Female Cybersecurity Leaders to Watch in Aerospace and Defense
Aerospace and defense organizations operate in one of the toughest cybersecurity environments anywhere. They sit at the intersection of national security, advanced manufacturing, classified programs, global supply chains, and increasingly connected digital systems. That makes this sector especially dependent on leaders who can protect sensitive operations while still helping large, complex organizations move forward. The women in this feature stand out for doing exactly that across aerospace platforms, defense programs, enterprise technology, and cyber strategy.
Lisa Petersen — Chief Information Security Officer, The Aerospace Corporation
Lisa Petersen is Chief Information Security Officer at The Aerospace Corporation. She brings more than two decades of experience across aerospace, defense, and other highly regulated environments. Before joining Aerospace, she served as CISO at Sierra Space and held cybersecurity and risk leadership roles at Booz Allen Hamilton, Kratos Defense and Security Solutions, Computer Science Corporation, and the United States Air Force. Her background spans mission cybersecurity, security compliance, vulnerability management, and operational risk across defense and space-related systems.
Sonya Wickel — Former VP, Information Technology & Chief Information Security Officer, Triumph Group
Sonya Wickel most recently served as VP, Information Technology and Chief Information Security Officer at Triumph Group, where she led global IT operations and cybersecurity strategy across the aerospace manufacturer’s distributed business units. During her time there, she also served as Chief Information Security Officer and earlier led cybersecurity, risk compliance, and enterprise security functions. Her work covered governance, compliance, vulnerability management, incident response, security architecture, vendor risk, and cyber-related M&A activities. She spent more than two decades at Triumph, progressing through multiple security and technology leadership roles.
Alexandra Landegger — Corporate CISO, RTX
Alexandra Landegger is Corporate CISO at RTX, where she also oversees cyber incident management and leads cyber strategy and transformation. Before stepping into that role, she served as CISO and Executive Director at Collins Aerospace, overseeing cybersecurity and compliance for a major aerospace business. Earlier in her career, she spent a decade at Booz Allen Hamilton, where she advised senior clients on cybersecurity, digital transformation, analytics, and risk management across aerospace, automotive, and government sectors. Her background combines enterprise cyber leadership with experience in strategic transformation and large-scale incident management.
Kimberly A. Mackenroth — Vice President and Chief Information Officer, L3Harris Technologies
Kimberly A. Mackenroth is Vice President and Chief Information Officer at L3Harris Technologies, where she leads the company’s global information technology organization and partners with business and corporate teams on strategic roadmaps, digital enablement, and enterprise systems. Throughout her career, she has advanced cybersecurity and enabled technology across large, complex businesses where secure operations are foundational. Before joining L3Harris, she served as Vice President and CIO at Textron, and earlier held CIO roles at Textron Aviation, Cessna Aircraft Company, and Greenlee. She began her career at Bell Helicopter, where she worked across supply chain, manufacturing, operations, program leadership, and IT.
Mission-Critical Cyber Leadership
What ties these leaders together is not a single career path, but a shared ability to operate where security, resilience, and mission execution all overlap. Aerospace and defense organizations need leaders who can manage cyber risk without losing sight of operational reality, and these women represent that balance well. Some come from dedicated security tracks, others from broader enterprise technology leadership, but each has experience in the kinds of environments where trust, continuity, and protection matter most.
Explore more profiles of the amazing women shaping cybersecurity across numerous industries in our Women’s Month collection.