Her Story
About Lori
Lori Strange is a highly accomplished engineering and defense industry leader with more than two decades of experience supporting mission-critical aerospace, naval, and national security programs. After earning her Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Virginia in 1999, she began her career in shipbuilding before transitioning her systems engineering expertise into air and space defense solutions. Today, Lori serves as Chief Engineer for the Air and Space Force Solutions business area at BAE Systems, where she oversees engineering strategy, technical rigor, cybersecurity, and innovation initiatives that support the safety and effectiveness of critical defense technologies.
Throughout her career, Lori has built a reputation for collaborative leadership, technical excellence, and a deep commitment to supporting both mission success and the people behind the work. Her experience spans engineering management, systems engineering, program leadership, configuration management, and technical strategy for complex Department of Defense programs. She is especially passionate about building strong technical teams, fostering cross-functional partnerships, and ensuring that emerging technologies meet the highest standards for safety, cybersecurity, and operational readiness before deployment. Lori also completed executive leadership training through INSEAD, an experience that further strengthened her leadership philosophy and strategic mindset.
One of Lori’s proudest accomplishments has been becoming the first African-American woman to hold her current executive engineering role within her organization, a milestone that reflects both her technical expertise and perseverance throughout her career. Beyond her professional responsibilities, she remains committed to mentorship, education, and community impact through involvement with organizations such as the National Society of Black Engineers and volunteer support initiatives like the Washington Area Diaper Bank. Lori’s career reflects a powerful combination of innovation, integrity, and service, as she continues helping advance technologies that protect and support service members around the world.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Lori
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to understanding what motivates me, and it's helping other people. Any area that I could support and help others, I'm there. And I don't need to be seen, I don't need to have a trophy or an award or a pat on the back. Helping the military, like, they don't know me from a can of paint. They have no idea who I am. But I know that the products that I give them are going to help them to be safe and to defend our country. So I think that really, that's what helps me. I'm a part of the bigger picture, and no one even knows that I'm a part of that picture.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
It's okay to pat yourself on the back. You don't always have to be humble. I know that's me, whenever someone asks me a question about my career, I have a tendency to frame it in the, we as a team did X, Y, and Z, because I want to give everyone the credit, but sometimes there's a place and time to say, well, I led, or I did this. There are times it is okay to pat yourself on the back, and bang your chest. It’s not being arrogant, but it's a way of, showing your worth, and sometimes that’s hard to do.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I personally struggle with imposter syndrome and the fear of, am I worthy to be where I'm at. I would tell anyone that comes behind me, you are worthy, you deserve to be where you are, nothing was given to you. You had to work for everything that you have. And just remember that people aren't going to just hand you the keys to the castle and say go. They're going to make sure that you've earned it, you've got the scar tissue, and you're ready to take on that responsibility. You know, they don't have to do it, so if they do, you definitely are in the place you need to be. That's something I still struggle with, that I supposed to be here!
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges, I would say, is diversity, breaking down the glass ceiling. I still enter into a conference room and I'm typically the only one that looks like me, and one would think we're in, 2026, that would not be the case. Things should be completely different, and it's not. It's gotten better, but it's still a huge challenge. You go to conferences, it's the same thing. You might see one or two other African American women, and quickly acknowledge each other’s presence, drawing yourselves together and bonding.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Accountability and Integrity are most important to me. Keeping your word…If you say you're going to do something, I expect you to do it! I try to teach my children the same thing. Your word is, your name and your word is your bond. If no one can trust you, then they're not going to want to work with you, they're not going to want to even deal with you. So those are very important to me.
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