Heven AeroTech advances drones for federal defense
Published by Willow Munz,
Editorial Assistant
Global Hydrogen Review,
Heven AeroTech, a US manufacturer of hydrogen-powered Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) and a leader in developing AI- and quantum-enabled capabilities for next-generation UAS, has announced the appointment of defence 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 defence growth leadership, specialising 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 defence 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 defence 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 defence, aerospace, and advanced technology, accelerating the company's global market expansion and federal defence deployment.
Read the article online at: https://www.globalhydrogenreview.com/hydrogen/17072026/heven-aerotech-advances-drones-for-federal-defense/
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