How Top Aerospace Executives Set the Vision, Grow Their Business & Develop Talent
Episodes
Thursday Dec 11, 2025
Thursday Dec 11, 2025
Most people talk about space power like it’s a solved problem. Big arrays, rigid panels, high-efficiency silicon; the same architecture we’ve been flying for decades.
But the more you look at where national security and commercial space are headed, the clearer it becomes: our power systems weren’t designed for the missions we’re trying to execute today.
Space is no longer a passive environment. It’s dynamic, congested, competitive, and increasingly contested. If you’re operating a satellite that needs to reposition, evade, maneuver, or maintain persistent awareness over the oceans, every kilogram of mass and every square inch of surface area starts to matter. Traditional solar arrays generate plenty of power, but they come with a hidden cost: fragility, deployment complexity, and a form factor that locks spacecraft into decisions they can’t easily undo.
Thin-film solar panels change that.
When you can generate meaningful power without rigid wings. When your power source can be wrapped around a body, integrated into a surface, or rolled out without fear of shattering, Maneuverability becomes an asset instead of a liability.
High-radiation orbits are more viable, high-voltage architectures make sense, and persistent maritime sensing becomes more realistic. And the same characteristics that matter in orbit start unlocking terrestrial defense applications as well.
What are some of the new opportunities arising for thin-film solar? How are they able to ability to fulfill smaller, specialized, high-value orders quickly?
In this episode, I sit down with the CEO of Ascent Solar, Paul Warley. We talk about how thin-film is reshaping what’s possible in orbit, why defense customers are paying attention, and how a microcap manufacturer found itself aligned with some of the biggest trends in national security and space power.
You’ll also learn;
- Why maneuverability is becoming the real strategic advantage in orbit
- How thin-film’s flexibility and high-voltage capability unlock new spacecraft architectures
- Why reaching 12–13% efficiency is a tipping point that suddenly makes thin-film viable for LEO, MEO, and even high-radiation GEO missions.
- How defense customers are rethinking power as mission profiles shift
- Why thin-film’s resilience in high-radiation and atomic oxygen environments gives it advantages that silicon can’t match.
- What the increasing launch cadence means for power requirements, mass budgets, and the economics of spacecraft design.
- How decades of sunk R&D and process knowledge create a moat that would be difficult and expensive for new entrants to replicate.
- Where Paul sees thin-film fitting into the future of both defense and space operations, from niche platforms to major programs.
About the Guest
Paul Warley is the President and CEO of Ascent Solar, a small microcap company in Colorado. Ascent’s thin-film is the solar power solution for scenarios where traditional rigid panels won't work. Ascent brings together 20+ years of R&D, 17 years of manufacturing experience, numerous awards, and a comprehensive IP and patent portfolio to cement its leadership in the photovoltaics market. To learn more, visit https://ascentsolar.com/.
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.
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Thursday Dec 04, 2025
Thursday Dec 04, 2025
Flying around the world is rare. Doing it solo is even rarer. Doing it twice, once along the equator and once over both poles, is unheard of. But that’s exactly what entrepreneur and aviator, Robert DeLaurentis, achieved.
And he didn’t do it in a jet with a support crew on standby. He did it in highly modified aircraft pushed beyond its intended envelope, relying on custom ferry tanks, improvised fixes, and the kind of real-time decision-making that leaves zero margin for error.
These weren’t sightseeing flights; they were missions built on risk, resilience, and engineering improvisation at 31,000 feet.
Most circumnavigations are engineering challenges. Robert turned his into a multi-layered mission: scientific research, global outreach, and a stress test of what a single pilot and a single aircraft can actually endure.
Along the way, he carried NASA-funded experiments, gathered atmospheric data over the poles, and documented systems failures that would’ve ended most expeditions. He navigated cyclones, fuel constraints, unpredictable polar weather, and airspace so remote he had to calculate every pound of fuel twice.
But the story doesn’t stop at the poles. Robert has also built a financially self-sustaining airport, a discovery-flight pipeline for high school students, and a blueprint for how small airports can support the future of urban air mobility.
How do you take the mindset required for a polar circumnavigation and apply it to rebuilding an airport from scratch? And what does it look like when an aviation legacy is engineered just as intentionally as a record-breaking flight?
In this episode, the star of the new movie PEACE PILOT joins me to unpack the equatorial flight that pushed a Malibu Mirage to its limits, the polar expedition that demanded a three-times-extended-range Commander, and the string of failures, near-misses, last-second adjustments, and improbable wins that held the entire mission together.
You’ll also learn;
- Why meaning (not adrenaline) sustains pilots through extreme-risk missions
- What it takes to execute equatorial and polar circumnavigations
- The scientific payloads carried over the poles
- The realization that reframed Robert’s entire mission
- The emotional and spiritual cost of flying alone in the most remote places on earth
- The business model behind a self-sustaining private airport
- How discovery flights and upgraded training aircraft engage the next generation
- Why legacy matters more than any single record or milestone
About the Guest
Robert DeLaurentis is a Polar and Equatorial Circumnavigator, Peace Pilot, Speaker, Author, and Entrepreneur. Robert went on the audacious quest to fly to the South Pole and then the North Pole, surviving temperatures as low as -60°C, in a 38-year-old, heavily modified Turbo Commander 900. This daring venture is not merely a test of flying skill and human endurance but a profound journey of peace and planetary unity under the banner “One planet. One people. One plane.” Setting out three years after his first solo circumnavigation, Robert confronts not only the extreme challenges of the polar skies but also a series of life-threatening technical mishaps and a global pandemic. From taking off against unfavorable winds over daunting mountain ranges to dealing with fuel leaks and multiple system failures, each moment of the flight could very well be his last. PEACE PILOT captures not only the heart-stopping action and terrifying close calls but also delves into Robert’s internal voyage towards greater self-awareness and commitment to environmental conservation. This film is a gripping narrative of survival, human fortitude, and the urgent collective effort needed to safeguard our planet. To watch the movie, visit peacepilotthemovie.com or go to https://flyingthrulife.com/ to learn more about Robert.
About Your Host
Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker, and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level executives in sales, operations, and leadership roles within the aviation and aerospace industries. 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.
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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!
Thursday Nov 20, 2025
Thursday Nov 20, 2025
For decades, business aviation has advanced in small, predictable steps. Quieter cabins, digital cockpits, incremental gains in fuel efficiency. But real breakthroughs are generational.
What Otto Aviation is building may be the most significant leap in private jet design since the invention of the high-bypass turbofan. This isn’t another luxury aircraft chasing prestige. It’s a reimagining of how far, how fast, and how efficiently a jet can fly.
At the center of that transformation is laminar flow: an aerodynamic principle nature has perfected but aviation has struggled to harness.
Until now.
By achieving true laminar flow across both the wing and fuselage, Otto has unlocked a 50% reduction in fuel burn. That creates a cascade of benefits: lighter engines, smaller tanks, reduced maintenance, and dramatically lower operating costs.
For the first time, private aviation could expand beyond the elite few and into a broader market of business travelers.
In this episode, CEO of Otto Aviation, Paul Touw, joins me to talk about how laminar flow moved from a theoretical possibility to a practical breakthrough, what it takes to bring a billion-dollar clean-sheet aircraft to market, and how this technology could reshape the economics of flight for decades to come.
You’ll also learn;
- Why laminar flow is the biggest aerodynamic breakthrough since the 707
- How Otto’s design rewrites aircraft economics, cutting weight, fuel, and maintenance while extending range and performance.
- Why flying higher delivers radical efficiency and passenger comfort.
- How stealth-era manufacturing and modern computing finally made laminar flow possible.
- How Otto is minimizing risk by combining in-house final assembly with proven certified systems.
- How Flexjet’s $10B order signals commercial confidence in Otto’s clean-sheet aircraft.
- What it takes to recruit elite engineers from Boeing, Textron, and Gulfstream into a startup building the first new jet of its kind in over a decade.
- How lessons from XOJet shaped a customer-first approach to designing the next era of business aviation.
Guest Bio
Paul Touw is an Engineer, Entrepreneur, and CEO of Otto Aviation. The Otto Aerospace Phantom 3500 is a masterpiece of engineering— utilizing groundbreaking laminar flow technology, digital design tools, and modern manufacturing techniques to achieve unparalleled efficiency, luxury, and environmental stewardship. Designed for leaders, visionaries, and innovators, the Phantom 3500 sets a new standard in private jet flight where performance and sustainability exist in perfect harmony. To learn more, head to https://ottoaerospace.com/ or connect with Paul 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.
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Thursday Nov 06, 2025
Thursday Nov 06, 2025
In aerospace, we talk a lot about "the future of flight." But most of that conversation has been driven by fantasy. Fully electric aircraft that can't fly far enough, and technologies that look good in a render but can't sustain the physics or economics of real aviation.
That's why what Electra Aero is building feels like the first practical revolution in modern air mobility. It's not about escaping airports altogether; it's about rethinking what access to the air actually means.
A platform that combines the short-range flexibility of a helicopter with the efficiency, speed, and safety of a fixed-wing aircraft. A system that can land in 150 feet, carry nine passengers, and fly 1,000 miles...all at a cost per seat mile that rivals a Cessna Caravan.
In other words, not a science experiment, but an aircraft for both the Pentagon and Palm Springs.
When you look at the infrastructure, the capital, and the technology now converging, from turbo generators to hybrid propulsion, it's clear the "inflection point" for advanced air mobility is already here. The question isn't if we'll see it, but when the iceberg breaks the surface and everyone suddenly realizes how much has already been built underneath.
What makes this design different enough for the Department of Defense to back it, and powerful enough to fly missions no existing aircraft can?
In this episode, the CEO of Electra Aero, Mark Allen, joins me to dive into what it takes to turn an experimental prototype into a scalable aircraft production company. We also discuss how hybrid-electric flight could redefine how people and goods move between cities in the next decade.
Things You’ll Learn In This Episode
- Why "payload-to-range" is the real metric that will define the winners in advanced air mobility
- How Electra's hybrid-electric system radically cuts maintenance and lifecycle costs
- Why vertical takeoff isn't the future, ultra-short takeoff and landing is
- How runway independence could transform both defense logistics and civilian travel
- What it takes to fund deep-tech aviation in a VC world built for SaaS
- Why the next big shift in aerospace will feel like a "ketchup bottle" moment: slow, then all at once
- How leadership and team "swing" drive complex innovation when the mission is bigger than any one person
Guest Bio:
Marc Allen is the CEO of Electra Aero. At Electra, Marc is leading the charge in developing hybrid-electric Ultra Short aircraft to define the next level of seamless air travel connectivity. Through direct aviation, Electra is bringing air travel closer to where people live, work, and play - without airports, emissions, or noise. Marc joined Electra after a distinguished career at The Boeing Company, where he held several key leadership roles, including Chief Strategy Officer and Senior Vice President for Strategy and Corporate Development. He led the $5 billion customer finance business before spending nearly a decade on Boeing's Executive Council, where he served as President of Boeing International and oversaw critical enterprise-wide functions. As head of all venture businesses, he led Wisk Aero's restructuring and full acquisition, focusing on the future of autonomous flight and serving as Chairman. Other roles at Boeing included President of the Embraer Partnership, President of Boeing China, and General Counsel of Boeing International. To learn more, go to http://electra.aero/ or connect with Marc on LinkedIn.
Host Bio:
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.
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!
Thursday Oct 23, 2025
Thursday Oct 23, 2025
The new space race is beginning; It’s not just between nations, but between commercial giants, shadow governments, and emerging players staking claims to orbits that are becoming dangerously crowded. The world is entering an era where control of the orbits will define global power.
What’s fueling this revolution isn’t just rocket science. It’s economic scale, exotic propellants, and a surge in miniaturized, high-functioning satellites. But with this explosion comes risk: orbital debris fields, collisions that could cripple constellations, and the looming specter of space warfare.
In this replay episode, Tory Bruno, CEO of United Launch Alliance—the man behind one of the most ambitious launch companies—joins me on The Aerospace Executive Podcast. He brings unparalleled insight into what’s next in space—from transforming ULA away from the use of Russian engines to pioneering modular rockets designed for both commercial and defense missions, he has done it all!
We cover the radical shifts reshaping orbital real estate, why small launch companies are failing despite demand, and why directed energy weapons in space might be the future of global defense.
You’ll also learn:
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Why the true space cost revolution isn’t in launch, but in satellite architecture
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The hard truth about the “300% drop in launch prices” myth
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How mini satellites are creating billion-dollar constellations and traffic jams in orbit
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The quiet arms race: Anti-satellite weapons, Kessler syndrome, and debris fields that could end entire constellations
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Why lasers may be the only real answer to hypersonic threats
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Why methane propulsion is suddenly viable and what finally cracked the code
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Why the biggest competitive edge isn’t rockets, it’s people
Guest Bio
Tory Bruno is the President and CEO of United Launch Alliance (ULA), the largest rocket launch company in the world. Since taking the helm in August 2014, he has led ULA through a transformative era, retiring legacy systems, developing the next-generation Vulcan rocket, and expanding the company’s commercial and national security portfolio. Before ULA, Tory spent over three decades at Lockheed Martin, where he began his career as a propulsion engineer and steadily rose through the ranks to become a senior executive. He has deep expertise in advanced propulsion, hypersonics, missile defense, and launch systems, and is widely recognized as one of the aerospace industry’s most accomplished and forward-thinking leaders. Connect with Tory 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.
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!
Thursday Oct 09, 2025
Thursday Oct 09, 2025
Most people think valuations come down to simple formulas: EBITDA multiples, discounted cash flows, and comps. The reality in aerospace and defense is far more complex.
That’s the reason so many owners and even investors misunderstand how acquisitions actually work in this industry.
The truth is, not every buyer values the same business the same way. A small private buyer focuses on what they can finance. A mid-sized family-owned firm is driven by IRR and payback ratios.
Large public companies move based on stock price and accretion. And private equity? Despite having the cash, they often find themselves at a disadvantage, outbid, or outmaneuvered by buyers who can leverage existing capacity, sales teams, and operating talent.
That’s also why talent is one of the most overlooked yet critical pieces of any deal. The quality of management, the depth of customer relationships, and even succession planning can add or strip away millions from a sale price.
In this episode, sell-side banker Bill Alderman returns for his quarterly M&A check-in. We break down the five buyer mindsets that actually drive valuation, and how management succession becomes the most valuable “intellectual property” in a deal.
You’ll also learn:
- The five buyer archetypes, and how each one calculates value differently
Why “financeability” sets the floor and “EPS accretion” sets the ceiling
The critical role of management teams and succession planning in deal pricing - How strategic buyers use capacity, salesforce, and cost absorption to outbid private equity
- Why valuation isn’t just math, it’s psychology, timing, and leverage
- What today’s seller-friendly market means for owners looking to exit in the next 12–24 months
Guest Bio
William H. Alderman (Bill) is the Founding Partner of Alderman & Company. Bill is an M&A specialist in the middle market of the aerospace and defense industry with over $2 billion in mergers and acquisition-related transactions to his name. Prior to founding Alderman & Company in 2001, Bill worked for 15 years on Wall Street and in the Aerospace & Defense Industry, principally on M&A transactions in the middle market. His employers included BT Securities, Fieldstone, and General Electric. Bill is a Securities Principal registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and has four securities industry licenses (Series 7, 24, 63, and 65). Bill is a commercial pilot and owns and operates a Cirrus SR22.
- URL Link: https://www.aldermanco.com/
- LinkedIn - William Alderman https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamalderman/
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.
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!
Thursday Sep 25, 2025
Thursday Sep 25, 2025
In today’s private equity landscape, the CFO role has become one of the most difficult and misunderstood jobs in the business world. Everybody thinks it’s about reporting numbers, tracking financials, and cutting costs.
But in reality, being a PE-backed CFO means living at the intersection of cash obsession, strategy, and leadership, while managing more stakeholders than anyone else in the C-suite.
Too many CFOs still act like historians, closing the books weeks late and delivering rearview-mirror data. Meanwhile, companies are flying blind, making decisions without visibility into the most critical factor: cash flow. With leverage levels higher than ever and private equity funds demanding fast exits, that blind spot isn’t just dangerous, it’s fatal.
That’s why the best private equity CFOs don’t just manage numbers.
They manage people, processes, and partners. They accelerate closes, implement real-time reporting, and educate leadership teams on how every decision hits the cash cycle.
One of the best at articulating this reality is my guest, Bob Gold. Bob has been CFO at public companies, private firms, and multiple private equity-backed businesses.
What are the biggest financial challenges in private equity, and why are they so common? How can CEOs set their CFOs up for success?
In this episode, Bob and I break down what it really takes to succeed as a CFO in private equity, from managing cash and banking relationships to designing the right KPIs and building a team you can trust.
You’ll also learn:
- Why the first 90 days of a CFO’s tenure should be focused on cash and team assessment
- How extending customer terms or delaying closes can quietly destroy a business
- Why private equity’s reluctance to invest in technology creates hidden risks
- The difference between “knowledge” and “intellect” and why holding onto knowledge can sink a finance team
- How great CFOs educate divisional leaders on the financial impact of their decisions
- Why operating on “two clocks” is the real PE playbook
- What it takes to build a true CEO–CFO partnership that drives both strategy and execution
Guest Bio
Bob Gold is a CFO, operating partner, transformation expert, treasury and turnarounds specialist. He is a leader and finance executive with a track record of matching execution with strategy to drive improved results in global organizations. Bob led three private equity portfolio companies through successful exits. His industry expertise includes Industrial B2B, Defense Government Contracting, Defense Electronics, and Consumer Products. Bob is a key “influencer” using fact-based data and superior communication skills to drive business and financial strategy. He’s recognized for building highly responsive finance teams and leading process improvements supporting rapid growth and organizational change in complex international companies. As a CFO, Bob has transformed complacent finance organizations into business partners that are a sought-after resource and advisor to internal business partners. Connect with Bob 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.
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!
Thursday Sep 04, 2025
Thursday Sep 04, 2025
In the defense industrial base, everyone knows the primes dominate the big programs, but that leaves a huge gap in the middle.
Startups don’t scale, the primes can’t move fast, and decades of consolidation have hollowed out the space in between.
For years, everyone has recognized this gap, but no one has really solved it. The primes are getting bigger, the small innovators get attention but struggle to scale, and the middle tier keeps shrinking.
Meanwhile, the need for companies that can deliver speed, value, and scale has only grown more urgent.
That’s starting to change. A new class of “next-gen primes” is emerging, companies that can think like small disruptors but deliver like established contractors. They’re leaner, faster, and built for the kind of problems the bigs won’t touch.
One of the leaders of this movement is John Albers, retired Marine Colonel and now CEO of Albers Aerospace. After diving into entrepreneurship, he became a voracious student of business and started building what he calls a next-gen prime.
In less than a decade, he’s grown Albers Aerospace into a nine-site operation by combining organic growth, acquisitions, and a relentless focus on lean execution and leadership development.
In this episode, John shares how Albers Aerospace is reshaping the defense industrial base, what it really takes to scale in this space, and why leadership culture, not technology alone, drives speed and impact.
You’ll also learn:
- How Albers Aerospace scaled from a one-man shop to 9 sites through a mix of organic growth and acquisitions
- Why humility and getting your “rear end kicked” is often the most important leadership lesson
How over-consolidation at the top has created a roll-up opportunity for mid-tier defense companies - Why financial literacy and leadership training are as important as operations in a fast-growing business
- Why speed, lean execution, and value, not allowable costs, win contracts in today’s environment
- How John thinks about building impact for the warfighter and the industrial base, not just chasing dollars
Guest Bio
John Albers is the founder and CEO of Albers Aerospace, a Dallas-area defense and aerospace company organized into three business units. Since its founding in 2015, Albers Aerospace has grown rapidly through acquisitions and organic expansion, delivering innovative products and services to today’s warfighter. A retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel with 24 years of active duty, John served as a fleet pilot, flight instructor, and developmental test pilot. As an entrepreneur and senior executive, John brings more than 35 years of leadership and operational experience across defense acquisition and private industry. He thrives in fast-paced environments, excels at building and aligning teams, and is deeply committed to developing people while driving organizational growth. Visit https://www.albers.aero/ and connect with John 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.
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!
Thursday Aug 28, 2025
Thursday Aug 28, 2025
In aerospace and defense, every breakthrough is built on material science.
From the alloys powering jet engines to the composites shielding spacecraft, innovation isn’t just about design—it’s about what the machines are made of.
Yet the way we discover and scale new materials hasn’t meaningfully changed in more than a century.
Research cycles drag on for decades, costs skyrocket, and supply chains remain fragile.
Meanwhile, other nations have poured resources into material science—developing advanced alloys, stockpiling rare earths, and in many ways, weaponizing the periodic table.
That leaves the U.S. and its allies with a hard question: how do you compete with adversaries accelerating discovery while you’re trapped in outdated cycles? The future of hypersonics, space defense, and even energy security depends on faster, smarter breakthroughs in material science.
That’s where Joseph Krause and Radical AI come in. The New York–based startup is combining AI, autonomy, and materials expertise to compress R&D timelines from years to weeks—and slash costs along the way.
In this episode, Joseph shares how a cold call to a VC led to the founding of Radical AI, why aerospace innovation is fundamentally a materials problem, and what’s at stake in a world where control of supply chains may decide the balance of power.
You’ll learn:
- How Radical AI’s “materials flywheel” is redefining discovery and deployment
- Why rare earths and advanced alloys are now a geopolitical flashpoint
- What it takes to build a deep-tech culture driven by speed and mission
- Joseph’s journey from PhD researcher to founder—and how it could reshape the future of defense and space
Guest Bio
Joseph Krause is the co-founder and CEO of Radical AI. Radical AI is reinventing the way materials science is done and designing new materials for the world’s needs. Harnessing the most advanced AI discovery engine and full-scale laboratory automation, they’re pioneering a bold new era of innovation, accelerating the development of materials that transform human development. Radical AI is made up of a world-class group of materials scientists, physicists, engineers, and entrepreneurs. Visit https://www.radical-ai.com/, email joseph@radical-ai.com, or connect with him 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.
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Thursday Aug 21, 2025
Thursday Aug 21, 2025
In aviation, the most transformative breakthroughs often take place far above the commercial flight lanes, and far below the public radar.
But in today’s defense and aerospace economy, those breakthroughs are harder than ever for small companies to bring to life.
Government budgets overwhelmingly favor the largest primes. Smaller, more agile innovators are forced to bankroll their own R&D while competing against firms with deeper pockets, stronger political clout, and guaranteed contracts.
Venture-style “build-to-flip” incentives tempt some to chase quick exits over long-term quality. Even when technology works, commercial adoption can stall as customers demand bespoke designs for each use case.
Swift Engineering’s record-breaking high-altitude glider is one such breakthrough fighting its way through that gauntlet.
Designed to fly at 67,000 feet for days at a time, this ultra-light, solar-powered aircraft can do what satellites can’t: hold a fixed position, deliver real-time intelligence, and land on a runway. At just 1% of the cost.
For Hamed Khalkhali, Swift’s president, the innovation story isn’t just about engineering excellence. It’s about surviving and thriving in a system that often seems built for incumbents.
In this conversation, he unpacks the strategic, funding, and talent challenges that determine which companies survive in the next wave of aerospace innovation.
You’ll also learn:
- High-altitude, solar UAV that outperforms satellites at 1% of the cost.
- Why system integration is aerospace’s next frontier.
- The funding squeeze forcing small firms to self-finance R&D.
- The “moral accuracy” gap shaping U.S. drone strategy.
- How fresh grads can drive bigger breakthroughs than veterans.
- Keeping start-up creativity alive in bigger organizations.
Guest Bio
Hamed Khalkhali is the President of Swift Engineering and an adjunct professor at Cal Poly Pomona, with more than 25 years of experience spanning technical innovation, leadership, and cross-disciplinary communication. He brings over a decade of expertise in system-level design for Fly-by-Wire flight control systems with the highest safety standards (FDAL-A), along with deep knowledge of ARP-4752, DO-160, and DO-178 certification processes. Throughout his career, Hamed has led high-performance engineering organizations, managing teams across mechanical, electrical, verification and validation, manufacturing, AI, machine learning, quality control, supply chain, and R&D. He is known for integrating manufacturing engineering into the earliest stages of design, optimizing products through rigorous processes such as Six Sigma, Lean, Kaizen, and design-for-manufacturability. His leadership approach blends technical precision with a focus on systems integration, efficiency, and innovation in both aerospace and defense. Connect with Hamed 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.
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!