Dr. Al Funderburk
President & CEO
With over three decades of aerospace and complex systems experience, Al has led Phoenix Defense since 2013. He is a former Army aviation officer, including service with the 82nd Airborne, 18th Airborne Corps and National Training Center, who transitioned to industry in 2001. He has a bachelor’s degree in computer science, an MBA, a Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA), and additional training and certifications in executive leadership and project management. He is an active member in the Army Aviation Association of America and the Association of the United States Army.
Chris Morgan
SVP & Chief Financial Officer
Chris’ diverse background includes 30 years of government experience, including helping turn around the operations and finances of two Alaskan native corporations. An expert in federal cost accounting, he holds a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Arizona. His capabilities include strategic management, budgeting and forecasting, tax planning, information system implementation and audit management.
David Rees
EVP & Chief Revenue Officer
David brings more than three decades of leadership in defense and aerospace, driving innovation in Modeling, Simulation & Training (MS&T) across the U.S. and internationally. He joins us with a proven track record of expanding business segments, delivering complex training solutions, and leading high-impact programs for the Army, Marine Corps, and allied partners. Throughout his career, David has helped shape next-generation synthetic training environments, advanced Live Training capabilities, and led major capture efforts totaling over $1.2B in awards. His strategic insight and deep operational experience will play a key role as we continue to scale our mission and deliver industry-leading training technologies.
Benjamin Jones
VP & Director of Human Resources
Ben Jones brings over 36 years of distinguished executive leadership experience from the U.S. Army, where he successfully led as a Command Sergeant Major for multiple commands- including U.S. Southern Command, U.S. Army Pacific Command, XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, and the 25th Light Infantry Division and U.S. Army Hawaii to include other major commands. Ben also brings extensive expertise in leadership, workforce development, and organizational transformation.
Trevor Estes
Executive Vice President and General Manager, Engineering Services
Trevor comes to Phoenix Defense after almost four years with Cypress International, where he consulted on business development, capture strategy, and mergers and acquisitions. Prior to Cypress, Trevor spent a 26-year career in the Navy ultimately leading two Electronic Attack squadrons and the Air Wing aboard the USS DWIGHT D. EISENHOWER, with a variety of key requirements positions at Joint Staff J68 and J38. In his last assignment as Commander, Carrier Air Wing THREE flying F/A-18 E, F, and G aircraft; he supported Commander Carrier Strike Group 10 and 2 as the Strike Warfare Commander, assuring all projection of power requirements were met throughout the deployment cycle.
Barry Clinger
EVP & Chief Technology Officer Engineering Services
Orlando, FL
Barry has over 30 years of commercial and government software development experience and is a founder of Riptide Software, now part of Phoenix Defense’s Engineering Services Division. He has extensive U.S. Army live training experience and has successfully led the development of several high-profile military projects. Barry previously worked as chief computer scientist with NASA at Kennedy Space Center and has extensive experience developing large-scale, widely distributed systems involving teamwork and coordination.
Richard Stikkers
Deputy General Manager – Engineering Services
Rick brings over two decades of engineering and operations experience in modeling and simulation to his role, charged with properly aligning engineering across all programs. Beginning as a U.S. Army engineering officer, he moved to Raytheon and held positions including engineering division manager at the National Training Center and chief engineer for Raytheon’s Global Training Solutions Mission Area. Rick has a bachelor’s in computer science and a master’s in procurement and acquisitions management.
Nick Kioutas
Director of Product Development
Nick Kioutas brings over 30 years of distinguished executive leadership experience within the U.S. Army, where he excelled as both an Aviation Colonel and a Department of the Army Civilian in the Army Acquisition Corps. His tenure includes serving as Project Manager for Synthetic Environment and Project Manager for Enterprise Transformation and Integration within the Program Executive Office for Simulation, Training, and Instrumentation. Nick has his B.S. from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and his M.S in System Engineering.
Jim Orahood
Senior VP & GM, Aerospace Manufacturing
Jim Orahood brings a wealth of expertise to our team with over 20 years of Aerospace and Defense systems experience. Previous leadership positions include Sierra Nevada, GDMS, L3/Harris and Ampex Data Systems LLC where he led business turnarounds driving growth and profitability at the division level. He is a former U.S. Army officer serving with distinction in the 82nd Airborne and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR). Jim is a graduate of the United States Air Force Academy and holds a Lean Six Sigma green belt.
Chris DePiano
Deputy GM, Aerospace Manufacturing
Chris has over 15 years of experience in the manufacturing industry, including as general manager of CTL-SystemWare. To his role at Phoenix Defense, he brings a background in quality management systems and knowledge of the exacting standards of national defense matters. Before entering the private sector, Chris had a distinguished 21-year-career in U.S. Army counterintelligence. A graduate of Excelsior College, his training includes advanced electronics, RF theory, computer security and intrusion detection systems.
Paul Aelmore
Chief Engineer
Paul Aelmore brings over 15 years of engineering, military, and field experience supporting constructive simulations and large-scale Warfighter exercises. As Chief Engineer, he leads systems engineering, integration, and test efforts across Army training and mission systems, aligning Phoenix Defense solutions to be operationally grounded, well integrated, and mission-ready. A former Army National Guard officer, Paul combines technical leadership with firsthand operational insight to deliver capabilities that directly support the Warfighter.
Janice Gibson
Quality Manager – Engineering Services
Janice has over a decade of experience as a quality assurance manager and helped Riptide Software successfully achieve CMMI Level 4. She is an experienced IT professional with diverse technical and managerial experience that includes network operations, project management and support, software development life cycle, software testing, and contract support. Before joining Phoenix Defense in 2016, she held roles at Scientific Research Corporation and Titan/L-3 Communications.
Linda Talbot
Executive Assistant
Drawing on her background in business development marketing, Linda brings broad, executive-level administrative coordination to the organization. She partners with Phoenix Defense’s executive team to provide both administrative and project management support, allowing her to work on projects across the organization and with colleagues at many levels. Linda is a graduate of DePaul University in Chicago, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and media communication.
Duke
Company Mascot
Meet Duke, our company mascot and beloved friend. Our vision was to create a brand mascot that would personify our organization’s purpose, vision and mission; a symbol that represents the indefatigable spirit of our people and culture. Duke is a symbol of who we are, what we do and who we aspire to be as an organization.
