PODCAST

The Aerospace Executive Podcast

Craig Picken

How Top Aerospace Executives Set the Vision, Grow Their Business & Develop Talent

news business news

All Episodes

37:58

The Inflection Point for Flight: Inside Electra...

The Aerospace Executive Podcast ·

2025/11/06

In aerospace, we talk a lot about "the future of flight." But most of that conversation has been driven by fantasy. Fully electric aircraft that can't fly far enough, and technologies that look good in a render but can't sustain the physics or economics of real aviation.That's why what Electra Aero is building feels like the first practical revolution in modern air mobility. It's not about escaping airports altogether; it's about rethinking what access to the air actually means. A platform that

59:16

Cosmic Land Grab: Inside the New Space Arms Race w/...

The Aerospace Executive Podcast ·

2025/10/23

The new space race is beginning; It’s not just between nations, but between commercial giants, shadow governments, and emerging players staking claims to orbits that are becoming dangerously crowded. The world is entering an era where control of the orbits will define global power.What’s fueling this revolution isn’t just rocket science. It’s economic scale, exotic propellants, and a surge in miniaturized, high-functioning satellites. But with this explosion comes risk: orbital debris fields,

39:04

Valuations in Aerospace & Defense: What Really Drives...

The Aerospace Executive Podcast ·

2025/10/09

Most people think valuations come down to simple formulas: EBITDA multiples, discounted cash flows, and comps. The reality in aerospace and defense is far more complex. That’s the reason so many owners and even investors misunderstand how acquisitions actually work in this industry. The truth is, not every buyer values the same business the same way. A small private buyer focuses on what they can finance. A mid-sized family-owned firm is driven by IRR and payback ratios. Large public companies

42:40

The Harsh Truth About Cash in PE-Backed Aerospace...

The Aerospace Executive Podcast ·

2025/09/25

In today’s private equity landscape, the CFO role has become one of the most difficult and misunderstood jobs in the business world. Everybody thinks it’s about reporting numbers, tracking financials, and cutting costs. But in reality, being a PE-backed CFO means living at the intersection of cash obsession, strategy, and leadership, while managing more stakeholders than anyone else in the C-suite. Too many CFOs still act like historians, closing the books weeks late and delivering rearview-mirror

35:00

Inside Albers Aerospace: Building a “Next-Gen Prime”...

The Aerospace Executive Podcast ·

2025/09/04

In the defense industrial base, everyone knows the primes dominate the big programs, but that leaves a huge gap in the middle. Startups don’t scale, the primes can’t move fast, and decades of consolidation have hollowed out the space in between. For years, everyone has recognized this gap, but no one has really solved it. The primes are getting bigger, the small innovators get attention but struggle to scale, and the middle tier keeps shrinking. Meanwhile, the need for companies that can deliver

34:48

The Materials Flywheel: How AI is Powering Next-Gen...

The Aerospace Executive Podcast ·

2025/08/28

In aerospace and defense, every breakthrough is built on material science.From the alloys powering jet engines to the composites shielding spacecraft, innovation isn’t just about design—it’s about what the machines are made of. Yet the way we discover and scale new materials hasn’t meaningfully changed in more than a century. Research cycles drag on for decades, costs skyrocket, and supply chains remain fragile. Meanwhile, other nations have poured resources into material science—developing

37:52

The Future of Aerospace Belongs to Small, Agile...

The Aerospace Executive Podcast ·

2025/08/21

In aviation, the most transformative breakthroughs often take place far above the commercial flight lanes, and far below the public radar. But in today’s defense and aerospace economy, those breakthroughs are harder than ever for small companies to bring to life. Government budgets overwhelmingly favor the largest primes. Smaller, more agile innovators are forced to bankroll their own R&D while competing against firms with deeper pockets, stronger political clout, and guaranteed

55:01

Effective Crews: Why AI Is Reshaping the Flight Deck...

The Aerospace Executive Podcast ·

2025/08/14

As AI continues to reshape everything from medicine to flight decks, the question isn’t whether it’s coming to your organization; it’s whether leaders are ready for it. The future belongs to executives who can blend critical thinking with adaptive leadership, who can shed old assumptions and operate ahead of the curve. According to psychologist and organizational strategist Eric Olson, the most crucial skill for tomorrow’s leaders is resilience rooted in clarity, connection, and courageous

32:31

M&A Check-In: Why Job Shops Are Now Worth Millions w/...

The Aerospace Executive Podcast ·

2025/07/31

Commercial aviation is booming, but not for the reasons you'd expect.While the media fixates on tariffs, inflation, and geopolitical risks, industry insiders are seeing a very different picture. Airline profits are up, demand is strong, and aircraft backlogs are stretching eight years into the future. But underneath the optimism is something more nuanced: a market defined by high-cost inputs, a scramble for qualified labor, and a reshuffling of what counts as “value” in M&A. In this episode of

59:16

Cosmic Land Grab: Inside the New Space Arms Race w/...

The Aerospace Executive Podcast ·

2025/07/17

44:34

The Problem With Aviation Accident Investigations...

The Aerospace Executive Podcast ·

2025/07/03

A fully loaded airliner lined up to land on a taxiway where four fuel-packed jets were waiting to depart. A catastrophic crash was avoided—by just 59 feet.What caused the near-miss? Not a single pilot’s error, but a systemic breakdown: fatigue, communication failures, flawed assumptions, and organizational complacency. In this episode of The Aerospace Executive Podcast, I’m joined by Eckhard Jann—former airline captain, aviation safety investigator, and best-selling author of Error One. With over

36:23

Defense Acquisition Has Changed..Here’s How to Win...

The Aerospace Executive Podcast ·

2025/06/26

Today’s defense landscape is chaotic and fast-moving. Drones, AI, autonomy, and cyber threats are reshaping how wars are fought…and how the Pentagon spends. For companies and CEOs, the barrier to entry has never been lower. Any startup with a pitch deck and some funding can say they're in “defense.” But actually succeeding in this market? That’s never been harder. Small businesses get lost in red tape, big businesses lose their edge chasing shiny objects. Most companies looking to break into the

43:58

Mission-Ready Mindset: Inside the Largest Private...

The Aerospace Executive Podcast ·

2025/06/19

Planes scooping water from lakes. Crews flying into firestorms. Mechanics maintaining aircraft in warzone-like conditions. It sounds like a military operation, because in many ways, it is. As wildfires grow more frequent, more destructive, and more deadly, the national spotlight is turning to one of the most critical and overlooked fronts in disaster response: aerial firefighting. Events like the Lahaina fire and the Palisades blaze have shown just how high the stakes are and how essential rapid,

48:19

What It Really Takes to Defend the Homeland w/ Gen....

The Aerospace Executive Podcast ·

2025/06/12

Drones flying over Air Force bases. Unidentified aerial systems evading detection. A homeland vulnerable to $1,000 weapons while billion-dollar jets sit powerless.It’s not the plot of a futuristic war movie. It’s the uncomfortable reality facing U.S. defense leaders today. In this episode, I’m joined by retired four-star General and former Commander of U.S. Northern Command (NORTHCOM) and NORAD, Glen VanHerck. This is an unfiltered look at the growing threats to homeland security and the urgent

47:09

Bridging the Financial Gap Between the C-Suite and...

The Aerospace Executive Podcast ·

2025/06/05

In complex industries like aerospace, defense, and manufacturing, there’s a dangerous disconnect between the boardroom and the factory floor. Executives focus on margins, growth, and shareholder value—but the employees making daily decisions often don’t understand how their work impacts the bottom line. Why? Because no one ever taught them. In this episode of The Aerospace Executive Podcast, Dr. Kevin Koharki, former investment banker and now finance professor at Purdue University, explains how

19:28

Extreme Ownership: The Real Key to Executive Success...

The Aerospace Executive Podcast ·

2025/05/22

“You go do your thing—I’ve got this.”The words every CEO wants to hear. It means the job will get done – no excuses!. That’s real ownership—not just doing tasks but taking full responsibility for results, owning the outcome. But can you teach that mindset? In this episode, we get straight into extreme ownership—what it means, how it shows up in high-performing executives, and why it separates the top 5% from the rest. In today’s talent market, where every hire needs to be strategic, accountable,

45:55

Navigating Volatility in Aerospace & Defense: Why...

The Aerospace Executive Podcast ·

2025/05/08

In the aerospace and defense industry, unpredictability is a constant—but there’s a big difference between manageable risk and outright volatility.With tariff changes, shifting trade policy, and rising political uncertainty, the real threat isn’t just higher costs. It’s the cascading impact these factors have on employment, supply chain stability, and economic confidence across the sector. But while headlines focus on chaos, the real story is unfolding elsewhere. Aerospace market fundamentals are

44:34

The Helicopter Disruptor: How Robinson is Redefining...

The Aerospace Executive Podcast ·

2025/05/01

The helicopter industry is known for sky-high complexity, but one company is proving that innovation doesn’t have to be complicated.For too long, the industry has settled for slow, costly, and overly complex machines, pushed forward by legacy manufacturers who cater to large government contracts and niche elite buyers. But there’s a shift happening now, one that puts simplicity, reliability, and affordability at the center of innovation. At the forefront of this transformation is Robinson

50:04

Crafting the Limitless Future of Travel: Inside...

The Aerospace Executive Podcast ·

2025/04/24

The way we travel hasn’t changed much in decades, and it’s not because people don’t want better. It’s because legacy systems have kept the industry locked into outdated models. But a major shift is underway, and it’s poised to radically redefine the entire experience of booking, flying, and managing travel. At the heart of this transformation is AI-powered personalization and the modernization of airline infrastructure. The goal? To give travelers a seamless, flexible, customizable, retail-like

25:34

Win and Learn: Why You Don’t Have to Wait to Fail to...

The Aerospace Executive Podcast ·

2025/04/17

After the Eagles’ Super Bowl LVII loss in 2023, Jalen Hurts said, “You either win or you learn.”It was a powerful reflection on turning setbacks into lessons. Fast forward to 2025, Hurts led the Eagles to a dominant Super Bowl win, exemplifying how learning from past defeats can pave the way to future success. But here's the question: Do we need to wait for failure to start learning? Success can be a comfortable place, but it's also where complacency can creep in. The key is to stay proactive in

285 results

The Aerospace Executive Podcast

All Episodes

Similar Podcasts

Expres Ráno

Expres FM

PBS News Hour - Full Show

PBS News

CD Voice

China Daily

Israel Today: Ongoing War Report

Noa Levi

Jeffrey Epstein: The Coverup Chronicles

Bobby Capucci