The Aerospace Executive Podcast Podcast Por Craig Picken arte de portada

The Aerospace Executive Podcast

The Aerospace Executive Podcast

De: Craig Picken
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How Top Aerospace Executives Set the Vision, Grow Their Business & Develop TalentCopyright 2018 All rights reserved. Economía Política y Gobierno
Episodios
  • Want Long-Term Career Relevance? Rebrand Don’t Reinvent w/ Matt Johnson

    Want Long-Term Career Relevance? Rebrand Don’t Reinvent w/ Matt Johnson
    Apr 16 2026

    Listening to 70s Southern rock, you can’t help but notice how easily it could fit into today’s rotation. Then you look at something like Hyrox. It shows up as new, but it’s actually CrossFit, same foundation, different packaging.

    Nothing changed. They’re just being branded differently.

    And that pattern shows up in careers. The things that actually last don’t change that much. They just get reintroduced in a way people are ready to hear again.

    Right now, everything feels like it’s speeding up: AI, tools, new roles, constant noise about what’s coming next. And it pushes people into this mindset of “I need to keep up… I need to add more… I need to figure out the next thing.”

    But that’s not what holds up over time. Underneath all the noise, the same things still drive value.

    So how do you stay relevant when everything around you keeps changing? What fundamental career skills actually hold up over time?

    In this episode, my producer Matt Johnson joins me to talk about how to stay relevant in a world that feels like it’s moving faster than ever, why fundamentals still win, and what separates the people who adapt from the ones who get left behind.

    You’ll also learn;

    • Why rebranding, not reinvention, is what keeps ideas (and careers) relevant
    • How AI is exposing gaps in real expertise, not replacing it
    • Why depth in fundamentals beats chasing new tools every time
    • The growing disconnect between big-company experience and smaller, high-impact environments
    • Why ambiguity is becoming a requirement, not a preference
    • What it actually means to “move the needle” inside a business
    • Why 80% of the right hire + strong systems beats waiting for perfect talent
    • How to use AI as a thinking partner instead of a shortcut
    • The role of networks and exposure in staying relevant long-term

    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/.

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    22 m
  • Defense Acquisition Has Changed...Here’s How to Win Contracts Today w/ Gemo Yesil [REPLAY]

    Defense Acquisition Has Changed...Here’s How to Win Contracts Today w/ Gemo Yesil [REPLAY]
    Mar 26 2026
    Today’s defense landscape is chaotic and fast-moving. Drones, AI, autonomy, and cyber threats are reshaping how wars are fought…and how the Pentagon spends. For companies and CEOs, the barrier to entry has never been lower. Any startup with a pitch deck and some funding can say they're in “defense.” But actually succeeding in this market? That’s never been harder. Small businesses get lost in red tape, big businesses lose their edge chasing shiny objects. Most companies looking to break into the defense space still pitch like it’s 2005, leading with tech specs, chasing every shiny RFP, and assuming that great engineering sells itself. It doesn’t…not in today’s environment. So what’s the right strategy in this market? How do companies set themselves up to win? In this episode, I sit down with Gemo Yesil, founder and managing partner of Bastion Atlas, to unpack why so many well-funded startups, savvy CEOs, and legacy contractors are falling flat, and what it really takes to win in today’s high-stakes, high-complexity market. Gemo knows the DoD world inside and out. An MIT-trained aerospace engineer, Air Force veteran, and founder of a fast-scaling fractional BD firm, he’s seen firsthand how companies of all sizes struggle with the same fundamental issue: a lack of clear, executable strategy. Gemo explains how defense acquisition has evolved from lumbering legacy programs to fast-moving, software-driven warfare. He shares why the real differentiator today isn’t tech specs or connections, it’s clarity: about your market, your business model, and what “good” defense revenue actually looks like. You’ll also learn; The biggest misconceptions companies have when trying to sell to the DoDWhy most “strategies” aren’t really strategies and how to create one that’s tangible and repeatable What it actually means to define “good business” in the defense sectorThe risks of chasing large contracts that don’t align with your long-term goalsHow Bastion Atlas approaches fractional business development and executionWhy understanding the DoD’s operational context is key to communicating product value The growing shift toward treating AI and software as major weapon systemsWhy traditional consulting is fading and how fractional BD is becoming the new modelHow to win with process, patience, and a long-term perspective Guest Bio Gemo Yesil is a combat veteran, aerospace engineer and founder and principal at Bastion Atlas. He is a Global Defense Business Development executive with 20 years of experience, and a dual-rated U.S. Air Force pilot, who has flown Combat Rescue helicopters and Tactical Airlift jets in Iraq, Afghanistan, Africa, and South America. After managing Fortune 500 engineering teams on multiple $2B+ programs at Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin and scaling his EdTech startup nationally, Gemo has served as CMC Electronics' Global Sales & Strategy Director, Gecko Robotics' Head of Defense Business Development, and HABCO Industries’ VP of Sales & Marketing. He launched Bastion Atlas in 2024 to assemble a team of revenue growth experts and scale their impact across the global Aerospace & Defense industry. Gemo remains proudly connected to his alma mater (MIT), retains an active security clearance, and — as a personal passion — continues to manage national STEM Education initiatives. To learn more, visit https://www.bastionatlas.com/ and connect with Gemo in 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!
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    36 m
  • Inside FDH Aero’s Billion-Dollar Distribution Strategy w/ Ian Walsh

    Inside FDH Aero’s Billion-Dollar Distribution Strategy w/ Ian Walsh
    Mar 19 2026
    Most people think the aerospace supply chain is crawling back to normal after the pandemic. But that’s not what’s happening. The industry is scaling in a permanently elevated demand environment. Commercial aviation is rebuilding. Defense budgets are structurally higher. New platforms like EVTOL, drones, hypersonics, and space are moving into production. This isn’t a strain; it’s a structural transformation. And in a world obsessed with engines and airframes, the real leverage sits in the smallest parts. At the same time, complexity is rising. Aircraft are lighter, more electronic, and more integrated. Tolerances are tighter, and the margin for error is gone. This is where FDH Aero comes in: distribution reimagined as a strategic capability. In a high-velocity, high-complexity market, reliability becomes a strategy. How is FDH embedding itself within OEM production lines while operating under private-equity intensity? And what kind of leadership does that require? In this episode, I’m joined by the CEO of FDH Aero, Ian Walsh. We unpack how FDH Aero scaled to a billion dollars by mastering the parts that make flight possible. We also discuss why the next decade of aerospace growth may be less about building more airplanes and more about controlling the hardware layer beneath them. You’ll also learn: Why aerospace supply chains aren’t “recovering”; they’re structurally transformingHow a single missing bolt can shut down a billion-dollar production lineWhy distribution is becoming a strategic layer, not just a transactional oneThe difference between organic growth and inorganic scale in a fragmented supply baseHow private equity is accelerating consolidation in aerospace and defenseWhy value creation in PE is about process discipline, not short-term spikesThe leadership shift required when moving from public OEMs to PE-backed companiesWhy smaller, lighter, more electronic platforms will reshape parts demandWhere the real upside sits: commercial, defense, business aviation, or emerging platformsHow embedding into product development cycles creates long-term supply chain “stickiness.”The mindset difference between statistical improvement and “luck wrapped in chaos.” About the Guest Ian Walsh is the CEO of FDH Aero. He brings over 35 years of executive leadership across the U.S. Marine Corps, commercial and general aviation, defense, and industrial end markets to FDH. Most recently, Walsh served as Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Kaman Aerospace Corporation, a provider of highly engineered components and subsystems to commercial aviation, aerospace, defense, and medical end-markets. At Kaman, Walsh led the evolution of the global company into customer-centric operating segments. Before that, Walsh was COO at REV Group, Inc., a provider of specialty vehicles and related aftermarket parts, and spent more than 15 years in operational and P&L leadership at Textron, Inc. At both companies, Walsh drove new product development and process optimization. Earlier in his career, he served as an officer and naval aviator in the U.S. Marine Corps with combat tours in Somalia, Haiti, and Bosnia. He is a certified Six Sigma Black Belt in operations and continuous improvement. Connect with Ian 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. 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. For more aerospace industry news & commentary: https://craigpicken.com/insights/. To learn more about Craig Picken, visit https://craigpicken.com/.
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    39 m
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