Hewson obsessed over the supply chain and internal audits. It’s not as sexy as a new hypersonic missile, but it’s what keeps the company from hemorrhaging cash.
Lastly, values are a strategic advantage. She was named one of TIME’s "100 Most Influential People" and topped Fortune’s "Most Powerful Women" list multiple times not just because of the money, but because of the way she led.
If you're trying to replicate her success, start by looking at your long-term talent pipeline. Don't just hire for today; invest in the education systems that will produce your workers ten years from now. Focus on deepening your core competencies rather than trying to be everything to everyone. Hewson’s decision to sell off the IT services branch was a risk, but it allowed Lockheed to be the undisputed leader in its niche.
To dig deeper into her leadership philosophy, you should look into her speeches at the Economic Club of Washington D.C., where she details the "catch-up" mode of defense modernization. It’s a clear look into the mind of someone who wasn't just managing a company, but managing national security.