How Southern California Aerospace & Defense Companies Are Battling The Headwinds of Sequestration
Wednesday, May 1st, 2013
7:00 a.m. — 9:00 a.m.
Westlake Village Inn
31943 Agoura Road, Westlake Village, CA 91361
Event sponsor: SGB-NIA Insurance Brokers
Register (Online registration will close at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 30.)
The aerospace and defense industry, a key business sector for California, faces immediate spending cuts mandated by sequestration, as well as the potential for longer-term reductions in the nation’s defense budget. This creates a significant challenge for the many companies that provide specialized products and services to the defense sector.
Despite this difficult business environment, many aerospace and defense companies are experiencing record results. How are they managing to succeed in the face of these hurdles, and what can other businesses learn from their continuing strong performance?
Come hear the answers at the May 1st meeting of ACG 101, when a panel of C-suite aerospace and defense executives will explore how local companies are successfully navigating and thriving in today's landscape.
The Panelists:
Brad Hart, CEO, Roberts Tool Co., Inc.,
Michael J. Sander, consultant to Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and
Charles McLean, General Counsel, MS Aerospace
Moderator: Tim Gallagher, the 20/20 Network
Brad Hart is the Chief Executive Officer of Chatsworth-based Roberts Tool Co., Inc., which provides high-precision machining services for aerospace and defense firms and for companies in a range of other industries. Mr. Hart purchased the company in 1986, and expanded it by acquiring four additional companies over the past 10 years. Recently Sorenson Capital invested in the firm. In 2010 Mr. Hart founded Premier Processing in Wichita, KS, which provides metal finishing services. He is a graduate of the University of Colorado in Engineering.
Michael J. Sander is the former Manager of the Exploration Systems and Technology Office at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory of the California Institute of Technology, where he was responsible for JPL's participation in the NASA Human Space Flight Program. Earlier he was Project Manager of the Mars Science Laboratory Project at JPL. He continues to consult with the Laboratory following his retirement in late 2011. An elected member of the International Academy of Astronautics, he was awarded three NASA Outstanding Leadership medals for the Voyager, Spacelab 1 and Sir-C Projects.
Charles McLean is Chief Legal Office and Business Development Manager of MS Aerospace. He joined the Sylmar-based company in 2006, and has overseen the company’s sales and marketing functions as well as its legal affairs since then. In private practice as an attorney his primary emphasis was on transactional law and litigation, representing large and small public and private businesses. He did his undergraduate work at UCLA, and earned his law degree from Southwestern University School of Law.
Tim Gallagher is the President of 20/20 Consulting, based in Westlake Village. Founded in 2007, the company has quickly grown to serve dozens of clients in public outreach, media relations and strategic messaging. Previously he was Publisher and President of the Ventura County Star, which he joined as Editor in 2000. He began his career as a journalist in 1978 at the Albuquerque Tribune, where in 1978 he was named Editor.
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