Decision Makers
Board of Directors
Timothy E. Conver has served as our President since 1991, as our Chief Executive Officer since 1993, and as a member of our board of directors since 1988. Prior to joining AeroVironment, Mr. Conver served as President of Whittaker Electronic Resources, a supplier of engineered products for military electronics and industrial instrumentation, for ten years. Mr. Conver is a graduate of the University of Montana and has an M.B.A. from the University of California, Los Angeles.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
President, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of The Board of Directors |
Current |
| A&V Company |
Av President and Chief Executive Officer |
Current |
| Is Student Assoc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Whittaker Controls, Inc. |
Executive Vice President |
Former |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Former |
| University of California, Los Angeles |
M.B.A. |
Former |
| University of Montana |
BS In Business Administration |
Former |
Stephen C. Wright has served as our Vice President of Finance, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary since September 2002. Prior to joining us, Mr. Wright served as the Senior Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer of L-3 PrimeWave Communications, a fixed wireless equipment provider, from January 2002 to August 2002 and as the Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Cellotape, a hi-tech component and label manufacturer, from May 2001 to November 2001. Prior to joining Cellotape, Mr. Wright also served as the Chief Financial Officer of both Adicom Wireless, a fixed wireless equipment provider, and Globalstar L.P., a wireless telecom service provider. Mr. Wright has a B.S. in business from California State University Northridge and an M.B.A. from San Diego State University.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Vice President of Finance, Chief Financial Officer and Secretary |
Current |
| A&V Company |
Chief Financial Officer |
Current |
| Globalstar L.P. |
Chief Financial Officer |
Former |
| Cellotape Inc. |
Cfo |
Former |
| San Diego State University |
MBA |
Former |
| California State University Northridge |
BS In Business |
Former |
Cathleen S. Cline has served as our Vice President of Administration since 1992. Prior to joining us, Ms. Cline was the Human Resources Manager at both Whittaker Electronic Resources and the law firm of O’Melveny & Myers LLP. Ms. Cline has a B.S. in psychology and a B.S. in business management from the University of Oregon.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Vice President of Administration |
Current |
| University of Oregon |
B.S. Degrees In Psychology and Business Management |
Former |
| University of Oregon |
B.S. Degrees In Psychology and Business Management |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Vice President, Admin |
Current |
Ilker "Ike" Bayraktar has served as our Vice President of International Business Development since 2002, and joined AV in 1992. He previously held a variety of positions in engineering and management with Southern California Edison, RD&G (Research Decision Support Group), IWT (International Weapons Technology), the Whittaker Corporation, the U.S. Navy, and the Turkish Navy. He graduated from the Turkish Naval Academy in 1976 with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering, and from the U.S. Naval Post Graduate School with a B.S. in Electrical Engineering and then an M.S. in Electrical Engineering in 1982.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| A&V Company |
Vice President of International Business Development |
Current |
| International Business Development |
Vice President |
Current |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Vice President of International Business Development |
Current |
| Whittaker Corporation |
|
Former |
| U.S. Navy |
|
Former |
| Naval Postgraduate School |
B.S. In Mechanical Engineering, and |
Former |
Joe joined AV in 1996 as Chief Financial Officer and now leads the Energy Technology Center and the Technology Initiatives group. Prior to his employment with AV he was the Controller at Space Systems Loral (SS/L) for five years. He graduated from Hofstra University in 1972 with a B.S. in Economics and in 1976 received an M.B.A. from Fairleigh Dickinson University.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Technology Center, Inc. |
Chief Financial Officer |
Current |
| A&V Company |
Vice President, Energy Technology Center and Technology Initiatives |
Current |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Vice President, Energy Technology Center and Technology Initiatives |
Current |
| Space Systems/Loral, Inc. |
Controller |
Former |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Finance Executive |
Former |
| Fairleigh Dickinson University |
M.B.A. |
Former |
| Hofstra University |
B.S. In Economics |
Former |
Mike Bissonette joined AV in 2007 as Assistant General Manager of the Energy Technology Center. Prior to joining AV, Mike spent 11 years at Western Digital Corporation where he held executive level positions directing groups within Engineering, New Product Development, Product Assurance, Procurement, and Program and Product Management. He began his career as a radar systems engineer at McDonnell Douglas, and spent 17 years in the Aerospace industry, including key positions in Business Development, Strategic Planning and Program Management at Lockheed Martin (formerly Ford Aerospace). Mike earned his Bachelor's of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Clarkson University, a Masters degree in Electrical Engineering from California State University, Long Beach and a Masters degree in Business Administration from the University of California, Irvine.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Vice President and General Manager, Efficient Energy Systems |
Current |
| Avionics Magazine |
|
Current |
| Western Digital Corporation |
Senior Director of New Product Introduction Program Management |
Former |
| McDonnell Douglas Corporation |
Systems Engineer |
Former |
| University of California, Irvine |
Masters Degree In Business Administration |
Former |
| California State University |
Masters Degree In Electrical Engineering |
Former |
| Clarkson University |
Bachelor's of Science Degree In Electrical Engineering |
Former |
Pat joined AV in 2002 to lead the growing PosiCharge business. He was previously employed by H.R. Textron as General Manager of Servo, Fuel and Pneumatic Products and has held previous positions with H.R. Textron as Business Manager, Program Manager, and Sr. Project Engineer. Since joining AV, Pat has developed the PosiCharge brand into the largest provider of industrial fast charge solutions. Pat has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Kentucky and an M.B.A. from Pepperdine University.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| A&V Company |
Vice President and General Manager, Posicharge Systems |
Current |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Vice President and General Manager, Posicharge Systems |
Current |
| Posicharge |
General Manager |
Current |
| HR Textron Inc. |
General Manager |
Former |
| Pneumatic Products Corp. |
General Manager |
Former |
| Textron Inc. |
General Manager |
Former |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Business Manager |
Former |
| A&V Company |
Business Manager |
Former |
| H&R, Inc. |
Program Manager |
Former |
| Pepperdine University |
M.B.A. |
Former |
| University of Kentucky |
B.S. In Mechanical Engineering |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Executive Vice President and General Manager, Unmanned Aircraft Systems |
Current |
John F. Grabowsky joined us in April 2003, serving initially as our Director of Programs from April 2003 to March 2004, as our Vice President and General Manager, Unmanned Aircraft Systems from April 2004 to August 2006, and since September 2006 as our Executive Vice President and General Manager, Unmanned Aircraft Systems. Prior to joining us, Mr. Grabowsky served as the Vice President and General Manager of the OptoElectronics business unit of Teledyne Technologies Incorporated, a leading provider of sophisticated electronics and communications products, systems engineering solutions, and aerospace products and components, from March 2000 to April 2003. From 1997 to 2000, he served as the Vice President of Teledynea??s Broadband Communications division. Mr. Grabowsky has a B.S. in electrical engineering from Lehigh University.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Av Executive Vice President and General Manager |
Current |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Vice President and Gm |
Former |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Executive Director |
Former |
| Teledyne Corporation |
Vice President of Teledyne's Broadband Communications Division |
Former |
| Teledyne Technologies Incorporated |
Vice President |
Former |
| Teledyne Technologies Incorporated |
General Manager |
Former |
| Lehigh University |
B.S. In Electrical Engineering. |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Director, Marketing |
Current |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Director, Marketing |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Director, Americas |
Current |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Director, Americas |
Former |
Denis has strong experience in project management and product development, with proven skills in operations and maintenance of mechanical systems. He is responsible for the technical commercialization of the AquaBuoy Wave Energy converter. He brings over 20 years of experience from the Marine Engineering, Renewable Energy Independent Power Production and the Marine Energy Product Development sectors. Denis started his career as an Engineering Officer onboard Navy ships and later supervised Naval Ships construction and commissioning. As VP Operation and Maintenance for Independent Power Producers in Canada, he supervised the construction and electricity production of over 100 MW of Renewable Energy power plants (mini-hydro, biomass, biogas, and wind plants). Denis is the former Ocean Energy Program Manager for AeroVironment, where he successfully completed the first phase technical development and ocean deployment of a small scale Wave Energy Converter.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Program Manager |
Current |
Charles R. Holland has served as a member of our board of directors since May 2004. General Holland retired as Commander, Headquarters U.S. Special Operations Command in November 2003 and currently serves as an independent consultant for various entities, including as a consultant of ours since February 2004. Prior to his retirement, Mr. Holland was responsible for all special operations forces of the Army, Navy and Air Force, both active duty and reserve. Mr. Holland serves on the board of directors of General Atomics, Inc. and Protonex Technology Corporation and as an advisor to both Aerospace Integration Corp., a subsidiary of MTC Technologies, and Camber Corporation. Mr. Holland has a B.S. in aeronautical engineering from the U.S. Air Force Academy, an M.S. in business management from Troy State University (W. Germany) and an M.S. in astronautical engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Consultant |
Current |
| Camber Corporation |
Advisor |
Current |
| Camber Corporation |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| General Atomics |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Protonex Technology Corporation |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Army.Com |
|
Former |
| Troy State University |
M.S. In Business Management |
Former |
| Air Force Institute of Technology |
M.S. In Astronautical Engineering |
Former |
| United States Air Force Academy |
B.S. In Aeronautical Engineering |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Consultant |
Current |
| Solar Flight |
Photographer |
Current |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
|
Current |
| University of Massachusetts Amherst |
BA in economics |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
|
Current |
| California State University Northridge |
B.S. and M.S. in Physics |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
|
Current |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Lieberman Research Worldwide |
Founder |
Current |
| Lieberman Research Worldwide |
Chairman |
Current |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Beartree Partners, LLC |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| South Bay Chapter |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| South Bay Chapter |
Member |
Current |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Whittaker Corporation |
Chief Executive Officer |
Former |
| Epicpartners.Com |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Catellus Development Corporation |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Provant, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Whittaker Corporation |
Chairman |
Former |
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Altarum |
CEO |
Current |
| Altarum |
President |
Current |
| Gridpoint, Inc. |
Auto Industry Executive |
Current |
| Millennium Cell, Inc. |
Chair |
Current |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Enerfuel, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Enerdel, Inc. |
Director |
Current |
| Millennium Cell, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Gridpoint, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| ENER1, Inc. |
President, CEO and Member of the Board of Trustees of Altarum Institute |
Former |
| Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. |
Chief Operating Officer |
Former |
| Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. |
Vice Chairman |
Former |
| Clarkson University |
B.S. In Mechanical Engineering |
Former |
Murray Gell-Mann has served as a member of our board of directors since 1971. Dr. Gell-Mann is a Co-Founder of the Santa Fe Institute, which is devoted to the interdisciplinary study of scientific problems related to simplicity and complexity and to adaptation and evolution, where he has served as a Distinguished Fellow since 1993. Dr. Gell-Mann is a Professor Emeritus of Theoretical Physics at the California Institute of Technology, a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, a recipient of the Research Corporation Award and the Franklin Medal of the Franklin Institute and a 1969 Nobel Prize recipient for physics for his work on the theory of elementary particles. Dr. Gell-Mann is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has served on the President s Science Advisory Committee and the President s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. In addition, as one of the directors (1979 to 2002) of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, Dr. Gell-Mann helped found the World Resources Institute, which conducts policy studies on global environmental problems. Dr. Gell-Mann has a B.S. in physics from Yale University and a Ph.D. in physics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
| Organization |
Position |
Status |
| Santa Fe Institute |
Fellow & Trustee |
Current |
| Sciences, Inc |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Aerovironment, Inc. |
Board of Directors |
Current |
| Yale University |
B.S. In Physics |
Former |
Arnold L. Fishman has served as a member of our board of directors since 1998. Mr. Fishman is the Founder of Lieberman Research Worldwide, a leading market research firm in the western United States, Interviewing Service of America, a supplier of market survey services, and Location Production Services, Inc., a firm that co-produces films and arranges specialized financial transactions in Croatia. Mr. Fishman has served as the Chairman of Lieberman Research Worldwide, Interviewing Service of America and Opinionsite.com since 1979, 1983 and 1999, respectively and has been a member of Summit Selling Systems and Location Production Services, Inc. since June 2005 and 2000, respectively. Mr. Fishman has a B.S. in psychology from Brooklyn College.
Executive News