James Taiclet

James D. Taiclet Jr., born on May 13, 1960, in Pittsburgh, is an American business executive serving as CEO of Lockheed Martin since June 2020 and chairman since March 2021. He earned a degree in engineering and international relations from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1982 and later a master's in public affairs from Princeton University. Taiclet served as a pilot in the U.S. Air Force from 1985 to 1991, including missions during Operation Desert Shield. His business career began at McKinsey & Co., followed by roles at Pratt & Whitney, Honeywell Aerospace Services, and American Tower, where he became CEO in 2003 and chairman in 2004. He joined Lockheed Martin's board in 2018 before becoming CEO. In February 2021, China banned Lockheed Martin and Raytheon from Chinese activities due to arms sales to Taiwan, prohibiting Taiclet and other executives from entering or working in China. Taiclet supports various charitable organizations and serves on boards such as the Council on Foreign Relations and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. He was recognized by Harvard Business Review as one of the Best-Performing CEOs in the World from 2013 to 2018.