Carey Lohrenz

World’s 1st Female F-14 Tomcat Fighter Pilot
Carey Lohrenz
  • Became the first female Naval Academy graduate assigned to the F-14 fighter jet
  • Overcame enormous obstacles in a male-dominated environment by pushing forward with unwavering dedication
  • Helps companies harness fear and leverage risk to reach the next level of performance

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Carey Lohrenz knows what it takes to win in one of the highest pressure, extreme environments imaginable: in the cockpit at Mach 2. As the first female F-14 Tomcat Fighter Pilot in the U.S. Navy, having flown missions worldwide as a combat-mission-ready United States Navy pilot, Lohrenz is used to working in fast moving, dynamic environments, where inconsistent execution can generate catastrophic results.

The same challenges are found in business: markets change, customer needs evolve and if you do not adapt quickly your company is at risk. In her motivating and engaging keynote presentations, Carey shares her fascinating experiences operating in one of the world's most challenging environments - an aircraft carrier. She is uniquely qualified in the fundamentals of winning under pressure, reducing errors and overcoming obstacles. Her mastery of these fundamentals can help your team triumph in this high-risk, time crunched world.

Carey Lohrenz's timely message about High Performing Teams and developing a Culture of Learning is based on the best-practices of high reliability organizations. The processes of Planning, Briefing, Debriefing and Adjusting help businesses manage risk while becoming a High Performing Organization. This message resonates with diverse audiences at every level of the company.

Carey has been requested by name from some of the top Fortune 100 businesses. Her ability to connect with both an audience and on a one-on-one level, coupled with her knowledge and experience in leading high-performing, diverse teams, has made her highly sought after as a business consultant and speaker.

Carey is a powerhouse in the field of delivering engaging Leadership, High Performing Organizations and Diversity Training that directly impacts a company’s ROI and bottom line. Her experience in the all-male environment of fighter aviation and her ability to pass on the Lessons Learned in her career allow her to deliver insight and guidance from a credible platform on Women’sLeadership Issues.

Carey has delivered her leadership and strategy experience to such companies as Cisco, Underwriters Laboratories, AT&T, Kimberly Clark, State Farm Insurance and Sea Ray Boats, to name a few.

Carey graduated from the University of Wisconsin where she was a varsity rower, also training at the pre-Olympic level. After graduation, she attended the Navy’s Aviation Officer Candidate School before starting flight training and her naval career. She is currently working on her Master’s in Business Administration in Strategic Leadership.

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Speaker Video

Keynote Highlights

Carey Lohrenz - Speaking Demo

Lessons in Leadership. As the first female F-14 Fighter Pilot in the U.S.Navy, Carey Lohrenz knows what it takes to win in one of the highest pressure, extreme environments imaginable. In 1994, when Carey “Vixen” Lohrenz was deployed to the USS Abraham Lincoln, there were fewer than 5 female aviators on a ship of 5000 male crew members. Facing uncharted waters in an intensely male-dominated environment, Lohrenz learned vital lessons in leadership that followed her into the corporate world. The most successful leaders share a common foundation of principles used from the flight deck to the front office. The greatest leaders from all corners of the world know how to inspire, use good judgment, take initiative and make powerful decisions – with integrity.

Lessons In Partnership. Just like in aviation, in a rapidly changing global environment Speed is Life. Collaboration is critical to business success and Managing Successful Strategic Partnerships is crucial. Competitive advantage is gained when your organization can optimize partnerships and strategic alliances. Deeper relationships with partners can be the key to long term success and growth. In this inspiring and engaging keynote, Carey shares what it takes to be on the ‘Leading Edge’. Those things that helped her succeed in one of the most extreme environments on earth can help elevate your team, gain advantage and uncover opportunities.

Striking A Balance. A successful career, a happy family, and a balanced personal life leave little time for many people to nurture their dreams. As a former Naval Aviator, a corporate executive, and as a busy mother of four, Carey “Vixen” Lohrenz knows first-hand the challenges of navigating the many demands of daily work-life balance. In this riveting inspirational keynote speech, Carey will inspire you to ‘Be the Catalyst’ and look beyond your circumstances. 

High Risk Into High Reward . Carey Lohrenz knows what it takes to win in one of the highest pressure environments imaginable, where inconsistent execution can generate catastrophic results. When it comes to safety, carrier aviators have it down to a science. With zero tolerance for error, they rely on every crewmember, regardless of rank, to work as a team and maintain safety awareness at all times.

Remaining Relevant . In a challenging economic environment, remaining relevant to your customers and within your organization is critical to your survival. Those who fail to deliver value to their consumers, shareholders, clients and teammates become extinct. Could that happen to you? In aviation, complacency kills. Same is true in business: if you become complacent and fail to ignore the warning signs (shifts in culture, trends, global demands, budget restrictions), you could be facing extinction. In this energizing and empowering keynote Carey shares the fundamentals that helped her win in the cockpit at Mach 2, and can help your team win in business; by learning the importance of remaining relevant, how to accelerate performance, how to stay agile and adaptable, and how high performing teams become excellent.

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