The Aerospace Executive Podcast

AI is opening up new warfighting capabilities, but behind the scenes, the government is constrained by power, energy, and compute. What happens when the government has a problem that can’t be solved by writing checks?   Marc Murphy, CEO of Ignite Digital, joins me to share how AI is driving rapid change in the Department of War, including government procurement processes.    He points out that the administration has created new procurement onramps, “Five years ago, we wouldn't have dreamed of moving through a federal procurement in 15 days. They've created those processes that allow that to happen.”   What You’ll Discover In This Episode    How data overload can be handled by a key shift in thinking Why AI tools can’t be treated as ‘one-size-fits-all’ Where real warfighting priorities comes from How government is reaching into the commercial sector for better tech Procurement changes allowing mid-market companies to compete with large primes Where private equity and VC are heading in defense tech and dual-use tech How rapid prototyping and fast procurement processes can give the US an advantage in modern conflicts   About the Guest Marc Murphy is CEO and CGO of Ignite Digital. As an investor, operator and builder, he has more than 20 years of experience leading high-growth, results-focused technology companies. As CEO of SPARC, LLC, he led the company to its 2016 acquisition by Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE: BAH). He is a 2025 EY Entrepreneur of the Year finalist and holds an active Top Secret security clearance.   Learn more about Ignite Digital at ignite-digital.com/ and connect with Marc on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/marcmurphy1/   About Your Host Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker, and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers, and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association.   Resources For more aerospace industry news & commentary: https://craigpicken.com/insights/.  To learn more about Craig Picken, visit https://craigpicken.com/. 

The GE Aerospace acquisition of CPP is in the news. But it’s not just defense tech that’s commanding massive multiples. Meghan Welch returns with her colleague, Hubert de la Vauvre, to share the latest on M&A in aerospace, defense and beyond. Their experience leading Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL) has them working with clients on both buy and sell side.   They’re seeing  more companies related to missile systems, munitions, maritime or key programs commanding EBITDA multiple off of an earnings base a full year forward. Even instances of PE paying entirely in equity and then financing after the fact so they're not subject to financing contingencies.   Meghan calls what she’s seeing, “A bit of the wild, wild west…it's crazy.”   What You’ll Discover In This Episode    Why GE Aerospace paid 26x forward earnings for CPP The overlooked capability every strategic buyer wants right now How long-term agreements went from Holy Grail to handcuffs What Chromalloy reveals about the fight for manufacturing capacity Two high-growth markets in data centers…& which is a safer bet Converging trends that can help US manufacturers catch up Much, much more   About the Guests Meghan Welch is the Managing Director of Brown Gibbons Lang & Company (BGL). Hubert de la Vauvre is a Director and a senior member of BGL’s Metals & Advanced Metals Manufacturing and Industrial Automotive & Aftermarket investment banking teams.    GBL is a leading independent investment bank and financial advisory firm focused on the global middle market. The firm advises private and public corporations and private equity groups on mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, capital markets, financial restructurings, valuations and opinions, and other strategic matters. For more information, visit www.bglco.com or connect with Meghan or Hubert on LinkedIn.    About Your Host Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker, and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers, and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association.    Resources For more aerospace industry news & commentary: https://craigpicken.com/insights/.  To learn more about Craig Picken, visit https://craigpicken.com/.  

An American fighter goes down in hostile territory. Recovering the crew requires multiple aircraft, enormous resources, and putting even more lives at risk. What if an autonomous aircraft could fly into that same environment, extract the crew, and return without risking another pilot?   That's one of the possibilities Michael Cervenka, Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer of Vertical Aerospace, is exploring.   Drones have limitations in range and payload. Helicopters are incredibly capable, but they're complex and expensive to operate and maintain. Vertical Aerospace sees an opportunity between the two.   With its Valo aircraft, Vertical is developing a common platform for electric, hybrid-electric, and eventually autonomous flight. The ambition goes well beyond flying passengers between cities. Think military logistics, personnel recovery, and missions where sending a conventional helicopter may be too expensive or too dangerous.   In this episode of The Aerospace Executive Podcast, Michael joins me to discuss how Vertical Aerospace is working to close the gap between drones and helicopters, what it will take to bring these aircraft into service, and why the future of eVTOL could be much bigger than the air-taxi market.   What You’ll Discover In This Episode    Why Vertical Aerospace survived the eVTOL hype cycle when others failed The critical decision that reduced risk and cleared a path to deployment How battery, hybrid and military variants all share one platform The supply chain decision that prevents being locked into outdated batteries How operating costs open new mission opportunities in electronic warfare, surveillance, reconnaissance and intelligence Why they chose to work with operators rather than be an operator How unglamorous commercial uses are already driving 1,500 pre-orders   About the Guest Michael Cervenka is the Chief Commercial and Strategy Officer at Vertical Aerospace Group Ltd. Senior business and engineering exec with over two decades‘ experience in aerospace and across a wide range of disruptive technologies.  Successfully incubated novel business concepts while building large global multi-disciplinary teams. Strategic agility and influence to set up and deliver significant business transformation. Strong business savvy with extensive commercial, customer and supplier experience.  Learn more at https://vertical-aerospace.com/ or connect with Michael on LinkedIn.    About Your Host Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker, and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers, and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association.    Resources For more aerospace industry news & commentary: https://craigpicken.com/insights/.  To learn more about Craig Picken, visit https://craigpicken.com/.  

Money isn’t the only thing flowing into aerospace from Silicon Valley.   So are the ideas, the methods and the mindset! Anders Forslund, Founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace, joins me to talk about one of the biggest challenges in aviation: reinventing the regional aircraft. Heart believes hybrid-electric propulsion can change the economics and possibilities of short-range commercial flight. And they’re not just talking about it…  they’re building it. The proof is in the X1 prototype. Anders and I discuss what it takes to turn next-generation technology into a practical, certifiable and commercially viable aircraft and why the future of aviation won’t be determined by technology alone.   We get into: Why hybrid-electric may be the practical path forward for regional aviation • What Heart is learning from the X1 • The enormous challenge of bringing new technology into a highly regulated industry • And how Silicon Valley thinking is shaping aerospace manufacturing and certification   About the Guest Dr. Anders Forslund, Founder and CEO of Heart Aerospace, is an aerospace entrepreneur whose research at MIT on uncertainty & robustness in aircraft propulsion earned the Charles M. Manly Award in 2019. Previously, he founded ELISE, Sweden’s national electric aviation initiative. Learn more at https://www.heartaerospace.com/  or connect with Anders on LinkedIn.   About Your Host Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker, and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers, and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association.    Resources For more aerospace industry news & commentary: https://craigpicken.com/insights/.  To learn more about Craig Picken, visit https://craigpicken.com/.     For videos of the X1 including the first test flight, visit: https://www.heartaerospace.com/x1   Also check out these resources mentioned in the show:   Heart Aerospace YouTube channel   Heart Aerospace LinkedIn Page   Anders Forslund Y Combinator Interview:  The World’s Largest Electric Aircraft Just Flew

Defense is changing. Fast. For decades, weapons development was measured in years, sometimes decades. That model is being challenged. A new generation of defense-tech companies, backed by serious venture capital, is approaching the problem differently: Move fast. Build fast. Iterate fast. Mach Industries recently raised $300 million in Series C funding, valuing the company at $1.8 billion. But this is the number that caught my attention: 71 days. That’s how long it took Mach to take its Venom 3D-printed jet-powered unmanned aircraft from sketch to flight. Think about that. Just 71 days from an idea on paper to something flying through the air. This represents a much bigger shift taking place in defense: Asymmetric warfare. Low-cost. High-volume. Unmanned. Systems that can be developed quickly, manufactured at scale and deployed without the traditional timelines and economics of major weapons programs. But designing something quickly is one thing. Building thousands of them is another. Nathan Diller, President and CSO of Mach Industries, joins me on The Aerospace Executive Podcast to talk about what’s driving this transformation, how defense manufacturing has to change—and the enormous challenge of scaling this new generation of weapons systems. The defense industrial base is changing. And it’s happening quickly.   What You’ll Discover In This Episode  The near future arsenal of attack drones and munitions this defense tech startup is mass-producing for war Mach’s 4-part approach to building next gen unmanned platforms F-35 vs attack drones & where low-cost, high-volume wins on the battlefield Why PE and VC money is flowing to defense tech startups The pharma blueprint defense startups are following The surprising skillset his company can’t hire fast enough   About the Guest Nathan Diller is the President and Chief Strategy Officer of Mach Industries. Nathan previously served as CEO of Divergent. Learn more at https://machindustries.com/ or connect with Nathan on LinkedIn.   About Your Host Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker, and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers, and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association.    Resources For more aerospace industry news & commentary: https://craigpicken.com/insights/.  To learn more about Craig Picken, visit https://craigpicken.com/.    Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm, so our show reaches more people. Thank you!