JihFen Lei

Senior Vice President
Teledyne Technologies Incorporated
President
Teledyne Aerospace and Defense Group

Dr. JihFen Lei is Senior Vice President of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated. Effective January 1, 2026, Dr. Lei began overseeing as its President of Teledyne's Defense and Aerospace Group of businesses, which includes Teledyne FLIR Defense and Teledyne's Aerospace and Defense Electronics segment. Dr. Lei has served as Executive Vice President of Teledyne FLIR Defense since January 2022, leading strategy and growth in global government and defense sectors.

Prior to her returning to Teledyne in 2021, Dr. Lei performed the duties of the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Research and Engineering at the Pentagon and served as the Principal Deputy, Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Research and Technology, and Director of Defense Research and Engineering for Research and Technology. In these roles, Dr. Lei led the Department of Defense Science and Technology Enterprise and oversaw the Science and Technology investment, programs, workforce and laboratory infrastructure policy collaborating with International Allies. Earlier in her government career, Dr. Lei led the Research & Technology Directorate at the NASA Glenn Research Center and served within the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and NAS Headquarters. Dr. Lei was a senior researcher with the Army Research Laboratory.

Dr. Lei holds a Doctor of Philosophy degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Northwestern University and a Bachelor’s degree in Physics from National Tsing Hua University in Taiwan. Dr. Lei has published over 100 technical publications and is patented in her field​. Her leadership and public service were widely recognized, including the Presidential Rank Medal of Meritorious Senior Executive, the Secretary Defense Medal for Meritorious Civilian Service, the NASA Public Service and Leadership Honor Medals, and three R&D 100 Award.

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