People Category: AIAA AVIATION Forum 2022

Jan C. Schilling, retired, spent his 45-year career from designing advanced engines to fielding certified or qualified engines at GE Aviation. Schilling’s career included leading the team that designed, developed, and certified the GE90-115B engine for Boeing’s 777-300ER/200LR aircraft. Schilling served as GE Aviation’s chief engineer and general manager with responsibility for product integrity, flight safety, and compliance with regulations for all fielded and development engines. He became a member of the NAE in 2013. He received the AIAA Air Breathing Propulsion award in 2015. Schilling has a B.S degree in mechanical engineering from Indiana Tech and a M.S. in aerospace engineering from the University of Cincinnati He continues to work with both institutions promoting careers in engineering.

Jeff Guzzetti is a retired aircraft accident investigator with many years of experience working for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). While serving as the director of the FAA Accident Investigation Division from 2014-2019, Guzzetti engaged in the development and assessment of corrective actions resulting from accident investigation findings. His prior experience also includes 18 years with the NTSB where he served as a systems engineering specialist, investigator-in-charge, and headquarters executive. Guzzetti also served as the Assistant Inspector General for Aviation Audits for four years at the U.S. Dept. of Transportation and led audits of FAA aviation safety programs. Guzzetti is a commercial-rated pilot and earned a B.S. in aeronautical engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He is now the president of Guzzetti Aviation Risk Discovery, LLC (GuARD), an aviation safety consulting company.

Frank Matus has over 20 years of experience establishing strategy/development initiatives for emerging air traffic management concepts and solutions in the global aviation market. As Director,

Matus leads this emerging part of the Thales Airspace Mobility Solutions business serving as a system-of-systems integrator combining sensor
technology with cloud-native, digital tools to modernize and facilitate the integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) globally.

Todd Briscoe is the Director for Advanced Product Development (APD) and Core Engineering at Spirit Aerosystems. In this capacity, he is responsible for leading a team of engineers to develop new aircraft structural configurations to support next generation aircraft. To advance the company growth strategy, the APD team also supports several new markets, such as AAM/eVTOL, supersonic jets, hyperloop transportation, and next generation commercial aircraft including blended wing body. Todd’s team also provides specialized engineering services such as Materials & Processes, Dimensional Management, Process Modeling, Certification, and Testing to development and production programs.

Todd has 36 years of aerospace engineering experience in commercial and defense aircraft, rockets and ground support equipment. He started his career at The Boeing Company in 1986 as a Structures Analyst engineer and supported several commercial and defense programs. He also spent 3 years as a structures analyst at Martin Marietta working on Titan rocket programs. After his return to The Boeing Company in 1991, he worked on many propulsion (nacelle and pylon) programs, as well as R&D projects that resulted in co-authorship of three patents. Todd also served as the R&D leader of the Integrated Structures team in Phantomworks for several years.

As a manager, Todd has led the Stress efforts to support and certify the 787 Pylon, 747-8 Nacelle, and BR725 EBU. He has been a Chief Structures Engineer, Chief MRB engineer, and the 787 Engineering Director for fuselage, pylon and wing leading edges. Additionally, he has broad international experience working with customers and suppliers around the world developing new products.

Todd has a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Oklahoma State University and a Master of Business Administration degree from Kansas Newman University.

Leads procurement operations, strategy & transformation for Airbus Americas

Mohamed Denden has been with Airbus for 13 years both in the United States and France. In his career, Mohamed has built an extensive background in the Aerospace and Defense industry including Finance, Programs and Investor Relations.

Bob Ellithorpe joined Archer in 2021 in order to participate in and contribute to a world-class team focused on making history! The vision and mission of Archer spoke to Bob as an opportunity to be part of the future of mobility for people around the world.

Bob has had an exciting and varied career in aerospace and defense working with many accomplished teams at companies including Tribus Aerospace, GKN Aerospace, PCC, Sikorsky and Bell. He has been involved in a wide variety of aspects of the industry from commercial sales and marketing, military aircraft program management, manufacturing plant general management and senior business executive. His experiences span the supply chain from tier 2 supplier of complex machined components and composite parts to tier 1 major metallic and composite assemblies to the OEM aircraft tier.  Bob has had the good fortune to work with amazingly talented and dedicated people throughout his civilian career.  Prior to working in aerospace and defense, Bob served in the United States Marine Corps as an infantry officer completing multiple deployments to the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean/Arabian Gulf.

He is married to his high school sweetheart and they have two children, one who works in the space industry and one attending graduate business school. He and his wife divide their time between CA and TX.

Mr. Roberto I. Guerrero, a member of the Senior Executive Service, is the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Operational Energy, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Energy, Installations, and Environment, Washington, D.C. Mr. Guerrero is responsible for providing oversight and direction for all matters pertaining to the formulation, review, and execution of plans, policies, and programs for the effective and efficient use of the Air Force’s $5 billion Operational Energy Bill in support of its global mission.

Mr. Guerrero earned his commission as an ensign in the Navy through Aviation Officer Candidate School in 1988 and received his wings as a Naval Aviator in 1989. He held assignments in Florida, California, Virginia and Texas, culminating his Navy career in 1999 as an Operations Officer and Flight Instructor in the T-34C.

In 2000, Mr. Guerrero was selected for interservice transfer to the Air Force. He qualified on the E-3 AWACS and held assignments in Oklahoma and Okinawa, Japan, where he commanded the 961st Airborne Air Control Squadron. He later served at the Air Force Safety Center as a Division Chief and concluded his military career as the center’s Vice Commander. During his military service, he participated in Operations DEEP FREEZE, KOREAN CONTINGENCY, NOBLE EAGLE, and flew 24 combat missions over Afghanistan during Operation ENDURING FREEDOM.

He was a Command Pilot with more than 4,100 flight hours, including more than 350 combat hours. Mr. Guerrero entered the civil service in 2010 where he served as Deputy Chief of Safety, U.S. Air Force, and Executive Director, Air Force Safety Center, Kirtland AFB, New Mexico. Following this tour of duty, he was Director of Staff, Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command, Robins AFB, Georgia.

Ronald J. Epstein is a managing director in Americas Equity Research covering Aerospace/Defense and Multi-Industrials with large aerospace components. He is based in New York and covers companies listed in the United States, Canada and Brazil. He joined Merrill Lynch in 2001.

In the Institutional Investor All-America Research poll, he was ranked as a top-three analyst in Aerospace & Defense Electronics for the last 13 years and #1 for the last seven years. He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and is also a mentor for the Techstars Space Accelerator.  He is frequently cited as an industry authority by trade and news publications and has appeared on numerous television programs.  Previously, he worked as a research scientist in applied aerodynamics technology at Boeing Phantom Works.  He was also an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, teaching fluid dynamics and control systems.

Dr. Epstein has a BA with highest honors from Skidmore College, an MBA with honors from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, and a PhD in mechanical engineering from Duke University.

Ron, his wife Catherine and their three children, Henry, Catherine and Oliver, reside in Chatham, NJ.

For more information about any awards cited, visit https://go.bofa.com/awards