Gary North
Vice President for Customer Requirements, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company.

After retiring from the U. S. Air Force with the rank of General, Mr. North joined Lockheed Martin in January 2013. In his current position, Mr. North’s primary responsibility is ensuring Lockheed Martin fulfills U.S. and international F-35 customer requirements. He also ensures that requirements for F-35 industrial partners around the world are met. In addition, he serves as the company interface for customer requirements across the wide spectrum of aeronautics programs ensuring Lockheed Martin meets strategic milestones while ensuring operational execution reflects company contractual commitments. During his 36 years of military service, Mr. North held numerous operational, command and staff positions, including as Commander, Pacific Air Forces and as Executive Director, Pacific Air Combat Operations Staff where he concurrently served as Joint Force Air Component Commander for U.S. Pacific Command.

From 2006-2009, Mr. North also served as Commander, U. S. Air Forces Central and as Combined Forces Air Component Commander for U. S. CENTCOM in support of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Mr. North commanded U. S. Air Force units at every level from squadron to major command and is a command pilot with more than 4,700 flying hours primarily in the F-4G, F-15 and F-16. A graduate of the Air Force F-16 Fighter Weapons School, Mr. North flew 83 combat missions in Operations Desert Storm, Southern Watch, Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom. He holds a BSc in Political Science from East Carolina University and master’s degrees in Public Administration and Human Resource Management from Golden Gate University and National Resource Strategy from National Defense University, United States.

General Stephen W. “Seve” Wilson
Vice Chief of Staff, United States Air Force

As Vice Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force, General Wilson presides over the Air Staff and serves as a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Requirements Oversight Council and Deputy Advisory Working Group. He assists the Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force with organizing, training, and equipping of 660,000 active-duty, Guard, Reserve and civilian forces serving in the United States and overseas. General Wilson received his commission from Texas A&M University in 1981 has had multiple flying tours, and led bomber; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; mobility; aeromedical evacuation; and airborne command and control operations supporting Iraqi Freedom, Enduring Freedom and Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa. General Wilson has held numerous command positions, including the Joint Functional Component Commander for Global Strike and Air Force Global Strike Command. General Wilson is a command pilot with more than 4,500 flying hours and 680 combat hours primarily on the T-37, T-38, B-1 and B-52 aircraft.

Prior to his current assignment, the general was Deputy Commander, U.S. Strategic Command based at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska. General Wilson has a BSc in Aerospace Engineering from Texas A&M University, an MSc in Engineering Management from the South Dakota School of Mines & Technology, a Master's degree in Strategic Studies from Air War College, Alabama, and has attended various leadership and Officer courses at the National Defense University and Harvard University, among other institutions.  General Wilson’s major awards and decorations include Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal, Aerial Achievement Medal and Air Force Commendation Medal.

Lieutenant General Enzo Vecciarelli
Chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force

An interceptor pilot, Lieutenant General Vecciarelli spent most of his career with the 4th Fighter Wing in Grosseto, Italy, amassing over 2600 flight hours primarily on the F-104 Starfighter Jet. Prior to becoming Chief of Staff in March 2016, Lieutenant General Vecciarelli served as Deputy Chief of the Defence General Staff. Earlier, as Director of the IV Armament Programmes Division in the National Armaments Directorate he led acquisition, modernization and international cooperation efforts. Previously, Lieutenant General Vecciarelli was Chief of Staff of the Air Force Operational Command and Commander, Air Combat Forces Command, Milan, becoming involved in operations "Odyssey Dawn" and "Unified Protector" in Libya. Lieutenant General Vecciarelli was Defence and Air Force Attaché at the Italian Embassy in Berlin between 2007-2010 and earlier represented Italy at the European Defence Agency (EDA) and  Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matiere d'Armament (OCCAR) as Deputy Chief III Division “Armaments Policy” at the National Armament Directorate.

During “Operation Ancient Babylon” in 2003 he led the first Air Force Contingent in Iraq at Tallil Air Base, Nassiriya. Lieutenant General Vecciarelli attended the Air Force Academy, Naples, earned his wings at Laughlin Air Force Base, Texas, and qualified as a fighter pilot at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico. He has completed advanced courses at the Italian Air Force War College, Florence, the Air War College in Maxwell, Alabama, the Naval Postgraduate College in Monterey, California, and the Centre des Hautes Etudes de l'Armement, Ecole Militaire in Paris. Lieutenant General Vecciarelli holds a postgraduate degree in Aeronautics from the "Federico II" University, Naples, and a Master’s degree in International and Diplomatic Sciences from the University of Trieste. His major awards and decorations include the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic, NATO Medal, Commemorative Medal, Mauritian Medal and is Officer of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany.

Air Vice Marshal Leigh Gordon
Head, Joint Strike Fighter Program, Royal Australian Air Force

Air Vice-Marshal Gordon graduated from the Engineer Cadet Squadron in 1985 with a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. Air Vice-Marshal Gordon has served in a number of staff and maintenance positions. Highlights of his career include a posting as Senior Engineering Officer at 25 Squadron supporting PC9, Macchi and Caribou aircraft, and a posting as Project Manager of the Lead-in Fighter Project that replaced the Macchi jet trainer with the Hawk 127. Air Vice-Marshal Gordon's Command appointments include Commanding Officer of 382 Expeditionary Combat Support Squadron, and Officer Commanding of the Training Aircraft Systems Program Office. During his time as CO 382ECSS, Air Vice-Marshal Gordon led the combat support element deployed to the Middle East region alongside No. 75 Squadron on Operations Bastille and Falconer.

Air Vice-Marshal Gordon is a graduate from Australian Command and Staff College, and has served in a range of Director and Branch Head positions in the then Defence Materiel Organisation. In August 2013, he was promoted to Air Vice-Marshal, and assumed the role of Head Aerospace Systems Division in Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group. Air Vice-Marshal Gordon joined the Joint Strike Fighter Project in March 2016 and has considerable experience in military aircraft acquisition and in-service support.

 

Vice Admiral John Aquilino
Commander, Naval Forces Central Command, United States Navy

Graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1984, earning a BSc in Physics, Vice Admiral Aquilino then earned his wings in 1986. Operationally, he has served in numerous fighter squadrons flying the F-14 A/B Tomcat and the F-18 C/E/F Hornet. He has accumulated more than 5,100 mishap-free flight hours and over 1,150 carrier-arrested landings. Prior to assuming his current duties in September 2017, Vice Admiral Aquilino served as Deputy Chief of Naval Operations for Operations, Plans and Strategy (N3/N5). His earlier flag assignments include Director of Strategy and Policy (J5), U.S. Joint Forces Command; Deputy Director, Joint Force Coordinator (J31), the Joint Staff; Commander, CSG-2, and; Director of Maritime Operations, U.S. Pacific Fleet (N04). Vice Admiral Aquilino had extended deployments in support of Operations Deny Flight, Deliberate Force, Southern Watch, Noble Eagle, Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

Vice Admiral Aquilino’s served with the Ghost Riders of Fighter Squadron (VF) 142 and Black Aces of VF-41 and commanded the Red Rippers of VF-11, Carrier Air Wing 2, and Carrier Strike Group 2. Ashore, Vice Admiral Aquilino’s assignments have included flying the A-4, F-5, and F-16N aircraft as an instructor; Operations Officer of Strike Weapons and Tactics School; Aide to the Vice Chief of Naval Operations; Special Assistant for Weapons Systems and Advanced Development in the Office of Legislative Affairs; Director of Air Wing Readiness and Training for Commander, Naval Air Forces, Atlantic Fleet, and; EA to Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces. He is a graduate of the Navy Fighter Weapons School (TOPGUN) and the Joint Forces Staff College, and his major awards and decorations include the Distinguished Service Medal, Defense Superior Service Medal, Legion of Merit, Bronze Star Medal, and Air Medal.
 

Air Commodore Philippe Adam
Commander for Operations, Aviation Brigade, French Air Force

Born in 1967 in Paris, Brigadier Philippe Adam graduated from École Polytechnique in 1985 and entered the French Air Force shortly afterwards in 1988. Brigadier Adam earned his Fighter Pilot Wings in 1990 and served as a Fighter Squadron 1/12 Pilot, Flight Commander in the same year. He then served as a Test Pilot and later Chief Test Pilot at Centre d’Essais en Vol, Istres from 1997-2003. In 2003, Brigadier Adam was posted to Abu Dhabi, UAE where we was assigned as Operational Advisor at the Flight Test and Development Centre. In 2006, Brigadier Adam returned to Paris as Head of Department for Combat Aircraft in the Programs Office of the French Air Force Staff, before being assigned as Base Commander, 125 AFB, Istres, in 2008. Brigadier Adam has accumulated 2,800 flying hours.

Prior to his current position as Commander for Operations for the Aviation Brigade, Lyon, Brigadier Adam served as Commander for the French National Air Operations Centre, Lyon.  Earlier, from 2013-2015, he served as Deputy Director being in charge of the Euro-Atlantic Area at the Directorate for Strategic Affairs in the French Ministry of Defense. Prior to his time at the French Ministry of Defense, this Brigadier Adam was assigned as Deputy Branch Head for Air and Missile Defence, NATO International Military Staff in Brussels, Belgium between 2011-2013. His major awards and decorations include Officer of the Légion d’Honneur, Officer of the Ordre National du Mérite, and the Medal of Aeronautics.

Christopher J. Davis
President, Raytheon International, Incorporated

In his current role Mr. Davis is responsible for the RII’s sales and marketing efforts in more than 80 nations worldwide and is leading its team to achieve top-line growth through focus on global growth, enterprise collaboration and competitive advantage. Previously, Davis served as Raytheon’s Country Leader for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where he was responsible for executing an integrated, companywide engagement strategy for the UAE based on collaboration, and deep customer intimacy. His customer engagement and collaboration responsibilities included contract execution, offset dialogues and integrated pipeline development and execution.

A retired United States Marine Corps officer and aviator, Mr. Davis joined Raytheon Missile Systems (RMS) in 2006 after a 20-year military career, and after two years assisting the UAE President of the Abu Dhabi Chamber of Commerce with that chamber’s aerospace and defense portfolio. As RMS’ Director of Middle East Business Development, Mr. Davis was responsible for sales and marketing in 10 Middle East and North Africa (MENA) countries, and significantly participated in more than US$1.4 billion of successful capture efforts. While in the military, Mr. Davis lived for three years in Japan, and was a finalist for the Council on Foreign Relations’ International Affairs Fellow Japan. He is a combat aviator with over 2,000 flight hours in both rotary and fixed-wing (fighter) aircraft. Davis holds a bachelor’s degree in Industrial Economics from Union College in Schenectady New York, and a Master’s degree in Security Studies from the Marine Corps University.

Lieutenant General Michael J. Hood CMM
Commander, Royal Canadian Air Force

Lieutenant General Hood began his military career in the infantry as a guardsman with the Canadian Grenadier Guards before enrolling in the Regular Force and receiving his air combat systems officer wings in 1988. Most of his subsequent flying career was spent in the tactical airlift role on the mighty CC-130 Hercules, as well as a tour as an electronic warfare officer on the T-33 Silver Star and CE-144 Challenger (the electronic warfare version of the Challenger). Lieutenant General Hood was previously the Commanding Officer of both 429 and 436 Transport Squadrons; he served as Commander, 8 Wing Trenton from 2007-2009. His staff tours include aide-de-camp to the Governor General, a member of the directing staff at the United States Air Force Command and Staff College, desk officer within J3 International in the Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff Group, as well as the J5 Plans upon the stand-up of Canadian Expeditionary Force Command Headquarters in January 2006.

Following assignments as Director General Air Force Development and Deputy Director General of International Security Policy, he was appointed Deputy Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force in September 2012. In June 2013 he was appointed Director of Staff, Strategic Joint Staff. He became Commander of the Royal Canadian Air Force in July 2015. Lieutenant General Hood is a graduate of Canada’s National Security Program as well as the United States Air Force Command and Staff College, and holds a Master’s degree in International Relations from Auburn University, Alabama. In his spare time, he plods along as a middle-of-the-pack age-grouper in triathlon.
 

Air Vice Marshal Gerry M. Mayhew CBE
Commander, No. 1 Group, Royal Air Force, United Kingdom

Air Vice-Marshal Mayhew was commissioned into the RAF in 1988.  Following a tour in Air Traffic Control at RAF Laarbruch, Germany, he re-mustered as a pilot and was posted to the Jaguar and 6 Squadron at RAF Coltishall.  He became a Qualified Weapons Instructor on the Jaguar in 1996 and returned to Coltishall and 41(F) Squadron before undertaking an operational exchange with the 4th Fighter Squadron U.S. Air Force flying the F16C from Hill Air Force Base, Utah. Promoted to Squadron Leader, he returned to 41(F) Squadron as a Flight Commander in 2000 and then moved to the Personnel Management Agency at RAF Innsworth to become responsible for the career management of the RAF’s fast jet junior pilot cadre.  In 2005, on graduating from the Joint Services Command and Staff College at Shrivenham with an MA in Defence Studies he was posted to the Concepts Team in the Joint Doctrine and Concepts Centre as Wing Commander Offensive Air.

Following a tour in Iraq, Air Vice-Marshal Mayhew assumed command of XIII Squadron in 2007, flying the Tornado GR4 from RAF Marham.  In late 2009, he was posted to the Ministry of Defence and promoted to Group Captain before becoming Assistant Director Joint Strike in the Directorate of Joint Capability. After serving as Deputy Principal Staff Officer to the Chief of the Defence Staff, General Sir David Richards, he was promoted to Air Commodore in 2013 and took up the position of Air Officer Scotland, responsible for the RAF’s footprint transformation there. He completed the Higher Command and Staff Course in 2015 before moving to the Cabinet Office as Deputy Director responsible for the Defence and Homeland Security aspects of the 2015 National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review.  Promoted to Air Vice-Marshal, he assumed command of the RAF’s No 1 Group in April 2016. Air Vice-Marshal Mayhew has amassed nearly 3000 flying hours and logged over 200 operational sorties over the Balkans and Iraq.  

Air Commodore Robert Adang
Deputy Director of the European Air Group (EAG), Royal Netherlands Air Force          

Air Commodore Adang is currently assigned to the European Air Group (EAG) in High Wycombe, United Kingdom, as Deputy Director. In this capacity, he is the resident head of the EAG Permanent Staff and responsible for the direction and supervision of the numerous projects and activities of the EAG. Previously, he was assigned to the Staff of the Netherlands Air Force as head of the Policy and Plans Branch, reporting to the Commander Royal Netherlands Air Force. In this capacity, he was responsible for a wide range of activities, including strategy, international military cooperation, R&D planning and integrated plans. Prior to that, Air Commodore Robert Adang held various positions within the Air Force Headquarters and the Netherlands Defence Staff, mostly involved in policy and plans. These included the post of Head of the Plans Division, responsible for the coordination and execution of the integrated defence planning process at the joint level.

As an attack helicopter pilot flying the AH-46D Apache, Air Commodore Robert Adang was assigned to 301 Squadron as Operations Officer and later on as Squadron Commander. His operational career started out in 1988 as helicopter pilot on the Alouette III and later the BO-105 CB helicopter, on which he qualified as an instructor pilot. He is a graduate from the Netherlands Royal Military Academy and Senior Staff College. As a pilot, Air Commodore Adang has accumulated some 3000 flight hours and deployed to Bosnia-Herzegovina in 1999 and to Afghanistan in 2006 and 2008.

Marillyn A. Hewson
Chairwoman, President and Chief Executive Officer, Lockheed Martin Corporation

Marillyn A. Hewson is Chairwoman, President and CEO of Lockheed Martin Corporation, having joined as an industry engineer more than 30 years ago. She previously held a variety of executive positions with the Corporation, including President and COO and Executive VP of Lockheed Martin’s Electronic Systems business area. During her career she has held several operational leadership positions, including President of Lockheed Martin Systems Integration; Executive VP of Global Sustainment for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics; President and GM of Kelly Aviation Center, L.P., an affiliate of Lockheed Martin; and President of Lockheed Martin Logistics Services. She has also served in key corporate executive roles, including Senior VP of Corporate Shared Services; VP of Global Supply Chain Management; and VP of Corporate Internal Audit.

Ms. Hewson currently sits on the Board of Directors of DuPont; the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation; the Board of Governors of the USO; the Board of the National Geographic Education Foundation; the Board of Visitors of Culverhouse College of Commerce and Business Administration; and the Board of Directors of Catalyst. Ms. Hewson is a former Chair and current member of the Executive Committee of the Aerospace Industries Association; a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society; an Associate Fellow of the AIAA; and a member of the IISS. She is a Director of the Atlantic Council’s International Advisory Board and a Vice Chair of the Business Roundtable. Ms. Hewson also serves on the Board of Trustees for King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KSA) and on the Board of Trustees for Khalifa University for Science, Technology and Research (UAE). Ms. Hewson has a BSc in business administration and an MA in economics from the University of Alabama and attended executive development programs at Columbia Business School and Harvard Business School.