Christian Marrone

Christian Marrone currently serves as a Managing Director working across the firm on advisory, legal and capital mandates.  Mr. Marrone brings deep bipartisan relationships and extensive experience across a range of critical functions, including managing complex and large organizations, value creation, change management, risk management, operational execution, and government affairs.

Prior to joining McKenna, Mr. Marrone held the position of Head of Global Enterprise Risk for Standard Industries, a privately owned global conglomerate. In this capacity, he directed the intelligence, security, sustainability, and risk functions for Standard, its Operating Companies, and significant investment portfolio.

Mr. Marrone served as Senior Vice President for Government Affairs for Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest aerospace and defense corporation, prior to his role at Standard. He was responsible for leading the corporation’s engagement with the U.S. Congress and the executive branch, and managed all federal, state, and local government customer relationships. Throughout his tenure, Mr. Marrone successfully developed and executed the company’s annual marketing campaign, culminating in the capture of billions of dollars in additional revenue for various products and platforms. In recognition of his professional achievements, The Hill publication named Mr. Marrone a Top Lobbyist in 2022.

Before joining Lockheed Martin, Mr. Marrone held the position of Senior Vice President at CSRA Inc., where he oversaw critical operating functions including program and operational execution, corporate integration, corporate strategy, government relations, marketing & communications, and served as Chief of Staff to the Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Marrone possesses the unique distinction of having served as a senior presidential appointee in both the Bush and Obama Administrations, complementing his experience in state and local government and the private sector. He was appointed Chief of Staff of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under former Secretary Jeh Johnson. In this role, Mr. Marrone functioned as the Department’s Chief Operating Officer, managing a diverse portfolio of national security and domestic policy issues, including counterterrorism, cyber-security, immigration, border security, and departmental management.

Mr. Marrone held several senior positions within the U.S. Department of Defense, including Special Assistant to then-Secretary Robert Gates and Acting Assistant Secretary of Defense for Legislative Affairs. As Special Assistant, Mr. Marrone provided counsel to the Secretary, Deputy Secretary of Defense, and Chief of Staff on vital national security matters, including the budget, cyber-security, homeland defense, key acquisition programs, and crisis management.

Additionally, Mr. Marrone has been honored with numerous awards for his service, including the Secretary of Defense Medal for Distinguished Public Service and the Secretary of Homeland Security Medal for Distinguished Public Service. He is also life member of the Council for Foreign Relations.

Mr. Marrone earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from Pennsylvania State University, where he was a Member of the 1995 Rose Bowl Championship Football Team, a Master of Arts degree in Government Administration from the University of Pennsylvania, and a Juris Doctor degree from Temple University.