Major General (Ret’d) Jeremy King comes to Lockheed Martin after a long and distinguished career in Army Aviation. Photo: Lockheed Martin Australia.
Canberra-based Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand has announced the appointment of former senior Australian Army officer Major General (Ret’d) Jeremy King as its new managing director, effective from 23 February.
Mr King retired from the army late last year, with his last posting being as the head of the Joint Aviation Systems Division (JASD) within Defence’s Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG).
Formerly called Helicopter Systems Division (HSD), JASD manages the acquisition and sustainment of helicopters and tactical uncrewed aerial systems for the Royal Australian Navy and Australian Army, as well as pilot and aircrew training systems for the whole ADF.
Mr King will report to Lockheed Martin International president Jay Pitman and will replace Warren “Macca” McDonald who has been in the role since 2021.
Mr Pitman said Mr King’s depth of experience in large-scale defence acquisitions and commitment to customer-centric leadership made him the ideal candidate to drive Lockheed Martin’s growth in Australia and New Zealand.
“His operational background – from command of the 7th Combat Service Support Battalion to managing the acquisition and sustainment of helicopters and tactical uncrewed aerial systems – gives him a unique perspective on the complex security challenges our customers face,” he said.
“I am confident that Jeremy will continue to strengthen our partnerships and deliver the world-class solutions that underpin our customers’ success.”
Mr McDonald had initially retired at the end of 2024 and was briefly replaced by Air Vice-Marshal (Ret’d) Steve Roberton as managing director. But after just six weeks Mr Roberton departed the position and Mr McDonald was asked to return for an additional period. Mr Roberton was last week announced as the new president of Boeing Australia and New Zealand.
Mr King joined the army’s Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Corps in 1989. His leadership appointments include as a troop commander in Operation BEL ISI II in Bougainville and Operation TANAGER in Timor Leste, as officer commanding the maintenance element for army CH-47D Chinook operations in Afghanistan and as chief logistics officer for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan.
He also commanded the 7th Combat Service Support Battalion, has served as design engineer, program manager, project director, director general and divisional head within CASG and as director general Army Aviation Systems Branch.
“I have served the Australian Defence Force for more than 30 years, leading major capability programs such as the MRH-90 and Chinook projects and, most recently, heading Joint Aviation Systems,” Mr King said.
“I am eager to leverage my extensive program leadership experience and commitment to customer success in leading Lockheed Martin’s efforts in Australia and New Zealand. I look forward to strengthening our partnerships and delivering the advanced solutions our customers rely on.
“My focus will be on working closely with our customers, industry partners and stakeholders to ensure we deliver, sustain and evolve the capabilities required to navigate the region’s evolving security landscape.”
Mr King also holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering, a Master of Business Administration, a Master of Engineering Science, is a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers Australia, a Chartered Engineer and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
