Expertise
Executive Leadership/Management, Team Leadership/Development, Business & Capture Strategy, Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A), OCI Mitigation & Business Operations, Legislative Affairs/Congress, Foreign Military Sales (FMS), Strategic Communications
Profile
General Bob Edmonds, USAF (Ret) has over 40 years of leadership and management experience in aerospace and defense as a senior US Air Force (USAF) officer and within the private sector, including congressional and international experience. He is a proven senior business executive with success in government, as well as commercial products and services and has extensive financial and mergers and acquisitions (M&A) experience including as Senior Advisory Director at Lincoln International, a global investment bank. General Edmonds maintains strong domain relationships with Department of Defense (DoD) senior leaders in the USAF, Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD), Joint Staff, Army and Navy, as well as business leaders within the aerospace, defense, and aviation communities.
Significant Career Accomplishments
Responsible for all revenue growth of $1.6B global A&D company, the U.S division of Elbit Systems, including strategy, business development, corporate development, M&A, government relations, and communications.
Led the Elbit (US) commercial unmanned aerial systems (UAS) business area, including a precision agriculture venture; established market and technology growth vectors aligned with customer roadmaps and current portfolio—resulted in eight consecutive record years of new business orders—greater than 1.1 book-to-bill ratio and $1.7B in 2023.
Acted as senior executive for USAF and aviation programs, including Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) for Exelis, Inc.; led USAF team with strategy, business development, and marketing—helping grow ~20% per annum to #1 Exelis customer by revenue at $900M.
Number two executive partnering with the CEO to lead $8M, 80-person management consulting firm specializing in strategy, business capture, and program management; engagements included programs in varied areas: cyber, classified satellites, tactical ground force vehicles, armor protection, IT enterprise, multi-modal logistics hub, KC-X aerial tanker aircraft, and more.
As the Operations Deputy Director, Joint Staff, was responsible for monitoring global operations, initial military response for crisis, and nuclear weapons watch with direct Presidential interface for authority; provided timely and accurate information and recommendations to the President, Secretary of Defense, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (CJCS) on domestic and international, multi-cultural issues; coordinated forces in support of operations in Iraq and Afghanistan; led crisis action teams.
As the Legislative Affairs Deputy Director for the Chief of the US Senate Liaison, advised the SecAF and Chief of Staff concerning legislative affairs and congressional relations, including committee hearings and testimony; developed, coordinated, and executed a legislative strategy for the approval of the Air Force’s $100B annual budget with members of Congress, with specific task for classified space programs
Key Positions
CEO & Founder, Edmonds Strategic Group
Senior Advisory Director, A&D Practice, Lincoln International
Senior Vice President & Chief Growth Officer (CGO), Elbit Systems of America
VP, Business Development & Air Force Programs, Exelis, Inc.
VP, Government Operations & Strategy, Syndetics, Inc.
Principal, Heidrick & Struggles, International
Operations Deputy Director, Joint Staff
Legislative Affairs Deputy Director, Chief of US Senate Liaison
Commander, 131st Fighter Wing
Joint Requirements Chief, Joint Staff, Pentagon
White House Fellow, US Small Business Administration (SBA)
Commander, 95th Fighter Squadron
Fighter Aircraft Requirements Chief, Headquarters Air Combat Command (ACC)
Education
Certificate, MBA Executive Program, American Management Association
Senior Managers in Government, Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University
MS, National Security Strategy, National Defense University
MSCE, Civil Engineering Structures, Columbia University
BSCE, Civil Engineering, US Air Force Academy
