Mission Ready: Elevating Defense Manufacturing Performance

Client Overview

Our client manufactures components for tactical and stealth aircraft in the defense aerospace industry. At the forefront of manufacturing technology since the early days of aviation, the company has extensive experience working with aerospace assemblies and regularly collaborates with defense prime contractors. With the backing of a private equity sponsor, the business is entering a new phase of growth focused on operational modernization and production scale.

They produce high-precision components supporting tactical airlift, stealth fighters, and high-altitude reconnaissance platforms — aircraft that serve as the logistical backbone of the U.S. Armed Forces and its global allies. Leveraging cutting-edge modeling software and automated test equipment, the company ensures precise, error-free components from design through delivery.

The Challenge / Mandate

Following its acquisition from a long-standing family business, the company required a seasoned Chief Operating Officer to lead a professionalization of its operations. With strong demand and high expectations from its PE-backers, the company needed to expand capacity, improve production throughput, and build the infrastructure to support future bolt-on acquisitions.

The COO would be responsible for all business functions except finance, strategy, and sales. Key responsibilities included building and leading a team, monitoring safety and quality, streamlining procurement, and ensuring compliance with cost and regulatory targets. The company sought a hands-on leader with deep experience in precision manufacturing, who could drive operational efficiency and support the next chapter of growth.

Search Strategy

We focused our search on experienced operations executives from the aerospace and defense sectors, with a track record of leading high-mix, low-volume manufacturing environments. Key qualifications included experience implementing lean principles, strong data fluency, and the ability to translate insights into improved reporting and operational KPIs. Candidates needed to bring strong leadership and team-building experience, with a hands-on, entrepreneurial mindset suited for a PE-backed environment undergoing rapid transformation.

The ideal candidate would have a background in professionalizing legacy operations, building scalable infrastructure, and managing compliance and quality standards expected in aerospace manufacturing. Attention was also paid to communication skills and the ability to collaborate with senior stakeholders.

The Placement

We quickly surfaced several qualified candidates with deep aerospace experience. The finalist selected had a unique blend of technical and operational leadership. A former Naval officer, he had risen through the ranks of a major defense contractor and later served as Director of Operations for a precision optics manufacturer. In that role, he oversaw all functions from manufacturing and testing to purchasing and sales, with cross-functional oversight of engineering and finance.

His broad experience across complex, regulated manufacturing environments and demonstrated success leading cross-functional teams made him an ideal fit to build operational discipline and drive future integration efforts across potential bolt-ons.

The Outcome

Stepping confidently into the role, the new COO quickly established operational visibility through improved data reporting and cross-departmental KPIs. He led the rollout of a lean manufacturing initiative that significantly improved production flow and reduced cycle times. Procurement processes were streamlined, inventory management tightened, and throughput increased without compromising quality or compliance standards. His leadership fostered greater alignment across teams, enhancing accountability and execution across the shop floor. The company is now operating at a higher level of efficiency, positioning it well for future bolt-on integrations and sustained growth under private equity ownership.