People Category: Keynote

Phil Burkholder

Phil Burkholder is currently the President, Defense Programs for Rolls-Royce where he is accountable for Rolls-Royce Defense programs globally. He is also on the LibertyWorks board and is accountable to assure the business is properly positioned for the future.

Prior to this role he was President, Defense Aerospace, North America where he was accountable for the Rolls-Royce North America Defense Aerospace business.

From 2010 to 2015 he was Executive Vice President, Engineering and Technology for the Defense Sector of Rolls-Royce plc. Rolls-Royce is a global provider of defense engine products and services with 18,000 engines in service for 160 customers in over 100 countries. These engines power aircraft in all key market areas: transport, combat, reconnaissance, training, and helicopter.

From 2005 to 2010, Phil was the Chief Operating Officer of Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc., also known as LibertyWorks®, where the focus is advanced and innovative technology enabling solutions for the customer.

Mr. Burkholder joined Rolls-Royce in 1986 and moved through a series of assignments over the past 30 years: Vice President of Rolls-Royce North American Technologies, Inc., Chief Engineer of JSF F-35B Rolls-Royce STOVL, Engineering Director of Propulsion Systems for Rolls-Royce Corp., Engineering Director for Rolls-Royce Defense North America, Chief Design Engineer for the AE 3007, and Design Engineer for turbine components.

He has contributed to the propulsion system solutions for aircraft such as the V-22 Osprey, C-130J, Cessna Citation X, Embraer RJ-145, RQ-4 Global Hawk, SAAB-2000, the F-35 Lightning II, T-45 Goshawk, A400M Atlas, Harrier, Bell 407, and others. He has five patented inventions.

Mr. Burkholder graduated summa cum laude from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering. In 2006, he completed The Executive Program from the Darden Graduate School of Business Administration.

He is a chartered engineer and a Royal Aeronautical Society Fellow. He currently serves on the board for the Indiana Innovation Institute, the Central Indiana Corporate Partnership, and the RR-Purdue UTP Executive Governance Board. He served on the Virginia Tech Advisory Board for the College of Engineering 2008-2012. He is active in his community and serves on the board of his local church.

The Honorable Eric J. Holcomb

Eric J. Holcomb is the 51st Governor of Indiana.

A lifelong Hoosier, Gov. Holcomb is a veteran of the United States Navy, served as the state’s 51st Lt. Governor, was a trusted advisor to both Gov. Mitch Daniels and Sen. Dan Coats, worked for Congressman John Hostettler and is a former state chairman of the Indiana Republican Party.

He was elected governor in November 2016, following an unprecedented 106-day campaign and was sworn in on Jan. 9, 2017.

In 2018, Gov. Holcomb partnered with the Markle Foundation to launch “Skillful Indiana,” to bridge the divide between the skills Hoosiers have and the skills businesses need. Indiana is just the second state to have this program.

Under his leadership, Indiana has had two consecutive record-breaking years for job commitments. In 2018, 320 companies committed to create at least 31,000 jobs in Indiana.

Next Level Connections, a $1 billion program focused on accelerating major road projects, is focused on increasing access to high-speed, affordable internet to unserved Hoosiers, establishing more nonstop flights to and from Indiana, and committing the largest infusion of trails funding in state history.

He has a mission to increase Indiana’s competitiveness in the global economy by “bringing the world to Indiana and taking Indiana to the world.” He announced Indiana’s first-ever nonstop transatlantic flight from Indianapolis to Paris, beginning in May 2018. So far, the governor has met with officials and industry leaders in the United Kingdom, Japan, Germany, Canada, Israel, India, France, Belgium, Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, Switzerland and the Czech Republic to showcase Indiana’s assets and build global economic ties. In 2018, Holcomb was honored as the International Center’s International Citizen of the Year.

In his first legislative session as governor, he rallied bipartisan support from Indiana lawmakers to expand pre-kindergarten for qualifying Hoosier kids and unveiled Next Level Recovery—a one-stop-shop for information and resources on the state’s comprehensive and community-based effort to fight the opioid crisis. The governor was honored with the Richard M. Fairbanks Circle of Hope Award in 2019.

Gov. Holcomb is focused on moving our state forward. In his first months as governor, he led the way for the largest long-term infrastructure investment in our state’s history with the long-term, fully-funded 20-year, $60 billion Next Level Roads program.

The governor has called workforce readiness the defining issue of the decade. To meet our state’s rapidly changing workforce needs, he unveiled the Next Level Jobs program to help connect more Hoosiers to high-demand, high-wage careers. Holcomb was awarded the 2019 Mira Trailblazer Award by TechPoint for his work with the growing tech industry in Indiana. He is the former chair of Jobs for America’s Graduates and now serves on the board of directors.

He is passionate about helping incarcerated Hoosiers break cycles by learning essential job skills. The Last Mile, a program dedicated to reducing recidivism by teaching computer coding inside prisons, chose Indiana to be the first state outside of California to participate by opening a program at the Indiana Women’s Prison in 2017. It has expanded to include the Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility. The governor has introduced high-wage, high demand certificate training to prepare offenders to be successful in their communities upon release.

All of this work is underscored by Gov. Holcomb’s commitment to delivering great government service for Hoosier taxpayers. Indiana was ranked first in the nation for government efficiency by U.S. News & World Report in 2017.

Holcomb currently serves as the policy chairman of the Republican Governors Association and in 2018 was named one of ten governors shaping the future of politics by The Hill.

In an article in Governing Magazine, they said, “Indiana’s governor doesn’t scream, doesn’t threaten, and doesn’t even complain. He just wins.”

Throughout his career in service, he has earned a reputation of being a consensus builder. He travels weekly throughout the state—visiting with Hoosiers wherever he goes about how to make Indiana an even better place to live, work and play. He has earned honorary doctorate degrees from Trine University, Anderson University and Ivy Tech. A lifelong basketball fan, Gov. Holcomb has shot and made a basket in each of Indiana’s 92 counties.

The governor is a graduate of Pike High School in Indianapolis and Hanover College in southeastern Indiana where he majored in U.S. History with a focus on the American Civil War and the Reconstruction Era. He is a collector of presidential signatures and currently has documents signed by 43 of our nation’s 44 presidents, missing only the signature of George Washington.

He and his wife, Janet, live with their Miniature Schnauzer, Henry, in the Governor’s Residence on North Meridian Street in Indianapolis.

Robert Hancock

Dr. Robert Hancock is the Principal Scientist of the Turbine Engine Division of the Aerospace Systems Directorate of the Air Force Research Laboratory. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in mechanical engineering from Brigham Young University and with a doctorate in mechanical engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. He is responsible for the in-house research and development activities of the Turbine Engine Division and for R&D interactions with universities, small businesses and engine manufacturers. Dr. Hancock is an associate fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME).

Tom Vice

Tom is the Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer of Aerion Corporation. Aerion is a leader in supersonic civil aircraft and advanced design software tools and technologies.

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 than19,500 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 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.

Christopher Emerson

Chris Emerson is President of Airbus Helicopters Inc. (AHI), based in Grand Prairie, Texas, and head of the North America Region since June, 2015. Since 1969, AHI has been a leading provider with total revenues exceeding $800 million by supplying aircraft for military, law enforcement, air medical, utility/tour, and private aviation throughout the north american region. With its FAA Organization Designation Authorization (ODA) and FAA Part 145 repair station, AHI designs, manufactures, and installs supplemental type certifcates (STC) for the aviation industry.

Chris was named to the Airbus Helicopters leadership position after serving as Senior Vice President, Head of Marketing at Airbus commercial in Toulouse, France. At the helm of Marketing, he was charged with demonstrating the competitive value and benefits that Airbus aircraft bring to the marketplace. He led a global team of over 200 experts specializing in aircraft performance, cabin interiors, fleet solutions, operations and maintenance, appraisals and investors, and airline operations.

Previously, Chris was Head of Airbus Future Programs & Product Strategy, a position he held from 2010 to 2013. He was responsible for establishing the Airbus Global Market Forecast (GMF) and product policy for current and future aircraft programs. He also led the internal project team that established the Mobile, Alabama A320 final assembly line in 2012. In 2003, Chris was appointed Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer charged with helping the newly formed executive team establish Airbus North America (formerly EADS North America). Working closely with the executive team, he was responsible for preparing Airbus for executing U.S. Department of Defense contracts. He was also the Head of Investor Relations for North America.

Chris started his career in 1996 with Mercedes Benz U.S. International (MBUSI) in Alabama. MBUSI was a pilot project identified to establish the first offshore Mercedes-Benz plant outside of Germany. In early 2000, he joined DaimlerChrysler Aerospace (DASA) in Germany and was part of the internal team that formed – through a simultaneous IPO and merger of three national entities — EADS (today Airbus Group). In this capacity, he was responsible for establishing the initial valuation of the joint companies and the first credit rating. Chris graduated from the University of Alabama with a degree in International Finance and currently serves on the Presidents Cabinet. In 2015, Chris joined the Dallas chapter of the Young Presidents Organization, in which he is an active member. He is married and has two daughters.

January 2018 Airbus Helicopters, Inc. 2701 N. Forum Drive Grand Prairie, Texas 75052-7099 (972) 641-0000 www.airbushelicoptersinc.com