Karman Space & Defense Appoints Doug Laurendeau as Chief Growth Officer, Advances Leadership for Next Phase of Expansion

Karman Space & Defense has appointed longtime aerospace and defense executive Doug Laurendeau as Chief Growth Officer, strengthening the company’s senior leadership team as it positions for continued expansion across space and defense markets. The transition, effective May 6, 2026, brings a seasoned strategist with decades of experience shaping growth for one of the industry’s largest portfolios.

Bringing Four Decades of Strategic Leadership to Karman

Laurendeau joins Karman after more than 40 years at Lockheed Martin, where he most recently served as Vice President of Enterprise Strategy Integration. In that role, he helped guide growth strategy for a $70 billion business portfolio, working closely with executive leadership, business units, and functional organizations to align long‑term priorities.

He previously served as Vice President of Strategy and Business Development for Lockheed Martin’s Rotary and Mission Systems segment, a $16 billion organization. His leadership contributed to significant domestic and international growth across key mission areas including joint all‑domain command and control, air and missile defense, undersea systems, and aviation. His background in customer engagement, competitive intelligence, and business capture positions him to support Karman’s next phase of expansion.

Karman leadership emphasized that Laurendeau’s strategic orientation and experience navigating complex defense markets will help the company capitalize on rising demand for advanced space and defense solutions.

Strengthening Technical Leadership for Emerging Requirements

As Laurendeau steps into the growth role, current Chief Growth Officer Stephanie Sawhill will transition to Chief Technologist. Sawhill will focus on expanding Karman’s technical depth, advancing integrated system designs, and supporting customer requirements across next‑generation space and defense programs. She will continue to represent Karman within the industry and maintain strategic customer relationships.

Company leadership credited Sawhill with driving exceptional growth during a period of increasing customer demand for industrial capacity and advanced manufacturing capabilities. Her move into the chief technologist role reflects Karman’s emphasis on innovation and technical leadership as differentiators in a rapidly evolving market.

Positioning for Continued Growth in Space and Defense

Karman has established itself as a key partner to major primes, supporting complex mission needs across launch systems, hypersonics, missile defense, and space structures. The addition of Laurendeau and the elevation of Sawhill signal a deliberate strengthening of both growth strategy and technical innovation as the company scales to meet rising demand.

For aerospace and defense stakeholders, the leadership transitions highlight the increasing importance of integrated strategy and technology development. As government and commercial customers pursue more advanced, multi‑domain solutions, companies with strong growth leadership and deep technical capability are positioned to play a central role.

Karman’s leadership team expects the combined expertise of Laurendeau and Sawhill to accelerate the company’s ability to deliver innovative solutions and support mission success for both established primes and emerging entrants across the space and defense ecosystem.