It may not match the ascent of an F-35 fighter jet for sheer visceral spectacle, but Lockheed Martin Corporation‘s Maryanne Lavan made her own successful vertical take-off in late June, ascending to the ranks of senior vice president and general counsel. The Bethesda, Md.-based aerospace and weapons giant named the 51-year-old Lavan as successor to James Comey, who took off for a hedge fund management position in Connecticut.
In the two decades since Lavan joined Lockheed, she’s cruised like a Hellfire missile up the corporate chain of command. She worked stints as assistant general counsel, vice president and GC for Lockheed’s electronic systems business area, vice president of ethics and business conduct, and — since 2007 — as vice president of internal audit.
