CANBERRA, Australia, 12 January 2025 –Lockheed Martin today announced that Jeremy King, former head of Joint Aviation Systems for Defence Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group, will assume the role of chief executive for Australia and New Zealand.
Following a formal transition period, Mr King will take full responsibility on 23 February 2026, succeeding Warren “Macca” McDonald, who is retiring after a distinguished tenure with the company. Mr King reports to Jay Pitman, president, Lockheed Martin International.
“Jeremy’s exceptional depth of experience in large-scale defence acquisitions, combined with his long-standing commitment to customer-centric leadership, make him the ideal candidate to drive Lockheed Martin’s growth in Australia and New Zealand,” said Mr Pitman. “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. I am confident that Jeremy will continue to strengthen our partnerships and deliver the world-class solutions that underpin our customers’ success.”
Mr King, who was commissioned into the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Corps in 1989, said he was honoured to join Lockheed Martin. “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,” he added. “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.”
About Jeremy King
Major General (Retd) Jeremy King was born in Hobart and enlisted in the Australian Army in 1989, later commissioning into the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Corps. Over more than 30 years of service he has held a range of leadership appointments, including troop commander in Operation BEL ISI II (Bougainville) and Operation TANAGER (East Timor), Officer Commanding the maintenance element for Chinook operations in Afghanistan, and Chief Logistics Officer for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. He commanded the 7th Combat Service Support Battalion (2012-2014) and has served as Design Engineer, Program Manager, Project Director, Director General and Divisional Head within Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG). King’s recent key appointments include Director General Army Aviation Systems Branch in CASG (2022) and Head Joint Aviation Systems (February 2023). He holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering (University of Tasmania, 1993), a Master of Business Administration (Deakin University) and a Master of Engineering Science (Electrical – University of New South Wales). He is a Fellow of the Institute of Engineers Australia (2015), a Chartered Engineer (2004) and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
About Lockheed Martin Australia & New Zealand
Headquartered in Canberra, Lockheed Martin Australia and New Zealand is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lockheed Martin Corporation. The company employs more than 2100 people across Australia and New Zealand working on research, design, development, logistics, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services spanning the aerospace, defence and civil sectors.
