AEVEX Aerospace CEO and leadership

Dan Talati is the Chief Operations Officer of AEVEX Aerospace. Prior to joining AEVEX, Dan spent 27 years in the U.S. Air Force, culminating at the rank of Colonel. At AEVEX, he leverages his expertise leading airborne operations, government procurement, and strategic planning to help oversee corporate execution.

Dan previously served at Headquarters, Air Combat Command as the Deputy Assistant Director of Plans, Programs and Requirements, ensuring the readiness and lethality of the USAF’s 2,800 combat forces aircraft. Earlier, he was an Operations Group Commander at Robins Air Force Base, where he led 800 active duty personnel operating the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System aircraft.

Dan holds a Master of Strategic Studies from the Air War College; a Master of Arts, National Security & Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College; and a Master of Arts, Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma.

Ed Lake is the Chief Financial Officer for AEVEX Aerospace. Prior to the formation of AEVEX, Ed served as CFO of Merlin Global Services. Ed has extensive financial, operational, and strategic management experience in both publicly traded and privately held companies. His specific business area expertise includes aerospace and defense, software, predictive analytics, cybersecurity, public safety and security, and wireless communications.

Prior to joining Merlin, Ed was a Managing Director with Shoreline Partners, an investment banking firm where he focused on M&A activities. He also held key executive positions for Kratos Defense & Security Solutions, a publicly traded national security technology company where he was responsible for company-wide corporate development and M&A in support of five operating divisions. Ed serves on the Board for the San Diego Chapter of Financial Executives International and is the former Chair of the Steering Committee of the San Diego Chapter of the Aerospace & Defense Forum.

He received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from San Diego State University.

Manan Patel is the Chief Strategy Officer for AEVEX Aerospace. Prior to the formation of AEVEX, he served as CEO and Founder of Special Operations Solutions, LLC (SOS), a small business specializing in ISR and remote sensing technical solutions. Under his leadership, SOS grew to support several high-profile ISR programs and was recognized on Inc500’s list of America’s fastest-growing companies.

Prior to founding SOS, Manan worked with the CERDEC Night Vision and Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) as an Electronics Engineer, receiving the NVESD Technical Achievement Award, U.S. Army Commander’s Civilian Medal, and Global War on Terrorism Medal. Throughout his 13-year career, Manan has been instrumental in the development, enhancement, and implementation of innovative technologies for the U.S. military.

Manan holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from George Washington University along with a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Gretchen Larsen Idsinga is the Chief Growth Officer for AEVEX Aerospace. A three-time leader of both service delivery and sales organizations across privately held mid-size and large public companies, her business expertise traverses aerospace and defense, information technology, data management, engineering, and security. She underpins the above with 20 years of leadership across Air Force and Special Operations knowledge management, intelligence analysis, and technology in complex, fast-changing environments.

Gretchen serves as a Director on the Board of defense industry’s largest organization; the National Defense Industrial Association represents 1,600 corporate and 65,000 individual members. She also serves on the Advisory Council of STEM for Her and is Chair Emeritus of the National Council of Women in Defense. A graduate of the US Air Force Academy, she holds two Master’s degrees and an advanced executive certificate from MIT’s Sloan School of Management.