Marillyn Hewson Bio

Marillyn Hewson is an American businesswoman known for her involvement with aerospace and Lockheed Martin.

Due to my combined interest in aerospace science and the rich and famous, Marillyn struck me as an extremely interesting woman. I was keen to learn more about her business history.

Although I was already aware that she’s not someone who’s in the public eye as much as other millionaires in her position, I still wanted to take a deeper look into her life and share with you how she got into the role she’s in today.

Marillyn has a lot of advice to give to ensure women receive equal opportunities, which is another reason I was drawn to her. She has some strong beliefs about leaders providing a workplace where women can thrive and grow to be successful.

During this guide, I will discuss Marillyn’s life within Lockheed Martin and how she got there. I will also be telling you a bit about her childhood, her parents, and her education.

So, let’s take a look at the life of Marillyn Hewson. After reading this Marillyn Hewson bio, if you find you want to learn more about the aerospace world, then you might find this SpaceX Competitors Analysis an exciting read.

Marillyn Hewson Bio Facts

Full Name: Marillyn Adams Hewson
Birth Date: 27th of December 1953
Birth Place: Junction City, Kansas
Nick Name: Unknown
Nationality: American
Siblings: Four Siblings
Children: Sons, Will and David
Partner / Spouse: James Hewson
Profession: CEO of Lockheed Martin
Salary: $30 million
Net Worth: $100 million
Social Media: Marillyn Hewson (@MarillynHewson) / Twitter,
Companies Associated With: Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky Aircraft, Johnson & Johnson
Last Updated: September 2022

Marillyn Hewson Key Facts Summary

Marillyn Hewson Bio
Image from Flickr
  • Marillyn currently lives in Virginia.
  • She was listed as number 35 in the Harvard Business Review as one of the best-performing CEOs in the world. [1]
  • She received a Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement.
  • She was named among the 50 most powerful women in the business world four times between 2010 and 2015. [2]
  • She is the strategic advisor for Lockheed Martin.
  • Marillyn retired as chairwoman of the company last year.
  • She has four siblings, though they are not in the public eye.
  • Before getting involved with the Lockheed Corporation, Marillyn worked as an economist for the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
  • In 2019 she was named by Times Magazine as one of the world’s 100 most influential people.
  • She currently lives with her husband just outside of Georgetown Pike in Virginia.
  • She was for her leadership with the Edison Achievement Award.
  • In 2018, she was named CEO of the year by Chief Executive Magazine.
  • She has three main pieces of advice to anyone leading a workplace that will encourage the support of women in business: be there, beware of hidden biases, and reward results.

Marillyn Hewson Birthplace and Early Life

I always find it even more inspiring to read about millionaires and entrepreneurs who have built their careers from the ground up and come from humble backgrounds that working-class people can relate to, and Marillyn is a prime example of that.

Marillyn and her four siblings were born in Junction City to Warren and Mary Adams. Her father, Warren, sadly passed away when Marillyn was only nine years old, leaving her mother to raise the five children single-handedly, which I am sure must have been a strain on their quality of life.

Despite their struggles, her mother’s determination and hard work taught Marillyn a lot about life, and I believe this contributed profusely to her success in her later career.

It’s presumed that Marillyn was educated at her school in her hometown of Kansas when she was a young girl.

She attended the University of Alabama after obtaining a Master of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration. Her other studies took place at Harvard and Columbia Business School.

During her time at the University of Alabama, she met her now husband, James Hewson.

Marillyn Hewson Early Business Success

Marillyn Hewson with Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Before Marillyn entered the official world of business, she had many jobs, a lot of which involved working in the building where she lived with her mother and siblings. She also did a lot to help her mother around the house, including helping to raise the other children, cooking, cleaning, and general day-to-day jobs.

When Marillyn first started working for the Lockheed Corporation, she held various positions, such as Executive Vice President of Global Sustainment, Chief Operations Officer, President of Systems Integration, and General Manager of Kelly Aviation Center. [3]

It wasn’t until 2012 that she was elected to sit on the board of directors for the company. By the following year, she was serving as the CEO, a position she remained in until 2020. [4]

I think it’s pretty clear that Marillyn is a highly influential operator within the company. This was proven after the marketing capitalization in Lockheed Martin doubled after she was given the role of chairwoman.

In 2015, Marilyn publicized that Lockheed Martin would be acquiring Sikorsky Aircraft, the company that produced the UH-60 Black Hawk range of helicopters. [5]

Marillyn took it upon herself to take the company in a whole new direction under her management, which involved concentrating mainly on military hardware over anything else. [6]

In 2019, Marillyn was elected to join the board of directors for Johnson & Johnson, the leading baby product brand. [7]

It was announced in 2020 that Marillyn would resign from her role as CEO of Lockheed and Martin, of which she would be succeeded by James Taiclet. She currently remains in the company as the Executive Chair of the Board.

To learn more about Lockheed Martin, you should check out our Boeing Competitors Analysis.

Marillyn Hewson Videos

Listen to Marillyn herself talking about her childhood, how she worked 40 hours a week as a teenager, and how she helped her mother before studying accounting and economics at university.

Most Powerful Women: Marillyn Hewson – YouTube

During this interview with David Rubenstein, Marillyn discusses how she was voted one of the most powerful women in the world and how she acquired Sikorsky.

The David Rubenstein Show: Marillyn Hewson – YouTube

Marillyn discusses what she thinks about President Trump’s perspective on imposed tariffs.

Lockheed Martin CEO Marillyn Hewson On Tariffs: Impact Could Be Bad On The Defense Industry | CNBC – YouTube

Marillyn Hewson Business Failures

As a result of her hard-going childhood and after watching her mother persevere through difficult life situations, I think Marillyn has always had solid missions and values when it comes to success.

This has probably contributed to the fact that she has never really encountered any failures throughout her career.

Through her time at Lockheed Martin, Marillyn went from strength to strength, and she held some of the highest positions in the company, before retiring from her most prominent role in 2020.

Overall, I think Marillyn has been an inspiration to women and leaders in the business world, and I believe a lot of people can learn from her story by following her example.

Marillyn Hewson Family

Marillyn met her now husband, James Hewson when they were both studying at the University of Alabama.

The couple like to keep their private lives out of the public eye as much as possible, but we know they have two children together, David and William.

Marillyn Hewson Net Worth and Career Earnings

marillyn hewson with president donald trump

At the time of the biography, Marillyn has a net worth of $100 million, which she accumulated through moving up in various positions at Lockheed Martin. It goes without saying that she hasn’t come from money, and has worked extremely hard to be where she is today.

If reading about the net worth of some of the most successful people in the world is something that piques your interest, then when you’re done here, this Meg Whitman Bio might be something you want to check out.

Marillyn Hewson Real Estate Holdings

Public reports state that Marillyn and her husband currently live in a mansion just outside of Georgetown Pike. They purchased the home for $5.4 million after relocating from McLean, where they lived since 2010.

They sold their home for $2.7 million, which was $700,000 less than they had purchased it for. The home featured seven bedrooms, nine bathrooms, an elevator, and a separate detached apartment.

Marillyn Hewson Quotes

marillyn hewson quotes

I have found reading about Marillyns’ life fascinating. Although she keeps a lot of her life as private as possible, I think it’s clear that she’s a highly inspirational person, so I wanted to share some of her quotes that stand out the most about building your career and living a successful life.

“The best employees are the ones who bring real initiative and energy to a job. I like to know if you’re the kind of person who can put priorities in place, take the initiative, and drive results from the beginning.”

“Leaders must see past problems to get to the solutions, and my mother excelled at that.”

“My job is to ensure that as the customers’ priorities change and the environment changes, we shift that portfolio of products to meet them.”

“Good leaders organize and align people around what the team needs. Great leaders inspire and motivate people with the reason why they’re doing it. That is the purpose and the key to achieving something transformational.”

FAQs – Marillyn Hewson Bio

Question: When Did Marillyn Hewson Start Working For Lockheed Martin?

Answer: Marillyn started working for Lockheed Corporation in 1983 when she was thirty-three. Her first role within the company was as the Senior Industrial Engineer.

Question: Who is Marillyn Hewson’s Husband?

Answer: James Hewson. Marillyn met her husband when the pair were at university together. James graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in communications. The couple lives an extremely private life with their two sons, William and David.

Question: How Long Was Marillin Hewson CEO and Chairwoman of Lockheed Martin?

Answer: Marillyn served as the Chairwoman and CEO of the company for seven years. She was assigned the role in 2013 and resigned in 2020. She was succeeded in her position by James Taiclet.

Recommended Reads:

Research Citations

  1. https://hbr.org/2017/11/the-best-performing-ceos-in-the-world-2017
  2. https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/most-powerful-women/2012/snapshots/19
  3. www.lockheedmartin.com
  4. https://blogs.wsj.com/corporate-intelligence/2012/11/09/more-on-marillyn-hewson-lockheed-martins-next-ceo/
  5. UH-60M Black Hawk Multi-Mission Helicopter, United States of America (army-technology.com)
  6. Lessons from Leaders: Lockheed Martin’s Marillyn Hewson (thomasnet.com)
  7. Marillyn A. Hewson | Johnson & Johnson (jnj.com)
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