Gwynne Shotwell — Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

Chief Operating Officer

THE LATEST: Time magazine named Shotwell one of the 100 most influential people of 2020 after she oversaw successful crewed missions that made SpaceX the first private company approved by NASA to transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station. In February, the company announced plans to go even further, with a proposed all-civilian mission into space set to take off by the end of the year.
BACKGROUND: Shotwell manages day-to-day operations at SpaceX, which employs more than 8,000 workers at multiple facilities. She joined the company shortly after it was established in 2002 and became president and chief operating officer in 2008. Prior to SpaceX, Shotwell worked at El Segundo-based Aerospace Corp. and for rocket manufacturer Microcosm Inc., where she was director of the space systems division. Shotwell earned both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from Northwestern University.
YEARS ON THE LA500: 4
Return to the 2021 edition of the LA500.