About Samantha McCue
Managing Director at 5-D Systems a Kratos Company, Aerospace Leader, UAV Flight Test Director, Board Member, and Entrepreneur
Samantha McCue is a high-performance engineering leader and entrepreneur. She leads high performing engineering teams in aerospace and defense technology development and has founded and exited multiple small businesses. Her mission-driven leadership shines in the worlds of aerospace, defense, and business.
Leading Aerospace Programs From Paper to Flight
Samantha McCue leads complex aerospace programs where technical rigor, speed, and execution matter. With a background rooted in systems engineering and flight test, she specializes in guiding multidisciplinary teams through the full lifecycle of unmanned aerospace system development—from early concept to first flight and beyond. Her leadership has delivered critical capabilities in fast-moving, high-stakes aerospace programs.
Building High-Performance Teams
Samantha McCue builds and leads high-performing technical teams in safety-critical aerospace environments, guiding cross-functional engineers through design, integration, flight test, and critical decision points. She fosters clarity, accountability, and trust under pressure, aligning diverse expertise toward a shared mission. Her leadership style combines technical credibility with grit and vision, enabling teams to execute with precision in demanding, fast-paced programs.
Entrepreneurial Activities
In parallel with her aerospace career, Samantha McCue built and scaled multiple health and wellness businesses from the ground up, applying the same technical rigor, systems thinking, and leadership that drive her engineering work. While leading complex aerospace programs, she simultaneously designed new brands, built teams, and executed operations in a completely different sector. This work reflects her ability to take ownership, move between domains, and deliver results—translating technical aptitude and decisive leadership into successful outcomes beyond aerospace.