Lauren Barnes

Lauren Barnes is the Director and Chief of Staff for Defense, Space and Security within Boeing Government Operations. Here she serves as a liason between Boeing and the Pentagon, NASA and Department of Homeland Security. Prior to her role in D.C., Barnes served as the F/A-18 India Program Manager responsible for defining a competitive and executable Super Hornet Make in India campaign. She partnered with functions and business units across Boeing, the Hornet Industry Team and Indian partners to best position Boeing in creating an aerospace ecosystem with the Government of India. Barnes has held numerous other positions within Boeing’s tactical aircraft and weapons business. Serving as the the Senior Manager of Global Strike Strategy she was responsible for business strategies, market development, investment planning, and competitive intelligence for the F/A-18, F-15 and Weapons businesses. As the Global Strike Chief of Staff she supported the Vice President and General Manager with daily operations and execution. Before this Barnes was a member of the Business Development team for Integrated Logistics, where she managed investments, campaigns and other organization operations. From 2011 to 2013 she was in the Boeing Defense, Space, and Security (BDS) Strategy team providing strategic direction for new markets; defense industry and competitor analysis; cultivated merger & acquisition candidates; and developed technology assessments across the BDS portfolio. Before joining Strategy, Barnes was in Finance supporting Boeing Test and Evaluation. She began her career in the Business Career Foundations Program in Southern California, where she rotated through six Finance functions over the course of two years. Originally from Houston, Texas, Barnes holds a Bachelor in Business Administration from Tiffin University in Tiffin, Ohio and a Master in Business Administration from Washington University in St. Louis. She serves on the Board of Directors for Almost Home in St. Louis.