Leadership

Parkes founded Parry Labs to design, deploy and operate creative solutions for national security. As an entrepreneur, he serves as Co-Founder, Chief Strategy Officer and board member of Skydweller Aero, Inc. and has extensive experience in operational leadership and business development in government and commercial markets. Prior to starting Parry Labs, he has held the position of Airborne Mission Lead at the Office of Strategic Capabilities within the U.S. Department of Defense, worked in Strategic Planning, Corporate Development and M&A at United Technologies and was an image scientist on classified programs at Harris.

As COO, Aydin Mohtashamian oversees execution and development of new technologies at Parry Labs. Prior to joining Parry Labs, Mohtashamian held several executive positions at QinetiQ (formerly MTEQ) and L3 Technologies where he led transformation, development, and production programs for all branches of the DOD and has extensive experience in delivering complex and crucial systems to the warfighter.

Jon Pilon joined Parry Labs in 2022, bringing financial leadership, strategic business partner and audit experience in privately held and publicly traded companies with a mix of debt and equity capital structures. He has been a key leader in high-growth government contracting, distribution, technology systems and services companies. Prior to joining Parry Labs, Jon served as the Chief Financial Officer of Federal Resources Supply Company, a private-equity backed government contractor, from 2015 through a strategic sale in late 2021. Jon currently serves on the board of directors of a Michigan-based government contractor serving the Department of Defense. Jon is a CPA and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics from the College of the Holy Cross.

As the Head of Engineering and Products, Walsh leads the creation and deployment of Research, Technology and Product strategies and manages engineering teams and capability development. Walsh is a proven strategic engineering leader and Army Aviation Subject Matter Expert with deep experience in aircraft and ground system development, hardware and software integration, and next-generation research and development solutions. Prior to joining Parry, he was Director of Open Systems for Military Avionics and Helicopters at Collins Aerospace where he led organizational transformation to instantiate the company’s Mosarc Product Line, a fully Modular Open System Approach (MOSA) compliant solution. Previously, he was UAS Chief Engineer at Leidos, and System Integration Lead for the MQ-1C Gray Eagle at General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc.

Tom leads Parry’s crewed aviation programs across the DoD from the Huntsville site, overseeing program management, business development and engineering. He previously served as the Director for Program Management and Site Lead for Collins Aerospace’s Army Rotary Wing Avionics Solutions team where he managed Future Vertical Lift and MOSA pursuits. Tom served for more than 28 years in the Army commanding Soldiers at many levels deploying to both Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Vertical Lift Consortium and as a member of the Auburn University Aerospace Engineering Advisory Council.

As Senior Vice President of Ground, C2, and Maritime Systems, Amber champions the success and delivery of new products, technologies, and solutions across the organization for our customers. She brings a wealth of experience in the Defense sector, from both government and industry roles, to working on advanced technology development and winning new business. She most recently served as the Technical Director of Anduril Industries’ Land Systems business and played a pivotal role at Raytheon as Deputy Business Unit Lead in the Network & Cyber Technologies sector. During her career in the U.S. Army, Amber was a DARPA Program Manager at the Tactical Technology Office. She currently a Lieutenant Colonel in the U.S Army Reserves within the Defense Innovation Unit and is on the Army Science Board and an active member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

David Gross is an entrepreneur, Aerospace and Defense executive and technology investor. Mr. Gross co-founded DRS Technologies Inc. where he was President and CTO for 25 years and he led the development of disruptive signal processing and display systems that created effectiveness for the US Military. During his time at DRS, he chaired an industry-wide team to develop next-generation Anti-Submarine Warfare systems for the US Navy and served on advisory panels to develop applications for Artificial Intelligence. After DRS Technologies was sold for several billion dollars, Mr. Gross founded and managed several successful commercial companies including but not limited to those providing cybersecurity and a low-profile satellite antenna for UAVs and commercial aircraft for internet connectivity.

Dr. Miller co-founded Parry Labs with John Parkes in 2015 to deliver innovative solutions to the US Military and Intel Community. Dr. Miller is an entrepreneur and experienced Aerospace and Defense executive, and leading expert in the development of autonomous systems. Presently he is CEO of Skydweller Aero, a company building the world’s largest and first commercially viable solar powered aircraft. Prior positions include Chief Technology Officer for ChandlerMay and AME Unmanned Air Systems where Dr. Miller was part of the executive team that sold the company to Lockheed Martin. He has held a variety of leadership roles on both fixed wing and rotary wing UAV programs as the Director for Future Unmanned Systems at Northrop Grumman Corporation. He has a BS and MS from Stanford University and PhD from University of Michigan.

Adam Palmer spent 25 years with The Carlyle Group, most recently as Managing Director/Partner and Head of the Global Aerospace, Defense and Government Services (ADS) investment team beginning in March, 2011, and additionally as Fund Head of Carlyle’s Equity Opportunity Fund I and II for the last 2 years before his departure. From the time he joined Carlyle in 1996, Mr. Palmer played an important role in a number of key investments in the ADS sector, including Aviall, Avio, Landmark Aviation I & II, RPK Capital, Sequa, Vought Aircraft Industries, United Defense, U.S. Investigations Services, Wesco Aircraft Holdings, PrimeFlight, Titan and Novetta, as well as the current investment in StandardAero. He currently serves as a board member of LMI Consulting, PrimeFlight, AeroDesign Labs and Parry Labs. Mr. Palmer received a BA in International Political Economy from Duke University.

Brooke Coburn is a cofounder of Capitol Meridian Partners. He spent over 25 years with The Carlyle Group in investing roles in Carlyle’s U.S. buyout and U.S. Growth/Middle Market teams and, more recently, in a senior management role as Deputy CIO, and a member of the firm’s Management Committee. Prior to these responsibilities, he was a founding member of Carlyle’s Technology, Media & Telecom practice and Carlyle’s U.S. Middle Market & Growth Private Equity Group, where he served as a Fund Head for more than a decade. Brooke serves on the boards of Wyyerd, TDF Ventures, WMVY Radio, the Institute of Citizens & Scholars, and is the Chairman of the Washington National Cathedral.

True Ventures Partner Gus Coldebella is interested in companies where public policy and regulation impact operations, with a focus on cybersecurity, AI, cryptocurrency, and other emerging technologies. Gus served as deputy and acting general counsel at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from 2005-2009, was a general counsel for technology firms, and was a partner at the Goodwin Procter law firm. He is deeply committed to security issues and works with companies building within regulated environments on complex challenges, leaning into his prior experience as a lawyer and litigator. He holds a J.D. from Cornell Law School and a bachelor's in philosophy from Colgate University, where he serves as vice chair of the board of trustees.

Raanan Horowitz is a distinguished leader in the aerospace and defense industry. He previously served as President and CEO of Elbit Systems of America for over 16 years, where he grew the company into a $1.5 billion enterprise, overseeing operations in defense, commercial aviation, and healthcare sectors. Under his leadership, the company was recognized as one of the "World’s Most Ethical Companies" by the Ethisphere Institute. Raanan also serves on the boards of trustees for the Institute for Defense Analyses and on the boards of the National Defense Industrial Association and Business Executives for National Security. He holds an MBA from Grand Valley State University and both master’s and bachelor’s degrees in engineering from Tel Aviv University. His expertise in defense technologies, innovation, and leadership makes him a vital addition to Parry Labs’ Board of Directors.