+for+the+Lockheed+Martin+Corporation.)
When the news hit on April 17, 2025, that Jesus “Jay” Malave was stepping down as the Chief Financial Officer of Lockheed Martin, the defense industry collective eyebrow went up. Usually, when a CFO exits "to pursue other opportunities" right before an earnings call, investors get twitchy. But the panic didn't happen. Why? Because the guy stepping into the seat was Evan Scott.
Honestly, if you've been following the defense world, you know that Scott isn't just some bean counter they plucked from a headhunter's list. He’s a 26-year veteran of the company. Basically, he's been at Lockheed since 1999. To put that in perspective, when Scott started his career, the F-22 Raptor was still in its testing phase and the world was worried about the Y2K bug.
Who Exactly is Evan Scott?
Most people see a corporate title and think "suit." With Evan Scott Lockheed Martin has someone who actually knows where the metaphorical bodies are buried—and by that, I mean he understands the granular financial mechanics of how you build a missile and how you fund a satellite. He didn't just parachute in. He worked his way up through the Finance Leadership Development Program.
He's a Syracuse grad (Finance and Accounting) with an MBA from Maryland. But his resume is the real story here. Before taking the big chair, he was the CFO of Missiles and Fire Control (MFC). If you know Lockheed, you know MFC is a massive deal. They handle everything from the HIMARS systems that have been all over the news to advanced tactical missiles. Before that? He was the Corporate Treasurer. He’s also been the CFO of the Space division.
A Career Built in the Trenches
- 1999: Joins Lockheed Martin.
- The 2010s: Climbs the ladder in segment controllership and finance operations.
- 2019-2021: Serves as VP of Finance for the Space segment.
- 2022-2023: Acts as VP and Treasurer, managing the company's $110B+ market cap liquidity.
- 2024-2025: CFO of Missiles and Fire Control.
- April 2025: Named Senior Vice President and CFO of the entire corporation.
Why This Promotion Mattered (And Still Does)
The timing of Scott’s appointment was kinda wild. He took over just days before the Q1 2025 earnings call. Most new CFOs would ask for a grace period. Scott? He jumped right on the call.
One of the first things he had to tackle was the elephant in the room: tariffs. In early 2025, the trade landscape was shifting fast. Analysts were grilling him on how Lockheed would handle rising costs. Scott’s response was pretty steady. He pointed out that Lockheed has "mechanisms" in their contracts to recover those costs. He wasn't guessing. Having been the Treasurer and the CFO of two different business segments, he actually knew the contract language.
The Financial Reality Scott Inherited
Let’s look at the numbers because that’s what Scott lives and breathes. When he took over, Lockheed was sitting on a $176 billion backlog. That is a staggering amount of work that is already signed for but not yet delivered.
| Metric (At Start of Tenure) | Value |
|---|---|
| Annual Sales | Approx. $71 Billion |
| Free Cash Flow | ~$5.3 Billion |
| Base Salary | $850,000 |
| Target Bonus | 125% of base |
He’s not just managing a checkbook; he's managing a geopolitical engine. When the US government decides to change its stance on the Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) program, it's Scott who has to figure out how that affects the 2026 and 2027 bottom line.
What Most People Get Wrong
People often assume a long-term veteran like Scott is just a "safe" pick. A "continuity" hire. That's a bit of a lazy take.
While it's true he provides stability, Scott's era at Lockheed is defined by the 21st Century Security vision. This is CEO Jim Taiclet’s plan to turn a traditional hardware company into a tech-driven, digitally integrated powerhouse. You can't do that with old-school accounting. You need someone who understands how to fund R&D for AI-driven defense while maintaining the massive margins required for traditional aircraft manufacturing.
📖 Related: Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited Share Price: Why Most People Get It Wrong
He’s also dealing with a different kind of pressure than his predecessors. The defense industry is more under the microscope than ever. Supply chain issues, the "lag" between incurring costs and getting paid by the government, and the sheer complexity of the F-35 program—it’s a lot.
Navigating the 2026 Landscape
Now that we're well into 2026, we can see the "Scott effect" in action. He’s been a fixture at the Goldman Sachs Industrials conferences, and his tone is usually pretty pragmatic. He doesn't overpromise. If there's a delay in F-35 deliveries, he says it. If the margins on a specific missile program are tight, he explains why.
One thing that stands out about him is his focus on ROIC (Return on Invested Capital). He’s been vocal about making sure that every dollar Lockheed spends on new tech actually has a path to profitability. In an era where "tech for the sake of tech" often burns cash, Scott is the guy saying, "Show me the math."
Practical Takeaways for Investors and Observers
If you're watching Evan Scott Lockheed Martin isn't just a name on a proxy statement anymore. He's the guy steering the ship through some of the most turbulent trade and defense spending cycles we've seen in decades.
- Watch the Backlog: Scott’s main job is converting that $176B+ backlog into actual cash. Any "hiccups" in delivery directly affect his performance reviews.
- Monitor Tariff Recovery: He’s staked his reputation on the idea that Lockheed is "insulated" from trade wars because of their unique contract structures. If the margins dip, that’s where the questions will start.
- The "Double Trigger" Reality: Like most top-tier execs, Scott’s compensation is tied to the long-term health of the stock. He has to hold at least 4x his base salary in shares. He’s literally got millions of his own dollars riding on the company’s success.
Honestly, Scott is the quintessential "Lockheed man." He’s a product of the system he now runs. Whether that leads to a new era of growth or just a steady hand on the tiller is what the next few years will reveal.
For those looking to understand the company's direction, keeping an eye on Scott’s fireside chats at investor conferences is usually more revealing than the official press releases. He tends to be very direct about the "timing lags" and "supply chain flows" that actually determine if the stock moves up or down.
To stay ahead of the curve, keep a close watch on the upcoming Q4 and full-year earnings reports. These are the moments where Scott's strategy for balancing 21st-century technology with 20th-century industrial scale really gets tested against the hard reality of the numbers.