HEATHER ARMENTROUT | President and general manager, Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace,

In early 2024, Heather Armentrout left Northrop Grumman to run the U.S. subsidiary of Norway-based Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace. Armentrout describes the business, which represents the Norwegian contractor’s activities in the United States, as “a startup operation inside a 211-year-old company.”

Under her leadership, the subsidiary oversees about 270 employees and is projected to generate $150 million in revenue in 2025 — double what the company earned in 2024. In her role, Armentrout established and manages all aspects of U.S. defense operations with profit-and-loss responsibility. She also recruited and hired a corporate team as well as a board of directors.

As if that wasn’t enough, Armentrout is leading a $101 million effort to establish a 150,000-square-foot facility in James City County, which will produce naval strike missiles and joint strike missiles and is expected to create more than 200 jobs.

“My ambition is fueled by the desire to create new value through a combination of helping individuals and teams become the best version of themselves and transforming organizations to achieve new outcomes,” Armentrout says.

Armentrout brings 30 years of national security experience to her role. She was a national intelligence fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations in New York and worked for more than a decade at the CIA. At Northrop Grumman, Armentrout held several senior leadership positions.

2025 Virginia Women in Leadership Awards honorees