Bio

Lee Steinke is the Chief Operating Officer of CisLunar Industries, Interim COO of Orbit Fab, and an executive advisor to the aerospace, defense, and energy industries. Her 20-year career as a scientist and executive has covered multiple industries. Prior to being in the aerospace industry, Lee was engaged in the energy industry working with several companies including WPX Energy and Texaco. In these roles, Lee was a key decision-maker for capital budgets reaching $760 million a year. She has led and managed multidisciplinary teams that added over a billion dollars in value through scaling of companies; turnaround of failing industrial processes; contributions to the success of major acquisitions and divestitures; and operational and technical improvements determined from science, engineering, and data analytics. Lee is well published as a key contributor to many technical publications encompassing commercial space, big data analytics, geology and geophysics, operational optimization, risk and uncertainty, integration of science and engineering, drilling rig design, and reservoir simulation. A Licensed Professional Geologist, she was Chair of the Advisory Board for the Rocky Mountain Association of Geologists. She is a sought-after speaker, panelist, moderator, and host across industries. Lee holds an MBA from The Wharton School at UPenn, an MS in Geology and Geophysics from Yale, and a BA with Distinction in Geology and Classics from UNC-Chapel Hill. From my perspective: I generate value at the intersection of strategic problem solving and people leadership. I’ve directed high-profile projects that delivered value because of my ability to cut to the heart of complex problems while fostering employee development and high-performing teams. Combining people skills with analytical skills makes me an inspired presenter with a strong sense of the big picture and the ability to translate between audiences, from board, investor, and C-suite to operations, marketing, science, and engineering. My inclusive leadership style drives collaboration that increases synergies among departments, reduces duplicate efforts, and improves teams’ awareness of the big picture, including strategy, risk tolerance, and how recommendations affect the bottom line. This kind of leadership also builds trust that allows for honest assessments of downside risk and uncertainty. Armed with that information, I bring courage and transparency to the boardroom, where they lead to better-informed decisions about strategy.