Leslie Jelalian, SVP of Strategy, Corporate Development at BAE

Leslie Jelalian serves as senior vice president of strategy and corporate development at BAE Systems, a company she has been with for more than 30 years.

She is responsible for identifying and implementing initiatives aimed at achieving sustainable growth through organic investments, acquisitions and domestic and international business procurements, BAE said.

Before taking on her current restructured role in July 2019, Jelalian served as BAE’s VP of strategy and planning for electronic systems.

She previously served as VP and general manager of BAE’s intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance solutions business area and as VP of engineering for the electronic systems sector.

Jelalian began her career at BAE as a design engineer. A decade later, she transitioned to program management by leading the joint strike fighter countermeasures integrated product team.

She completed several of BAE’s leadership development programs, including the North America Leadership Development Program, the Delta Program and the Advanced General Managers Program.

The Boston Business Journal and the Massachusetts High Technology Council honored Jelalian as one of 20 “Women to Watch.” The Nashua Telegraph also inducted her into “The Next 20.”

Jelalian earned a master’s degree in systems engineering from Johns Hopkins University and a master’s degree in electrical engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, according to her LinkedIn profile.

She serves on the board of directors of Home Health and Hospice of Southern New Hampshire. She previously served on the boards of her local Salvation Army, Girls INC of Nashua and Project SAVE, among others.