Defense technology
10 CHROs in Defense Technology
These ten executives hold or have held the chief human resources officer title, or an equivalent top people title, at defense, aerospace and national security companies. A reader can learn from them how defense-sector HR leaders organize their teams and approach hiring, pay and culture for technical and engineering workforces.
Professionals to explore
01—10Antonio Liotti
LinkedInExperience: Chief People & Organization Officer · Leonardo
Chief People & Organization Officer at Leonardo since November 2021; his profile describes him as a senior human resources leader in the aerospace and defence industry who has held diverse HR roles across the Leonardo Group. His other Leonardo roles include Head of Learning, HR Management & People Development (2018–2019) and Head of Human Resources (2019–2021).
Caroline McConnell
LinkedInExperience: Chief Human Capital Officer · Altamira Technologies Corporation
Chief Human Capital Officer at Altamira Technologies Corporation since May 2020, a C-level human resources role at a company the profile describes as advancing critical national security missions. She was previously SVP & Chief Human Resources Officer at ESP, LLC (2015–2020) and Vice President Human Resources at SAIC (2003–2015).
Chris Wronsky
LinkedInExperience: Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer · Lockheed Martin
Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer at Lockheed Martin since September 2023; his profile says the role serves a workforce of 122,000 employees in more than 50 countries. His other Lockheed Martin roles include Vice President, Human Resources LM Systems Integration (2008–2010), Vice President, International Human Resources (2010–2012), Vice President, Human Resources MST (2012–2015) and Vice President, Human Resources RMS (2015–2023).
Dan Almasy
LinkedInExperience: Chief Human Resources Officer, Raytheon Intelligence and Space · RTX
Former Chief Human Resources Officer, Raytheon Intelligence and Space at RTX (2020–2022), after serving as Vice President Human Resources and Security at Raytheon (2016–2020). He was then Chief Human Resources Officer at SOSi (2022–2024) and has been Chief Human Resources Officer at Nightwing since August 2024, a company the profile describes as providing cybersecurity and intelligence solutions for government agencies.
Janine Sweeney
LinkedInExperience: Chief Human Resources Officer · HawkEye 360
Chief Human Resources Officer at HawkEye 360 since January 2025, and also listed as Senior Vice President, Human Resources there (2019–2025); the profile describes HawkEye 360 as a defense and space company providing space-based RF data analytics. She was previously Director, Human Resources at OMNIPLEX World Services Corporation (2012–2018) and at SalientCRGT (2018–2019).
Jennifer Brummund
LinkedInExperience: Chief Human Resources Officer · Raytheon
Chief Human Resources Officer at Raytheon since July 2023; the profile describes Raytheon as a defense and space manufacturing company and gives her headline as CHRO at Raytheon, an RTX Business. Her other roles include Director, Organizational Effectiveness (2015–2017) and Director, Human Resources - Engineering (2018–2020) at Raytheon, and Vice President, Human Resources - Power and Controls at Collins Aerospace (2021–2022).
Jim Ryerson
LinkedInExperience: Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer · Boeing Defense, Space & Security
Vice President & Chief Human Resources Officer at Boeing Defense, Space & Security since May 2026, leading HR and talent for the division, which his profile describes as a $25B+ division of The Boeing Company with over 40,000 employees. He was previously Vice President Human Resources at Caterpillar Inc. (2018–2026) and HR Leader- Engineering at GE Aerospace (2014–2018).
Kathleen McCarthy
LinkedInExperience: Chief Human Resources Officer - Defense and Systems · GE Aerospace
Former Chief Human Resources Officer - Defense and Systems at GE Aerospace (2023–2025) and Chief Human Resources Officer - GE Aviation there (2021–2023). She has been Chief Human Resources Officer at SAIC since May 2025 and has also held the title Chief Human Resources Officer and Marketing & Communications there since October 2025; the profile describes SAIC as a defense and space manufacturing company.
Michelle Murphy
LinkedInExperience: SVP & Chief Human Resources Officer · BAE Systems
SVP & Chief Human Resources Officer at BAE Systems since 2020; her profile describes BAE Systems, Inc. as a U.S.-based international defense, aerospace and security company employing more than 35,000 people. She was previously Sector Vice President, Human Resources and Administration at BAE Systems, Inc. (2012–2020) and, at Northrop Grumman, Sector Vice President, Human Resources and Administration (2007–2010) and Corporate Director, Executive Compensation and Human Resources (2010–2012).
Sharyl Givens
LinkedInExperience: Chief People Officer · Shield AI
Chief People Officer at Shield AI since August 2025; the profile describes Shield AI as a company that builds AI pilots for battlefields and commercial aviation. She was previously Chief People Officer at Splunk (2022–2024) and SVP & Chief Human Resources Officer at Proofpoint (2018–2022), after serving as Vice President Human Resources at Proofpoint (2014–2018).
Choose the right perspective
Match the company type to yours, since HR at a large defense prime, a government services contractor and a venture-backed defense technology company faces different hiring and compliance questions. Also consider whether the person has led HR through acquisitions, divisional reorganizations or rapid growth if your question involves one of those situations.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01How do you compete for engineers and technical talent against commercial technology companies?
- 02How do security clearance requirements and government contract rules shape your hiring and workforce planning?
- 03What changes to pay, career paths or culture made the biggest difference in retaining technical staff?
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot and may describe past or present roles. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
Request a correction or removal