Executive Vice President, Aeronautics

Larry Lawson is Executive Vice President – Aeronautics for Lockheed Martin Corporation. In this role, he leads the corporation's military aircraft business, which employs more than 26,000 people at nine locations in the United States.

Aeronautics is the industry leader for design, development, manufacture and full-service logistics of a wide range of combat and air mobility aircraft for the U.S. and air arms of nations around the world.

Mr. Lawson oversees key aircraft production programs such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon combat aircraft and C-130J Super Hercules. He oversees modernization and sustainment activities for the F-22 Raptor air dominance fighter, C-5M Super Galaxy transport, U-2 Dragon Lady high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft and P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft. Under his executive leadership, the company has developed and is building the advanced supersonic F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter, which will replace a wide range of aging fighter, strike and ground attack aircraft for the United States and allied nations. His responsibilities include the company’s world-renowned Skunk Works® organization, the leader in aerospace innovation for nearly 70 years.

Mr. Lawson was appointed to his current position in April 2012. He has held a broad range of positions in engineering, advanced development, business development and program management over his career of more than 30 years in aerospace.

Before assuming his current position, he served as Executive Vice President and General Manager, F-35 Lightning II Program from 2010 until 2012. He served as Executive Vice President and General Manager of the F-22 Raptor Program from 2004 to 2010. Prior to joining the Aeronautics Company in 2004, Mr. Lawson served as Business Development Vice President of Lockheed Martin’s Electronic Systems Business Area.

Mr. Lawson holds a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Lawrence Technological University, where he also serves on the Board of Trustees. He has a master’s degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Missouri and is a graduate of the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program and an MIT Seminar XXI Fellow.

He serves on the board of the Air Force Association as chairman of the development committee and is affiliated with the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and the National Management Association. He holds patents in advanced signal processing discrimination technology. He was named Inventor of the Year in 1991 and Manager of the Year in 1997 and 1999. He received the Atlanta Father of the Year award in 2007 and the Silver Knight of Leadership award from the National Management Association in 2008.