Leanne Caret is a transformational CEO and a five-time Fortune Magazine “Most Powerful Women” award winner with more than 20 years of leadership experience in the global aerospace and defense industry. She has now built a rewarding next season as a Fortune 500 board director, an influential voice in global women’s leadership, and a trusted MyNextSeason Advisor. With an empathetic approach, Leanne draws on her personal journey of reinvention to empower and support executive clients in times of transition and change.

Leanne was President and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS) until 2022. Over her six years at the helm of BDS, she oversaw 30,000 employees across four continents and drove significant growth in revenue ($34B) and profits amid tumultuous market conditions. As the first female leader of one of Boeing’s major business units, Leanne used her platform to increase minority representation, drive transparency and accountability, and model inclusivity and equity.

Leanne previously served as President of Boeing’s $10B Global Defense Services and Support business and as Chief Financial Officer of BDS. Over her 34-year career at Boeing, she rose rapidly through finance and operations and general management, working with all parts of the company around the world.

Leanne currently serves as a Senior Advisor to Blackstone and a Board Director for Deere & Company and RTX Corporation. She is an Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University board trustee and a board member of USO Inc.

Passionate about developing future leaders and advancing critical research, Leanne also serves on the Kansas State University Foundation board and the advisory boards of the Virginia Tech National Security Institute and the Oklahoma Aerospace and Defense Innovation Institute. She is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.