People Category: Panelist

Angela Ambrose

Angela M. Ambrose is the vice president of Government Relations and Communications for GM Defense LLC. She is responsible for executing external affairs, working with the Executive and Legislative Branches of government, and managing the development and implementation of strategic communications, media relations and marketing. Ambrose also served as the interim vice president of Business Development from March – September 2021, leading all customer engagements and helping to shape the GM Defense pursuit pipeline.

Prior to joining GM in 2019, Ambrose led government relations activities for Accenture Federal Services (AFS), supporting the Defense Portfolio and managing all defense, intelligence, cybersecurity and veterans’ affairs public policy priorities. During her time with AFS, she created an aggressive legislative strategy that supported critical business initiatives and guided capture activities to support growth in new business areas.

Ambrose served as the chief congressional strategist for Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems (NGAS) from 2011 to 2015, analyzing congressional authorization policies, annual appropriations and Executive Branch fiscal year budget requests. She provided intelligence to NGAS profit and loss divisions, with a specific focus on defense and civil space, unmanned systems, manned aircraft, strike platforms, restricted programs and emerging strategic capture priorities. Developing subject matter expertise in political global supply chain and strategic sourcing while at NGAS, Ambrose supported priority capture activities (including the successful B-21 Raider award) and mergers and acquisitions for growth in designated markets.

Ambrose held two senior roles as a federal civil servant in the Executive Branch from 2008 to 2011. She served as a senior Legislative Liaison in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and as the Deputy Director of Congressional Affairs for the Department of Defense Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO). During her tenure at JIEDDO, Ambrose received two Superior Civilian Service Awards.

From 2002 to 2008, Ambrose served as a senior policy advisor to a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. While managing a variety of policy oversight issues in the Legislative Branch, her time on Capitol Hill was predominately focused on a portfolio of appropriations, defense, homeland security, veterans’ affairs and foreign operations matters.

Ambrose earned a Bachelor of Arts in communications from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Arts in national security and strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College, with additional studies in national security at the National Defense University. She is a leading voice within the national security community and the Congressional landscape and has been recognized for her strategic communications and brand management prowess. Ambrose holds two prominent industry board positions, serving on the National Defense Industrial Association and National Defense University Foundation. She was recognized for the third consecutive year in 2022 as one of The Hill’s Top Lobbyists.

Daniel Ateya

Dr. Daniel Ateya is managing director of RTX Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of Raytheon Technologies. Daniel joined RTX Ventures in March 2022 and brings more than 15 years of experience in a combination of corporate venture capital, strategy,
business development and R&D roles.

Prior to joining RTX Ventures, Ateya was Director of 3M Ventures and leader of 3M’s Silicon Valley office where he built a large portfolio of venture investments
and was involved in a diverse set of partnership and commercial agreements. Prior to 3M, Dan worked at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, D.C. as a research associate and project leader developing microfluidic chip technologies for portable diagnostic sensor applications. He has co-authored numerous articles on sensors and advanced materials in peer- reviewed scientific journals.

Ateya holds a Ph.D. and B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the State University of New York at Buffalo. He also holds an MBA from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business. Born and raised in Western New York, Dan lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and three children.

Kimberly Caldwell

Ms. Caldwell is Senior Director for Spirit AeroSystems’ Global Research and Technology, where she is responsible for engineering, program management and technology strategy across Spirit’s global R&T enterprise. She oversees Spirit’s National Defense Prototype Center in Wichita, KS and Aerospace Innovation Centre in Prestwick, Scotland, as well as research and product development in Biddeford, ME and Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Prior to joining Spirit AeroSystems, she served 15 years across air vehicle structures and materials advanced programs at NASA, DARPA, Johns Hopkins University, and the Office of Naval Research. Ms. Caldwell holds a BS in Engineering Science and Mechanics from Virginia Tech, and a Masters in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Maryland. She previously served on the Virginia Tech Engineering Science and Mechanics Advisory Board and currently serves on Executive Steering Committees for DoD Service Lab and NASA initiatives.

She spends her free time with family, trail running, and skiing.

Christian Sauerland

Christian Sauerland is a Senior Manager, Application Engineering, at dSPACE Inc. He is responsible for hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) application engineering for the company’s North American market. He joined dSPACE in 2008 as a project engineer, later progressing into management, and today, he oversees application engineering for HIL and related technology areas. His responsibilities also include the development of e-mobility-related business for dSPACE, including solutions for motor simulation, power electronics, smart charging, and battery management. Prior to joining dSPACE, Christian worked for 10 years in the off-highway and aerospace industries developing embedded software and leading multi-disciplinary teams to develop engineering solutions. Throughout his career with dSPACE, he has gained expertise in the application of tools for embedded controls software, specifically in the area of verification and validation through HIL simulation.

Francisco Flores

Francisco Flores is a Business Development Manager, Aerospace and Defense, at dSPACE Inc. He is responsible for all related activities within the North American market. He joined dSPACE in 2022. His responsibilities include the execution of the business plan for the A&D vertical, along with providing guidance and direction to the A&D Account Managers. Prior to joining dSPACE, Francisco held various sales positions in the aerospace industry within the manufacturing and aircraft/engine parts supply sectors. Francisco is a certified FAA Airframe and Powerplant mechanic who has also worked as a Technical Advisor for a gas turbine engine manufacturer. He also served for 8 years in the U.S. Army as a UH-60 Helicopter mechanic/crew chief.