Tom Downey

Tom Downey is a seasoned and effective corporate executive with more than 30 years of experience across all aspects of aerospace and defense industry communications. As chief communications and marketing officer at Leidos, he leads an integrated communications, marketing and government affairs team responsible for ensuring that the company speaks with one voice to all constituencies, shaping the stories and policies that impact Leidos’ ability to innovate and deliver for customers.

Before joining Leidos, Downey notched an impressive 31-year career with The Boeing Company and its heritage company McDonnell Douglas. There, he rose up through the ranks from a writer on fighter aircraft programs to ultimately become the aerospace giant’s top communications officer reporting directly to the chairman and chief executive. Serving more than a decade in that role, he was responsible for development and implementation of the company’s global communications strategies, including media relations, brand management and advertising, in-house creative services, and executive and employee communications. In addition to prior assignments leading communications for both the commercial and defense divisions of the company, he also gained experience in business development, community relations and legislative affairs. He announced retirement from Boeing in 2017 and returned to professional life with Leidos in October 2024.

Downey is a graduate of Saint Louis University and holds a bachelor’s degree in English. He also served as a public affairs officer in the U.S. Navy Reserve and worked on Capitol Hill as a Brookings Institution Congressional Fellow. He is a native of Middletown, Ohio.

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