LEADERSHIP
Bill Peterson
Bill is the Chief Executive Officer for the group of Flying Ship Companies. He is an entrepreneurial leader in the aerospace, maritime and defense sectors with 20 years of experience in developing and executing corporate strategies to grow businesses of all sizes. Bill spent most of his career building supply chains and advancing technology systems for some of the largest global aerospace and defense corporations. He holds an Aerospace Engineer degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and an Executive MBA from George Mason University and is accomplished in engineering, international business development, government relations, marketing, and economic development for a multitude of US and UK aerospace and defense companies.
Gus Bateas
Gus Bateas is the Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Ground Effect Technology, LLC, and the group of Flying Ship Companies. Gus is an aerospace, defense and maritime executive with a solid and proven track record. Gus has 35 years of industry experience and held positions of increasing responsibility in design engineering, operations, supply chain, program management, and business development at Boeing (Rockwell), Northrop Grumman, The Ensign-Bickford Company, Raytheon (Collins/UTAS/Goodrich), GMB Associates and Triumph. He earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering from SUNY Maritime College and a Master’s in Business and Management from the University of Southern California. Gus currently serves on the Aerospace Industry Association (AIA) Supply Management Council (SMC) Executive Leadership Committee.
TEAM
Dave Forster
Dave Forster is a retired US Navy Captain with comprehensive accomplishments leading short and long-term capture strategies, creating new markets, and managing global matrix cross-functional teams. As a recent NAVSEA program manager, Dave oversaw over $1.5B in sales cycles, budgets, contracts, and implementations. He has successfully led the design, acquisition, and procurement of large complex systems, and has demonstrated success in executing plans in complex, fast-paced, regulated environments.
Paul Amrhein
Paul Amrhein brings a combination of innovation and structure to the Flying Ship team. His commercial experience is built off his service as a retired senior Naval Reserve officer as well as the development of commercial SaaS products and focus on end-to-end logistics. Paul's drive is building strong relationships that maximize collaboration and program success. He has significantly increased startup top-and-bottom-line revenue resulting in multiple successful exits. Paul has also been recognized by the US Department of HHS's Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response for leading the analysis efforts for commercial entities during the national response to COVID-19.
Dan Stohr
Dan Stohr is a communications executive with more than thirteen years of experience working in the aerospace and defense sector. He served as the primary press contact for the largest and most influential trade association in the aerospace and defense sector for nearly a decade and has a strong background in government relations, both in the corporate and association worlds. Dan holds a BA in History and Political Science from Va. Tech and did graduate studies in Political Science at UCSB and in Curriculum and Instruction at Va. Tech.
April Parnell
April Parnell is the legal advisor to the Flying Ship Group of companies. She’s worked in the aerospace industry for the last 16 years and has led and managed contracts and compliance teams throughout her career. A University of Tulsa College of Law graduate, she has 30+ years of experience in corporate and contract law.
Sam Aconfora
Sam Aconfora is a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) with more than 30 years of experience in the aerospace & defense industry. He spent more than half his career at various operating units of the former United Technologies Corporation and served as Director of HR for the former Goodrich Optical & Space Systems, Segment VPHR for DRS Technologies, and Group Director of HR for Wencor Group. Sam has been actively involved in start-ups and private equity-owned and publicly traded companies. He holds a BFA from The University of Connecticut, an MS in Management from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and an International Dual MBA from Purdue University-Krannert School and the former Budapest University of Economic Sciences.
Omo Igiehon
Omo Igiehon is a management consultant and engineer with twenty years of experience in infrastructure development, capacity building, international investment banking, and global business consulting in the commercial and government arenas. He has worked as an owners’ representative, senior engineer, and program manager overseeing cross-functional professional services, engineering management, logistics, and acquisition support teams on initiatives worth over $3 billion for private developers and US Government Agencies including the Departments of Defense and Commerce including the US Air Force District of Washington. He works with global executives and senior government personnel to provide solutions and strategies while leveraging an extensive professional expert network.