Eren Özmen is a Turkish-American entrepreneur and aerospace business leader best known for her role as executive chairwoman, owner, and longtime president of Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC). Together with her husband, Fatih Özmen, she acquired the company in 1994 when it had fewer than 20 employees. Under their leadership, SNC grew into a major aerospace, defense, and national security technology company.
Her story is often described as an American success story built around education, entrepreneurship, persistence, and long-term business leadership. Today, Özmen is also associated with Sierra Space, philanthropy, STEM education, and support for entrepreneurship.
Who Is Eren Özmen?
Eren Özmen is an entrepreneur and business executive who has spent decades building companies in the aerospace and technology industries. She is the owner and executive chairwoman of Sierra Nevada Corporation, while her husband, Fatih Özmen, serves as CEO.
Özmen was born in Turkey and later moved to the United States to continue her education. She earned an MBA from the University of Nevada, Reno. Her career demonstrates how business education and strategic management can help turn a small company into a large technology enterprise.
Eren Özmen’s Early Life and Education
Özmen grew up in Diyarbakir, Turkey, in a family that placed a strong value on education. According to a Sierra Nevada Corporation profile, she experienced a difficult period after losing her father in a car accident as a teenager and worked while continuing her education.
She later came to the United States to pursue higher education. She completed her MBA at the University of Nevada, Reno in the 1980s. Her husband, Fatih Özmen, also studied at the same university, earning a master’s degree in electrical engineering.
Education became an important part of the Özmens’ later philanthropic work as well. They have supported entrepreneurship and STEM education at the University of Nevada, Reno.
Eren Özmen’s Career
Eren Özmen began working with Sierra Nevada Corporation after completing her MBA. At that time, SNC was a small technology company facing financial challenges.
In 1994, Eren and Fatih Özmen acquired the company. SNC had fewer than 20 employees when they took ownership. Rather than keeping the business focused on a single area, the Özmens pursued growth through technology development, acquisitions, and expansion into new markets.
The company eventually expanded its capabilities across aerospace, defense, national security, and space-related technologies.
Özmen’s role has included business management, strategic planning, acquisitions, and long-term growth. Her leadership helped establish SNC as a major woman-owned aerospace and defense contractor.
Eren Özmen and Sierra Nevada Corporation
Sierra Nevada Corporation was founded in 1963 and is headquartered in Nevada. The company works on advanced engineering and technology solutions for aerospace, defense, national security, and other demanding applications.
The Özmens’ acquisition of SNC in 1994 became a major turning point in the company’s history. According to SNC, the company has grown through strategic acquisitions and now operates across more than 40 locations worldwide.
One of the company’s best-known space-related projects is Dream Chaser, a commercial spaceplane associated with Sierra Space.
Sierra Space and Eren Özmen
In 2021, Eren and Fatih Özmen launched Sierra Space as an independent commercial space company using space capabilities that had been developed within SNC. Sierra Space focuses on commercial space transportation, space infrastructure, satellites, and related technologies.
Dream Chaser is one of the company’s most recognized projects. The spaceplane is designed for runway landings and represents the Özmens’ broader interest in developing commercial space technology.
This expansion demonstrates how the business strategy around SNC evolved beyond traditional aerospace and defense into the growing commercial space sector.
Eren Özmen’s Net Worth
Eren Özmen is a billionaire whose wealth is closely connected to her ownership of private aerospace businesses.
According to Forbes, her real-time net worth was approximately $6.1 billion as of September 4, 2026. Forbes lists her primary source of wealth as aerospace and identifies her as the chairwoman, president, and majority owner of Sierra Nevada Corporation. Because her companies are privately held and wealth estimates can change, her net worth should be treated as an estimate rather than a fixed amount.
Her financial success is largely associated with the long-term growth of the Özmens’ aerospace and technology businesses.
Eren Özmen’s Leadership and Achievements
Özmen has received recognition for her work as an entrepreneur and aerospace leader. She has repeatedly appeared on Forbes’ lists of successful self-made women and was included in the inaugural Forbes 50 Over 50 list. She has also received recognition from organizations in the aerospace and defense industries.
Her leadership approach has focused on long-term growth, technology investment, acquisitions, and developing a strong business organization.
A major example of SNC’s growth came in 2024, when the company won a $13.1 billion U.S. Air Force contract related to the development of the next-generation Survivable Airborne Operations Center aircraft.
Eren Özmen’s Philanthropy
Eren Özmen’s work extends beyond business.
Together with Fatih Özmen, she helped establish the Ozmen Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Nevada, Reno. The couple pledged $5 million for the center in 2014 to support entrepreneurship and new business development.
Through the Ozmen Foundation, she has also supported education, entrepreneurship, STEM initiatives, and community programs. SNC has highlighted her efforts to encourage more women to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Eren Özmen’s Personal Life
Eren Özmen is married to Fatih Özmen, who is the CEO and co-owner of Sierra Nevada Corporation. The couple met when they were young students and later reunited in Nevada while pursuing their education. They married in 1988 and have two children.
The Özmens have built their professional lives together, turning a small aerospace company into a much larger technology enterprise. They have also worked together on philanthropic and educational projects.
Why Is Eren Özmen Important?
Eren Özmen’s story stands out because she combined business management with aerospace and technology entrepreneurship. She was part of the leadership team that transformed SNC from a very small company into a global aerospace and defense organization.
Her career also highlights the role of women and immigrants in American business. Beyond her companies, her investments in education, entrepreneurship, and STEM programs have helped extend her impact to future generations.
Final Thoughts
Eren Özmen is one of the notable business leaders in America’s aerospace and defense sector. Her journey from Turkey to the United States, followed by her education and eventual acquisition of Sierra Nevada Corporation, shows how long-term thinking can shape a business career.
Her work with SNC, Sierra Space, Dream Chaser, entrepreneurship programs, and STEM initiatives has made her a prominent figure in aerospace business. While her estimated net worth attracts attention, her larger legacy is connected to the companies, technologies, educational programs, and opportunities she has helped develop.
