Eileen Drake — Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings Inc.

Chief Executive

THE LATEST: In December, Lockheed Martin announced plans to acquire Aerojet Rocketdyne for $4.4 billion. The deal is expected to close in the second half of 2021 and will bring the propulsion system developer under control of one of its primary customers. Aerojet Rocketdyne rocket engines are also key components of NASA’s Space Launch System, which is expected to make a launch attempt later this year.
BACKGROUND: Drake joined Aerojet Rocketdyne in March 2015 as chief operating officer and was promoted to chief executive three months later. She previously worked at United Technologies Corp., where she led Pratt & Whitney AeroPower’s auxiliary power unit and small turbojet propulsion business. Drake graduated from U.S. Army Aviation Officer School and served for seven years as an Army aviator and airfield commander at Davison Army Airfield in Fort Belvoir, Va. She received an MBA from Butler University and an honorary doctorate degree in science from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
YEARS ON THE LA500: 4
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