Carey Lohrenz Speaker Biography
World’s First Female F-14 Tomcat Fighter Pilot
Carey Lohrenz knows what it takes to win in one of the highest pressure, extreme environments imaginable: in the cockpit at Mach 2.
Fighter Pilot
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.
Keynote Speaker
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 process Prepare, Perform, Prevail helps businesses manage risk while becoming a High Performing Organization. This message resonates with diverse audiences at every level of the company.
Business Consultant
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.
High Performance Leadership
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’s Leadership Issues.
Clients
Carey has delivered her leadership and strategy experience to such companies as Cisco, Dell, TEVA, Deloitte, Underwriters Laboratories, Verizon, AT&T, Kimberly Clark, State Farm Insurance and Sea Ray Boats, to name a few.
Education
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.
Carey Lohrenz Speaking Topics
Span of Control: What To Do When You’re Under Pressure, Overwhelmed, and Ready to Get What You Really Want
In the corporate world, your “span of control” is the number of direct reports you can effectively manage. In the Navy, it's determined by the things you can and should control at any given time. It reminds you what to focus on right in the moment, knowing that any other stuff is uncontrollable and should not take up precious mental space. For Carey, recognizing her span of control kept her focused on what mattered and became a primary tool in taming the distractions and pressures of flying demanding, high-pressure missions. This program is a high-octane dose of encouragement and practicality. Through eye-opening science, gripping personal stories, insightful interviews, prescriptive advice, and helpful tools, your audience will be empowered to create positive change in their own lives and the world around them.
Fearless Leadership: The 4 Fundamentals to Help You Win in Business & Life
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. In this keynote, Carey shares the fundamentals that helped her win in the cockpit at Mach 2, and can help your team win in business.
High Risk Into High Reward: Succeeding in High Pressure Environments
Managing risk is like walking a tightrope. It is a constant balancing act, identifying and mitigating safety, operational and reputational risks. 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. Carey will provide the tools that will allow you to survive and succeed, with superior results consistently, just as Carey Lohrenz did in the demanding world of fighter aviation.
Remaining Relevant: How to Eliminate Complacency in Your Business
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.
Striking A Balance: Life Hacks from the Cockpit
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.
Span of Control: What To Do When You’re Under Pressure, Overwhelmed, and Ready to Get What You Really Want
In the corporate world, your “span of control” is the number of direct reports you can effectively manage. In the Navy, it's determined by the things you can and should control at any given time. It reminds you what to focus on right in the moment, knowing that any other stuff is uncontrollable and should not take up precious mental space. For Carey, recognizing her span of control kept her focused on what mattered and became a primary tool in taming the distractions and pressures of flying demanding, high-pressure missions. This program is a high-octane dose of encouragement and practicality. Through eye-opening science, gripping personal stories, insightful interviews, prescriptive advice, and helpful tools, your audience will be empowered to create positive change in their own lives and the world around them.
Carey Lohrenz Books
Fearless Leadership: High-Performance Lessons from the Flight Deck
Purchase BookCarey Lohrenz Videos
Carey Lohrenz Speaker Testimonials
Carey "Vixen" Lohrenz spoke to 300 school administrators at our annual leadership conference. Her engaging presentation was chock-full of information about how to strategically align teams for success. Talk about polished and professional! She had so much information to share with our school leaders - we are already finding ways to bring her back for additional all-day sessions with our leaders so they can dive deeper into her military-based strategies to create winning, effective teams. Vixen is caring and sincere & thrives on excellence and helping others reach their full potential. We were fortunate to have her with us.
- Director of Leadership Development | Orange County Public Schools
Vixen rocked! I just wanted to thank you for all you did to make our meeting inspiring and fantastic. I personally thought you did a great job connecting with everyone, and your story is inspiring, and your lessons very appropriate for all we are going through. Yesterday one of my VP’s was giving a presentation, and the title of it was ‘Lose sight, and you lose the fight’ And he gave you full credit for the quote!
- Dan Schulman, CEO | PayPal
“Carey was AMAZING! So much of what she said resonated with our organization. Her story is inspiring, her message applies to everyone, and her ability to engage the audience with a story is great! Additionally, she is a true professional, easy to work with, and fully committed to making sure the client has a good experience… Thank you!”
- | Saatchi & Saatchi
“Wow! You were so inspiring and gave me great takeaways I can use with my team: Staying Focused on What Matters, Be Flexible, Adapt, Overcome, and Find my Third Way! You were captivating! So fascinating and yet relatable to MY world! Thank you.”
- | Starbucks
