Dan Tellep has been a vital force in the growth of engineering in the Silicon Valley. His contributions as an engineer and leader began in 1955 at Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, Inc. (LMSC) as principal scientist for the first U.S. reentry flight experiments program, which established the technical base for the design of the first-generation reentry vehicles. Tellep participated in the design and development of all generations of the U.S. submarine-launched Fleet Ballistic Missile system. He was involved in development of the MILSTAR communications satellite program and numerous other advanced missile and space technology efforts. After serving as the President of LMSC and the Lockheed Missiles & Space Systems Group, he assumed his current position as Chairman and C.E.O. of the Lockheed Corporation, where he is setting the strategic direction of the corporation and guiding it into the post Cold War era.

In recognition of his technical contributions, Tellep was elected a Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the American Astronautical Society, and is a member of the National Academy of Engineering. He received the Lawrence Sperry Award in 1964 for his contributions to reentry technology and advancements in the field of heat transfer, and the AIAA Missile Systems Award in 1986. In 1993, Aviation Week & Space Technology honored him with its distinguished Aerospace Laureate Award, and he received the Air Force Association John R. Allison Award for Industrial Leadership.

He has made important contributions to the local engineering community. He led the successful San Jose State Project 88 campaign and received the Tower Award for support to the university. Additionally, he served on the advisory boards for both Santa Clara University and San Jose State Schools of Engineering.

Mr. Tellep graduated summa cum laude with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California at Berkeley in 1954 and received his M.S. from U.C. Berkeley in 1955.