
Tom Vice

Matthew Mejía

Dr. Richard Tracy

Doug Coleman

Steve Berroth

Lisa Holden

Kristi Finney

Matthew Gionta

Matt Cram

Randy Griffith

Bissell Smith

Alex Egeler

Scott Kalister

Hal Martin

Tim Fagan

Cathy Rice

Dr. Peter Sturdza

Matthew Clarke

Chris Leger

Michael Hinderberger

Richard Johnson

Tom Vice
Chairman, President & Chief Executive Officer
Tom retired from Northrop Grumman after nearly 31 distinguished years of service with the company. He served as President of its Aerospace Systems sector, overseeing an $11 billion global advanced technology business with 23,000 employees. Aerospace Systems is a pioneer in space-based observatories, satellites, fully autonomous systems, combat aircraft, high-powered lasers, and microelectronics.
Previously, Tom was President of Northrop Grumman’s Technical Services sector, a leader in integrated logistics and modernization, defense and government services, and training solutions, with more than 19,500 employees in 300 locations in all 50 states and 29 countries.
Tom joined Northrop Grumman in 1986 as an engineer on the B-2 Stealth Bomber. Over the span of his career, he led nearly every aspect of the business: strategy, engineering, program management, advanced programs and technology, manufacturing and operations, supply chain management, business development, and information technology.
Tom earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California.
He has completed numerous advanced management programs including MIT’s Corporate Strategy; Northwestern’s Value Creation through M&A; Caltech’s Management of Technology and Innovation; Caltech’s Strategic Marketing of Technology Products; UCLA’s Executive Marketing; and Defense Acquisition University’s Advanced Program Management course.
Tom serves on the board of directors of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA); the board of governors of the Aerospace Industries Associations (AIA); the board of directors of Local Motors Industries, a technology-enabled manufacturer focus on mobility products; the board of councilors for USC’s Viterbi School of Engineering; the board of advisors for Purdue University’s School of Astronautics and Aeronautics; and previously served on the board of governors for the USO; the board of trustees for the Florida Institute of Technology; and the board of Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.Tom is the recipient of the 2016 Daniel J. Epstein Engineering Management Award from the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering. The Engineering Management Award was founded in 1978 to recognize industry leaders who have made lasting contributions to science and engineering through exemplary professional accomplishments and contributions to the field of engineering management.
Tom and his wife, Kim, have been married for 33 years and have two daughters, Shannon and Hailey.

Matthew Mejía
Chief Financial Officer & EVP Strategy and Investor Relations

Dr. Richard Tracy
Founder, Chief Technology Officer & EVP Technology and Advanced Programs
He formed the ASSET Group in 1991, and later Asset Research Corp., to commercialize development of civil supersonic technology. Asset Research Corp. became Aerion Corporation in 2003.
He has worked on a number of classified defense programs and civil aircraft development and certification projects, including the single stage to orbit X-30 and the Northrop Grumman “Global Hawk.” As chief engineer for Bill Lear’s LearAvia in the 1970s, he led the advanced design of the LearStar 600, which was later developed as the Canadair CL- 600 Challenger. He initiated the design of the carbon composite Lear Fan and led the development effort on that aircraft through its successful first flight.
Richard holds B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. degrees from Caltech, the latter in hypersonic aerodynamics, which he earned in 1964. He attended the Brussels-based NATO Von Karman Institute in 1959-60 as the General Motors Fellow and was awarded the Von Karman Prize for his thesis on heat transfer in separated supersonic flows.

Doug Coleman
General Counsel & EVP Governance and Compliance
Doug brings extensive experience in commercial and corporate law, intellectual property, and compliance in the aerospace and defense industry. He joins Aerion from Spirit Aerosystems in Wichita, where he served as Deputy General Counsel of the $7.2 billion aerostructures manufacturer. Previously, Doug served in a variety of legal positions at BAE Systems, a global defense, aerospace and security company; Curtiss-Wright Corporation; and the U.S. Department of Justice, where he was a trial attorney in the Aviation & Admiralty Section.
Doug received his Juris Doctor degree from the Dickinson School of Law at Penn State University and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences at the University of North Dakota. His passion for aviation extends to his personal interests as a licensed commercial pilot and Certified Flight Instructor.

Steve Berroth
Chief Operating Officer & EVP of Programs

Lisa Holden
Chief Human Resources Officer & EVP Culture and Talent
Since joining Aerion, Lisa has worked to craft an integrated and complete human resources architecture that will effectively and efficiently serve the company as it grows. She oversees the corporate direction and strategy for managing Aerion’s workforce nationwide, including organizational design, talent acquisition, leadership development, talent optimization and retention, recognition, compensation and benefits, and compliance.
Prior to joining Aerion, Lisa served as the Director of People for The Spaceship Company, the manufacturing division of Virgin Galactic, where her focus on strategic recruiting and leadership coaching allowed the company to successfully double in headcount six times.
She spent nearly a decade in the health care industry at Anthem and MED3000, a subsidiary of McKesson. There she led efforts to develop and reinforce a successful corporate culture, improve employee engagement, cultivate leadership skills, and drive operational efficiencies. Lisa has extensive experience in leading organizational transformations, driving large-scale change, delivering improved cycle times and satisfaction results and building a world-class human resources team.
Lisa holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from California State University, Long Beach, focusing on industrial/organizational psychology. She is also certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources(SPHR) by the Society of Human Resource Management.

Kristi Finney
Chief of Staff
Previously, Kristi operated as Tom’s Executive Assistant in addition to her position as Manager of Administration and Special Projects. She advised and offered business support to C-Suite Executives as well as managed the daily operations, often implementing administrative solutions to address and evolve the business so it remained relevant in a rapidly changing environment.
Upon joining Aerion in 2008, Kristi utilized her previous experience in executive support, recruiting, human resources, sales management and marketing to assist in those same areas of the business.
Kristi holds a Bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in sociology from the University of California Davis

Matthew Gionta
VP, Design & Engineering
Joining ICON Aircraft in 2007 as the company's first CTO and VP Engineering, he was charged with establishing the engineering department and designing the ICON A5 amphibious sport aircraft - going from building Proof of Concept A5 first part to flight in just 6 months meeting the FAA Part 23 Spin Resistance standard.
As the Vice President, Design & Engineering at Aerion he is putting his experience and talents into overseeing the development of the AS2 supersonic jet.

Matt Cram
Chief Sustainability Officer & Chief Commercial Officer

Randy Griffith
VP, Airworthiness & Certification
His previous experience includes new product development, production introduction, and support for in-service aircraft.
Randy has an extensive background in Type Certification, including involvement with regulatory development and implementation, managing unique and complex projects requiring development of novel compliance approaches, and in various new/startup companies and organizations which he now incorporates at Aerion in development of the AS2 supersonic business jet.

Bissell Smith
Chief Information Officer & EVP Enterprise Systems
Bissell brings to our team more than three decades of experience at Northrop Grumman in enterprise systems (IT, PLM, and ERP) implementations, advanced manufacturing technology and automation, data science and analytics, integrated digital environments (Model Based Enterprise, Digital Thread/Twin) and the implementation of innovative new operating models to improve program execution. Bissell also brings strong financial management and strategic planning experience to our team. Bissell previously served as the Chairman of SAP’s Aerospace & Defense Executive Advisory Council.
Bissell holds a Bachelor of Science degree in management and political science from Marquette University; a Master of Business Administration degree in corporate finance from the University of Texas at Arlington; a Master of Arts Degree in conflict management and dispute resolution from Southern Methodist University; and a Computer Engineering Certification in Client Server Computing for the University of California Irvine.

Alex Egeler
EVP, Aerion Technologies
Prior to Aerion, Alex worked as a systems engineer innovating new performance analysis capabilities at Northrop Grumman in their Marine Systems division. He has a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Johns Hopkins University, and an M.S. in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering from Stanford.

Scott Kalister
VP, Worldwide Support & Logistics
Scott previously served as Senior Vice President of Customer Support and Services for Embraer Executive Jets, prior to joining Aerion. Scott established the Embraer Executive Jets customer support organization in 2001 and led it to top ranked status. Previously, he served 23 years with Raytheon Aircraft Company, including as Vice President of International Sales, Vice President of Marketing, and Vice President of Customer Support.
Scott has a bachelor's degree in finance and economics, as well as an MBA from Oklahoma State University.

Hal Martin
VP, Global Supply Chain
Since joining Aerion, Hal has been leading the team building an expanding network of the most prominent names in aerospace suppliers to support the development of the new AS2 supersonic business jet which begins manufacturing at Aerion Park, Florida in 2023.
Prior to joining Aerion, Hal forged an established background in managing supplier networks for complex, large-scale aerospace programs. Hal joined Aerion from Aerojet Rocketdyne where he served as Vice President, Supply Chain Material Management. Prior to that position he was Vice President of Operations and Supply Chain, Avionics & Satcom for Cobham Aerospace and Defense. He has also served as Vice President Integrated Supply Chain at Honeywell Engines, Systems and Services.
Hal holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Baltimore.

Tim Fagan
Head of Industrial Design & Cabin Experience
Since joining Aerion, Tim has been leading the team developing the interior design and user experience of the new AS2 supersonic business jet ahead of manufacturing start at Aerion Park, Florida in 2023. Tim and his team will curate a unique blend of visionary technologies and traditional craftsmanship to set a new standard in business jet cabin comfort for the AS2.
Prior to joining Aerion, Tim became widely recognized as a leading expert in aviation industrial design and an innovator in aircraft interior development. He brings extensive experience in product development with projects that include leadership roles in the industrial design of the Bombardier Global 7500 interior and the Bombardier Global 5000 & Global 6000 Premier Cabin. Tim also led industrial design activity for the Bombardier Vision Flight Deck, the Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 interior and the 2010 Olympic Torch as well as holding several positions in customer-facing roles in business jet completion.
Tim holds a bachelor’s degree in industrial design from Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada.

Cathy Rice
SVP, Business Management

Dr. Peter Sturdza
VP, FLIGHT SCIENCES
As part of his PhD thesis, Peter laid the foundation for what became Aerion’s proprietary boundary layer transition software. By predicting the transition from laminar air flow around a wing to turbulent airflow, Aerion has demonstrated supersonic wing performance with over 80 percent natural laminar flow—all the way aft to the hinge line for flaps and ailerons. This breakthrough work has become the core enabling technology for the Aerion AS2 supersonic jet.
Peter earned a B.S. in Engineering and Applied Science from the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), and both Master’s and PhD degrees in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford. He has worked on advanced design programs at Harvard University, Caltech, and Bell Helicopter. Peter is a passionate aviator and FAA-certificated flight instructor.

Matthew Clarke
SVP, Global Marketing & Communications

Chris Leger
Director of Structures
Holding a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at Arlington and having graduated with his Bachelor of Science in Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering, Chris is putting his talents and expertise into bringing the world’s first supersonic business jet to market.

Michael Hinderberger
SVP, Chief Engineer
He has a broad background in engineering, operations, and program management with more than 25 years of experience leading development programs as well as established production and engineering organizations.
He holds a Master’s Degree in Technical Management, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering.

Richard Johnson
VP, Chief Systems Engineer
He began as an Aircraft Structural Engineer at Lockheed before spending 29 years at Gulfstream Aerospace where he was in Engineering Management and Vice President, Chief Scientist. He then became the President of D3 Technologies and soon after joined Aerion.
Richard holds a Bachelor's of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Cincinnati.