Kathleen Jolivette began her aerospace career as an intern in 2002 and now serves as vice president and general manager of Vertical Lift for Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS).

Throughout her tenure, Kathleen has held various leadership roles, including director of U.S. Army Services for Boeing Global Services, chief of staff for the Office of President and CEO, and director of investor relations for BDS.

Currently, Kathleen is responsible for managing a division with a revenue of $2.9 billion, a fleet of over 2,500 aircraft in 30 countries, and more than 9,000 employees.

Her portfolio includes a range of rotorcraft capabilities and aircraft, such as the AH-6 Little Bird, AH-64 Apache, H-47 Chinook, MH-139A Grey Wolf, V-22 Osprey, and future vertical lift solutions like DEFIANT X.

Kathleen oversees program execution, customer satisfaction, and business growth, while managing operations in Arizona and Pennsylvania and serving customers worldwide.

Kathleen earned her high school diploma while growing up on South Dakota's Rosebud Reservation, serving in the Army as a supply sergeant, earning an undergraduate degree in finance/accounting from Lindenwood University, and receiving an Executive Master of Business Administration from Washington University.

She started at Boeing as an intern and worked her way up through various positions in finance, supplier management, procurement cost analysis, accounting, contracts, estimating/pricing, financial planning, program cost management, and international business development.

As a leader, Kathleen has managed people, work groups, functional departments, and multiple programs or projects to achieve organizational objectives and goals.

Kathleen led a team to deliver complete, cost-competitive service solutions for Army rotorcraft assets. She also oversaw the design, production, and delivery of AH-64 Apache and AH-6 Little Bird helicopters for the U.S. Army and allied defense forces.

In 2019, her team delivered over 100 helicopters, a remarkable achievement.

Kathleen values diversity and serves as a role model through her involvement in Boeing's business resource groups that promote and support diversity.

She also volunteers for various organizations, including the Native American Heritage Association and AISES. As vice president & general manager of vertical lift, she engages with local area tribes and advocates for employment opportunities for veterans.