Frank St. John
In recognition of superb lifetime contributions to the advancement of precision strike systems, the Integrated Precision Warfare Division of the National Defense Industrial Association takes great pride in awarding 2021 William J. Perry Award to Mr. Frank St. John, Chief Operating Officer of the Lockheed Martin Corporation. This award honors the immediate and long-term impact that Mr. St. John has had on America’s precision warfare combat advantage. A career visionary leader, Mr. St. John has amplified the necessity and criticality of integrated precision warfare through tireless advocacy and support that have elevated his leadership in the defense industry.
As the Chief Operating Officer of the Lockheed Martin Corporation, Mr. St. John’s stewardship codifies the values of doing what’s right, respecting others, and performing with excellence to advance the warfighting capabilities of the United States and its coalition partners around the globe. He has focused the strength of industry across the Services in areas of precision engagement through missile programs such as the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile, Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, Precision Strike Missile, HELLFIRE, Joint Air-to-Ground Missile, Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System, and PATRIOT Advanced Capability-3. His breadth of knowledge, coupled with his can-do spirit, led disciplined program and engineering teams year over year to advance the art of the possible in precision engagement, holding adversaries’ resources at risk in increasingly complex environments. His incredible drive for innovation and quality have remained hallmarks of his 33-year-long career in industry, leading to growth for Lockheed Martin across multiple disciplines.
Mr. St. John’s advancements at Lockheed Martin began as a high school intern where he was instilled with the spirit of discipline of cost, risk, technical, schedule, and financial performance of his programs. But, what set him apart from others was his dedication to effective communication, advancing the workplace culture and instilling next-generation Lockheed Martin imperatives. As the Executive Champion and chief internal spokesperson for culture optimization, Mr. St. John tirelessly promoted the strength of culture to employees across the enterprise, resulting in enhanced business successes that translated into integrated precision effects both within the industry and with his customers. This culture governed all aspects of the Missiles and Fire Control Business Area where Mr. St. John led the Tactical Missiles Line of Business. He successfully defined the path to the future for the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile and expanded Lockheed Martin’s capabilities with the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile. These programs are exemplary of his strategic vision in shaping the long-term future of Lockheed Martin’s operations through an agile approach to product development and market assessment all while increasing the long-range and tactical precision capabilities of the warfighter.
Prior to his current corporate leadership role, Mr. St. John was the Executive Vice President of two of Lockheed Martin’s Business Areas, Rotary and Mission Systems (RMS) and Missiles and Fire Control (MFC). In that capacity, he ensured alignment with customers across the Services and around the world, regularly interacting with the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy, and Missile Defense Agency, as well as intelligence, civil, commercial, and international military partners. With a disciplined approach to elevating a “One LM” solution to refining joint domain interactions, Mr. St. John has guided the Lockheed Martin enterprise to ensure clarity, capability, and quality to continually define the tremendously precise effects across the battlespace from domain awareness to enhanced responsiveness to kinetic and non-kinetic results.
Mr. Frank St. John embodies the Integrated Precision Warfare credentials of the William J. Perry Award. The breadth of his contributions to the defense industry and the precision warfare community is truly extraordinary and is in keeping with the highest standards set forth by Dr. William J. Perry.
As the Chief Operating Officer of the Lockheed Martin Corporation, Mr. St. John’s stewardship codifies the values of doing what’s right, respecting others, and performing with excellence to advance the warfighting capabilities of the United States and its coalition partners around the globe. He has focused the strength of industry across the Services in areas of precision engagement through missile programs such as the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile, Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile, Precision Strike Missile, HELLFIRE, Joint Air-to-Ground Missile, Guided Multiple Launch Rocket System, and PATRIOT Advanced Capability-3. His breadth of knowledge, coupled with his can-do spirit, led disciplined program and engineering teams year over year to advance the art of the possible in precision engagement, holding adversaries’ resources at risk in increasingly complex environments. His incredible drive for innovation and quality have remained hallmarks of his 33-year-long career in industry, leading to growth for Lockheed Martin across multiple disciplines.
Mr. St. John’s advancements at Lockheed Martin began as a high school intern where he was instilled with the spirit of discipline of cost, risk, technical, schedule, and financial performance of his programs. But, what set him apart from others was his dedication to effective communication, advancing the workplace culture and instilling next-generation Lockheed Martin imperatives. As the Executive Champion and chief internal spokesperson for culture optimization, Mr. St. John tirelessly promoted the strength of culture to employees across the enterprise, resulting in enhanced business successes that translated into integrated precision effects both within the industry and with his customers. This culture governed all aspects of the Missiles and Fire Control Business Area where Mr. St. John led the Tactical Missiles Line of Business. He successfully defined the path to the future for the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile and expanded Lockheed Martin’s capabilities with the Long-Range Anti-Ship Missile. These programs are exemplary of his strategic vision in shaping the long-term future of Lockheed Martin’s operations through an agile approach to product development and market assessment all while increasing the long-range and tactical precision capabilities of the warfighter.
Prior to his current corporate leadership role, Mr. St. John was the Executive Vice President of two of Lockheed Martin’s Business Areas, Rotary and Mission Systems (RMS) and Missiles and Fire Control (MFC). In that capacity, he ensured alignment with customers across the Services and around the world, regularly interacting with the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Navy, and Missile Defense Agency, as well as intelligence, civil, commercial, and international military partners. With a disciplined approach to elevating a “One LM” solution to refining joint domain interactions, Mr. St. John has guided the Lockheed Martin enterprise to ensure clarity, capability, and quality to continually define the tremendously precise effects across the battlespace from domain awareness to enhanced responsiveness to kinetic and non-kinetic results.
Mr. Frank St. John embodies the Integrated Precision Warfare credentials of the William J. Perry Award. The breadth of his contributions to the defense industry and the precision warfare community is truly extraordinary and is in keeping with the highest standards set forth by Dr. William J. Perry.