Aerospace and Defense Keynote Speaker
Aerospace and defense is experiencing a new period of accelerated disruption that will usher in a new wave of market leaders. For a customized keynote that is energizing, impactful, and actionable – book Kaihan for your next aerospace and defense event or conference.














Speaker
Top Aerospace & Defense Keynote Speaker
The aerospace and defense industries are experiencing dramatic change and disruption. Supply chain management, sustainability, the human-machine relationship, and contract availability are all top of mind. When change happens there is opportunity to re-imagine business models, re-think how you engage employees, re-evaluate what impact your organization has on the world, and develop creative solutions to complex problems.
Kaihan Krippendorff is a champion of big thinking and helping organizations bring their crazy ideas, which he likes to call “4th Options”, to life. Pushing the limits of science, technology and human exploration- the pursuit of the seemingly impossible has always been a trademark of the aerospace and defense sector. Kaihan has experience like no other in this arena, ranging from insights of his exclusive interview time with his former classmate and founder of SpaceX Elon Musk, thinking through the future of defense with the world’s largest defense contractors, to building futuristic lego rocket-ships with his son Lukas (which carries a key lesson for all of us about our own capabilities to think differently).
Selecting the right keynote speaker for your aerospace and defense event is one of the most important decisions you will make this year. Content, energy, ability to connect to an audience, and actionability are all important factors to consider. Former McKinsey Consultant, NYU Professor, bestselling author, and globally recognized authority on strategy, growth, and transformation, Kaihan Krippendorff will make your event an undeniable success with a customized aerospace and defense keynote that leverages his unique perspective and deep experience in the industry.
Throughout his career as a consultant, keynote speaker, and founder of the Outthinker Strategy Network (an exclusive network of Chief Strategy Officers and Executives from Fortune 500 and private companies with $1B+ revenue), Kaihan Krippendorff has worked with some of the biggest brands in aerospace and defense including: Lockheed Martin, Raytheon, Collins Aerospace, and Pratt & Whitney.
The time to act is now. Don’t just be a Thinker. Be an Outthinker.
An active leader in aerospace and defense, Kaihan brings deep industry experience, proprietary research, and exclusive insights to every keynote he delivers.
insights
Kaihan Aerospace And Defense Industry Insights And Perspective
Context
- Spending in the defense industry, globally, is estimated to grow 2.8 percent in 2021, passing $2T (Deloitte).
- Defense spending in the United States is expected to remain mostly flat, while growing elsewhere in the world (Deloitte).
- Seventy-two percent of A&D executives stated that they are investing in improving “supply chain ecosystems” to leverage strategic partnerships (Deloitte).
- Globally, A&D could see a $20B increase in value through further expansion into the digital space (McKinsey).
- The aerospace industry has the lowest rate of spending on innovation, at 4.1 percent (Linchpin).

trends
Trends in Aerospace and Defence
Supply Chain Management
How Mobility Happens
The Human-Machine Relationship
Contract Availability
trends
Kaihan's 8Ps Framework
Opportunities for disruption and innovation in aerospace & defense

Opportunity for Disruption : 4
- Are there ways that your current product lineup could be expanded to reach the civilian and industrial market?
Opportunity for Disruption : 7
- How can you integrate AI/ML applications into your technology?
- What opportunities do you have to expand into new propulsion and mobility technologies?
Opportunity for Disruption : 6
- How do you negotiate for favorable contracts?
- How can you structure your pricing model to appeal to multiple markets and types of consumers?
Opportunity for Disruption : 4
- How can you broaden general consumer interest in your company and technologies?
Opportunity for Disruption : 3
- Through which channels can customers learn information about your technology?
Experience
Opportunity for Disruption : 5
- How do your technologies create a seamless and valuable human-machine experience?
- What systems do you have in place to monitor customer satisfaction?
Opportunity for Disruption : 8
- How can you manage the supply chain differently to improve traceability and reduce waste?
- How can you innovate systems in production, processing, storing, shipping, retailing, etc.?
- What are new capabilities to increase sustainability (impact on the environment, or ESG) components?
Opportunity for Disruption : 4
- How does your hiring model contribute to your modernization plan?


- Raytheon Technologies, formed by a merger of Raytheon Company and United Technologies in 2019, is an aerospace and defense technology company providing a wide portfolio of products to companies in the commercial aerospace and defense industries.
- Through its subsidiary Pratt & Whitney, Raytheon Technologies is essentially the proprietary manufacturer of geared turbofan engines for aircraft, a technology which paid off during the pandemic for its cost effectiveness and other benefits (Forbes).
- Raytheon Technologies holds a strong stake in key areas of innovation in the defense industry, such as digital radar, electronic warfare and cyber security, and hypersonic weapons.
- The company plans to accelerate innovation and modernization through its deeply diversified team due to the merger (Forbes).

- In May 2020, SpaceX became the first privately held company to transport NASA astronauts to the International Space Station, a feat not accomplished on United States soil in nearly 10 years. The company sent another team of astronauts in November, with a third mission scheduled for 2021 (Fast Company).
- SpaceX stole the show, and continues to do so, through its industry-leading ability to recycle and reuse rockets for different uses and multiple launches. The Falcon 9, used to complete the Starlink satellite constellation, accomplished its seventh successful launch and recovery.
- SpaceX’s Starlink constellation, comprised of over 7,500 satellites, aims to bring high-speed broadband internet to people in every kind of geographic location.