# Fortune 500 CEOs with military backgrounds

> Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet and Casey’s CEO Darren Rebelez both served in the military before leading Fortune 500 companies.
- Title: Fortune 500 CEOs with military backgrounds · Fortune
- Summary: Lockheed Martin CEO Jim Taiclet and Casey’s CEO Darren Rebelez both served in the military before leading Fortune 500 companies.
- Keywords: lockheed martin, caseys, fortune 500, military veterans, ceo, air force, gulf war, west point, leadership skills, defense contractor, Fortune
- Source: Fortune — https://fortune.com/2026/11/11/fortune-500-ceos-military-veterans-lessons-on-battlefield-into-business-lockheed-martin-caseys-sempra
- Author: Preston Fore
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: lockheed martin, caseys, fortune 500, military veterans, ceo, air force, gulf war, west point, leadership skills, defense contractor
## Jim Taiclet’s military background
Jim Taiclet served as a U.S. Air Force pilot from 1985 to 1991, logging over 5,000 flight hours in a Lockheed C-141B Starlifter.

> If anything happens, we never heard of you
## Lockheed Martin’s veteran workforce
Lockheed Martin has roughly one in five of its 120,000 employees as veterans.
## Taiclet’s leadership philosophy
Taiclet says military leadership skills like responsibility and composure help him lead employees effectively.

> If you learn those skills about responsibility, leadership by example when you’re in your 20s and you can actually take those forward your whole career
## Darren Rebelez’s military service
Darren Rebelez served as an infantry officer in the U.S. Military Academy at West Point during the Gulf War.
## Rebelez’s leadership approach
Rebelez emphasizes building trust through listening and giving employees resources to succeed.

> 80 percent of leadership is just showing up
## Shane O’Kelly’s military background
Shane O’Kelly served as a U.S. Army infantry officer after graduating from West Point in 1990.
## O’Kelly’s leadership principles
O’Kelly believes you must follow before leading and listen before talking to effectively manage teams.

> You have to be able to follow before you can lead and you have to listen before you can talk
## Jeffrey Martin’s military service
Jeffrey Martin served in the U.S. Army after graduating from West Point in 1980.
## Martin’s leadership philosophy
Martin focuses on developing new leaders at every level rather than relying on titles to accomplish tasks.

> I learned that people often make the mistake of associating leadership with creating followership
## Key takeaway

Fortune 500 CEOs like Jim Taiclet and Darren Rebelez attribute leadership skills from military service to their business success.