New appointments of defense, hydrogen, and AI pioneers follow a 132% increase in company headcount, reflecting Heven’s rapid operational expansion
STERLING, Va., July 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Heven AeroTech, the leading U.S. manufacturer of hydrogen-powered Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and a leader in developing AI- and quantum-enabled capabilities for next-generation UAS, today announced the appointment of defense industry veteran Lexi Alexander as Chief Growth Officer (CGO). Alexander will lead the company’s operational scaling and international expansion to meet national security demand for long-endurance, runway-independent aerial platforms.
Alexander brings over 20 years of defense growth leadership, specializing in cyber warfare, AI data platforms, and secure logistics across federal and international markets. Her appointment follows a period of significant operational growth, during which Heven more than doubled its full-time workforce from 38 employees at year-end 2025 to 88 today.
“The defense market is demanding platforms that can operate longer, travel farther, and deliver greater autonomy than conventional battery- or gas-powered systems can provide,” said Ben Levinson, CEO of Heven AeroTech. “Bringing Lexi on board is a critical step for us. Her experience navigating large-scale defense acquisitions, alongside our newly expanded leadership team, gives us the exact capabilities we need to scale our operations and deliver our hydrogen platforms to international markets.”
To support this expansion, Heven AeroTech has added three key appointments to its leadership team:
- Dr. Karen Swider-Lyons as VP of Hydrogen: Former U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) official, Swider-Lyons brings more than two decades of alternative energy experience to manage UAS flight endurance. At NRL, her team carried out much of the foundational work for fuel cell UAVs.
- Samantha Hamilton as VP of AI: Former Director of Delivery at BigBear.ai, Hamilton brings over a decade of experience deploying AI/ML software for defense applications.
- Gaston Paz as Head of Manufacturing and Operational Strategy: Drawing on leadership experience at Airbus and Bombardier across aircraft production, industrialization, program execution, and configuration management, Paz will lead the development of Heven’s global manufacturing strategy, scalable production systems, and operational infrastructure to support rapid growth and international expansion.
These strategic appointments strengthen Heven AeroTech’s leadership across defense, aerospace, and advanced technology, accelerating the company’s global market expansion and federal defense deployment.
About Heven AeroTech
Founded in 2019, Heven AeroTech is the market leader in hydrogen-powered, runway-independent drones engineered for mission-critical operations. Headquartered in Sterling, Virginia, Heven AeroTech designs, manufactures, and deploys unmanned systems that combine endurance, stealth, and modularity for defense, commercial, and humanitarian use. Heven AeroTech’s platforms are designed and built in the U.S., with operational deployments around the globe. Follow us on LinkedIn and visit our website for more information.
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SOURCE Heven AeroTech