Oxford native Heather K. Armentrout has been named the head of Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace Inc. in the U. S. The Norway-based defense company works directly with the U.S. and other national militaries.
Growing up in Oxford in the 1980s and ’90s, Armentrout said she found the town a “utopia.” She said Oxford, because of Miami University and Talawanda Schools, was a great launching pad for her career.
“When it comes to cultivating leaders, Oxford is a great place to do that,” Armentrout said. “It’s a unique little crown jewel in the heartland.”
While at Talawanda, she took classes at Miami and learned Japanese. She ultimately enrolled at Miami before transferring to Georgetown University, where she graduated with her bachelor’s in foreign service, international law, politics and organizations in 1995. She said she loved Miami but wanted to be near the heart of foreign affairs in Washington D.C.
She earned her degree from Georgetown and quickly started working at the CIA after being recruited.
Armentrout, who was a CIA analyst for Middle East issues for 15 years starting in 1997, said she is looking forward to expanding this smaller defense company and helping our country.
“It’s no secret that the world is getting less safe,” Armentrout said. “I’m excited to grow the company and deliver [what] the U.S. needs.”
Kongsberg is one of the smaller national defense supply companies, employing 4,000 people in 16 countries, according to its website.
It has contracts with the U.S. military to sell remotely-controlled weapons, missiles and air defense systems, according to Ivar Simensen, vice president of communication.
“With the appointment of Heather, we want to expand and strengthen our footprint and presence in the United States,” Simensen said. “We believe Heather is the right person to take on that role.”
Armentrout lives in Virginia, but her parents are still in the Oxford area. Her son, Max Kiriakou, is a first-year at Miami University majoring in supply chain and operations management and entrepreneurship.
“I didn’t even find out she was in the CIA until I was in, like late middle school,” Kiriakou said. “She’s been really working hard, especially within the recent years, and my first thought was: I was really proud of her.
“To be honest, it doesn’t even seem real,” Kirkiakou said.
Growing up with a doctor as a father, Armentrout always wanted to use her eventual career to help people.
“I wanted to do something that really mattered,” she said.
She said that as a CIA analyst she briefed President Bill Clinton, both President George H. W. Bush and George W. Bush, and President Barack Obama. She has met with cabinet officials and foreign heads of state.
In her new role that started Feb. 5, she will meet with policymakers, national security officials and military contractors to develop relationships and continue building contracts with the U.S. armed forces.
“I feel like I have been able to make an impact,” Armentrout said. “To seek to understand, to bridge cultural gaps. I even try to do that in my hometown today.”
