Lockheed Martin Mourns the Passing of Retired SVP and Global CIO Yvonne Hodge

Yvonne Hodge, a nationally recognized technology executive and transformational leader across the aerospace, defense, telecommunications, and commercial sectors, has passed away, leaving behind a profound legacy of innovation, leadership, and service. Her death has been met with deep respect and reflection from colleagues, peers, and the many professionals whose careers she influenced.

Yvonne Hodge was a retired senior vice president and global chief information officer and was widely admired for her visionary approach to enterprise technology and large-scale transformation. She was named among Forbes’ Top 50 CIOs in recognition of her significant impact on digital and enterprise modernization efforts. Throughout her distinguished career, she became known for guiding complex organizations through change while maintaining a strong focus on people, performance, and mission success.

A 24-year veteran of Lockheed Martin, Hodge held numerous senior leadership roles and played a central role in advancing digital and enterprise transformation initiatives across the company. She led a global organization of approximately 5,000 technology professionals and oversaw a multi-billion-dollar internal technology infrastructure supporting one of the world’s largest aerospace and defense enterprises. Her leadership enabled tens of thousands of employees to connect, collaborate, and innovate more effectively.

One of her most notable achievements was leading the OneLM Transformation Program, a comprehensive effort to modernize and streamline Lockheed Martin’s business processes and systems. The initiative leveraged digital technologies to improve efficiency, enhance collaboration, standardize operations, reduce costs, and improve quality and cycle times across the enterprise.

In 2020, Hodge was promoted to senior vice president of enterprise business transformation, underscoring her vital role in shaping the company’s long-term operational strategy. Until her passing, she served as vice president of business innovation transformation and enterprise excellence for Lockheed Martin’s space business area, where she continued to drive innovation, operational excellence, and improved customer and employee experiences.

During her tenure at Lockheed Martin, Hodge also held several other key leadership positions, including vice president and chief information officer for space and vice president of technical operations for enterprise business services. Her expertise spanned information technology, business process redesign, quality management, data and competitive analysis, statistical process control, and large-scale process reengineering.

Prior to joining Lockheed Martin, Hodge spent 24 years at AT&T, where she advanced through managerial and executive roles, including vice president of operations for business customers. Her success in these roles further established her reputation as a leader capable of managing complex organizations and delivering results in demanding, competitive environments.

Hodge earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Montclair State University, a foundation that shaped her analytical, disciplined approach to leadership and transformation throughout her career.

Remembered as a principled, decisive, and people-centered leader, Yvonne Hodge leaves behind a lasting legacy across the industries she helped transform. Her influence endures through the systems she modernized, the organizations she strengthened, and the many professionals she mentored and inspired over decades of service.