Twenty months into her tenure as leader of the world’s biggest defense company, Lockheed Martin Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer Marillyn A. Hewson is doing remarkably well. The company’s share price has doubled, customer relations have improved markedly, and program performance is just about the best ever — “across the board” according to Hewson. But what about the longer term? Hewson has a vision of how Lockheed Martin can stay on top that centers on fostering a culture of innovation, and she is investing in the talent and facilities to make that vision a reality. She says “innovation is the theme across our company,” and not just in the markets it already dominates, such as tactical aircraft, naval electronics, military space and missile defense. Lockheed is scoring breakthroughs in everything from material sciences to cybersecurity to ocean thermal energy conversion. Hewson says she doesn’t want to change the fundamental character of the enterprise — “we’re very happy with our portfolio today” — but she intends to keep growing revenues and returns by pursuing “near adjacencies” that complement the company’s existing competencies. I have written a commentary for Forbes here.
Find Archived Articles: