Lockheed Martin has announced the appointment of former Australian defence acquisition executive Jeremy King as its new chief executive for Australia and New Zealand, signalling a continued focus on regional defence capability, sustainment and long-term partnerships.
Following a formal transition period, King will assume full responsibility for the role on 23 February 2026. He succeeds Warren “Macca” McDonald, who is retiring after a long tenure with the company. King will report to Jay Pitman, president of Lockheed Martin International.
King joins Lockheed Martin after more than three decades of service with the Australian Defence Force and the Defence Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group (CASG), most recently serving as Head of Joint Aviation Systems. In that role, he oversaw the acquisition and sustainment of key aviation capabilities, including helicopters and tactical uncrewed aerial systems.
Pitman said King’s operational and acquisition background made him well suited to lead Lockheed Martin’s activities across Australia and New Zealand.
“Jeremy’s depth of experience in large-scale defence acquisitions, combined with his long-standing commitment to customer-focused leadership, gives him a strong understanding of the complex security challenges facing our customers,” Pitman said. “His career spans operational command and senior capability management, providing a perspective that is highly relevant to the region’s evolving defence environment.”
King said he was honoured to take on the role and looked forward to applying his experience in capability delivery and sustainment to the company’s regional operations.
“I have served the Australian Defence Force for more than 30 years, including leading major capability programs such as the MRH-90 and Chinook projects and, most recently, Joint Aviation Systems,” he said. “I am eager to work closely with our customers, industry partners and stakeholders to deliver, sustain and evolve the capabilities required to meet the region’s security needs.”
Born in Hobart, King enlisted in the Australian Army in 1989 and was commissioned into the Royal Australian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Corps. His operational experience includes deployments to Bougainville and East Timor, support to Chinook operations in Afghanistan, and service as Chief Logistics Officer for the United Nations Mission in South Sudan. He commanded the 7th Combat Service Support Battalion between 2012 and 2014.
Within CASG, King held a range of senior roles including Design Engineer, Program Manager, Project Director, Director General and Divisional Head. His recent appointments included Director General Army Aviation Systems Branch in 2022 before becoming Head Joint Aviation Systems in early 2023.
King holds a Bachelor of Electrical Engineering from the University of Tasmania, a Master of Business Administration from Deakin University and a Master of Engineering Science (Electrical) from the University of New South Wales. He is a Fellow of Engineers Australia, a Chartered Engineer and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
His appointment comes as Lockheed Martin continues to expand its footprint across Australia and New Zealand, supporting a broad portfolio of space, air, maritime and integrated defence programs aligned with regional security priorities.
