ACG 101 Aerospace & Defense Summit

Ben has been in business development for professional service practices since 2006. Ben leads the growth efforts for Moss Adams Commercial Aerospace, Defense, and Space practice nationally. Additionally, Ben co-leads the Moss Adams outside sales team.

Mr. Williamson is a Managing Director at Calabasas Capital where he advises emerging growth companies and investors in aerospace and defense, software and technology. He has more than 15 years’ experience in investment banking and corporate development including mergers and acquisitions, leveraged recapitalizations, divestitures and growth financings. His experience also includes CFO and operating management roles in private equity and venture capital backed companies. He was CFO of the Merex Group and Kellstrom Defense, a private equity backed aerospace and defense company where he completed multiple acquisitions to grow the business more than five-fold over 2 years. Previously he was Managing Director of Angeles Capital Group, Director of Alexander Dunham, Associate of Gerard Klauer Mattison (now BMO Capital Markets) and Associate of Chanin Capital Partners (now Duff & Phelps). Mr. Williamson was a Senior Manager at Oracle Corporation after being actively involved in the development and growth of Treasury Services Corporation, a private equity backed enterprise software company acquired by Oracle. Prior to that, he spent four years at Price Waterhouse where he was qualified as a Chartered Accountant (ICAA). Mr. Williamson received his MBA from the John E. Anderson Graduate School of Business at UCLA where he was selected as a Venture Fellow and received his Bachelor's of Commerce degree at the University of Western Australia.

Major Adam A. Burnetta is the Program Manager for the Space Enterprise Consortium (SpEC), assigned to the Innovation and Prototyping Delta, Space Systems Command (SSC), Los Angeles Air Force Base, CA. He manages an Other Transaction contracting vehicle and leads engagement efforts for a consortium comprised of over 580 businesses and academic institutions, with a cumulative of over $2.5B in requirement throughput. His efforts include leading a team in refining and drafting prototype requirements, reducing barriers of entry for non-traditional vendors to enter the defense supply base, conducting routine engagement with industry, and providing an agile method for requirement holders across the Department of Defense to source space related prototypes.

Prior to transferring to the Space Force in 2021, Major Burnetta entered the Air Force in 2010, following graduation from Kansas State University with a degree in Political Science.  Dual qualified as a logistics officer and an acquisitions officer, he has served in a variety of logistics, sustainment, and acquisitions assignments, with deployments to Kuwait, Oman, and Afghanistan.

Brian Williams is currently the CEO of Avantus Aerospace, a multinational group of companies the that manufactures C-Class aerospace components (specialty fasteners, shims, clips, brackets, and other high-volume/mission-critical parts). Previous to this, Brian was the CEO of AIP Aerospace and oversaw the strategic positioning and operational transformation of a high-temperature composites business that achieved high margins and 7 years' backlog growth on sole-sourced programs. He also led a turnaround for a group of U.S.-focused tooling companies, re-branded them as Ascent Aerospace, and transformed them into a global integrator of automation systems. Previously Brian was the President of Arrowhead Products, where he was instrumental in growing the company by 65% and leading a strategic shift from individual ducting components to complete aircraft air management systems. Prior to Arrowhead, Brian spent more than 20 years in satellite communications at Boeing and Hughes Aircraft as Director of bus and payload electronics, microwave amplifiers (LTWTAs), ion propulsion, and space batteries.

Brian has been with Sun Air Jets since its inception and has been involved with every aspect of growing the enterprise from its early days to its current position as a world-class FBO and international jet charter company. As an aviation tax attorney and accountant, Brian not only leads Sun Air Jets as the expert in legal, tax and financial aspects of our business, but unique to our industry, also offers that expert advice to the aircraft owners in Sun Air Jets’ managed aircraft fleet. Brian holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis.

Mr. Alfred is currently President of Crissair Inc. (an ESCO Technologies Company) since 2012. Crissair is an Aerospace manufacturer of high quality, precision valve components for nearly every airframe manufacturer and major subcontractor in the industry. Crissair is recognized as the global leader in the design and manufacturing of check valves. He has full P&L responsibility for the Company as well as planning/executing multi-faceted business development campaigns designed to improve market share, gross revenue and EBIT. Prior to his current assignment, Mr. Alfred was Senior Vice President of Finance and Administration at PTI Technologies Inc. (also an ESCO Technologies Company). He joined PTI Technologies Inc. in 2004 as Vice President of Finance and Administration and was responsible for finance, contracts and IT. PTI is a manufacturer of Aerospace filtration systems and components with a global presence and serving on a multitude of aircraft platforms. Prior to PTI he was Director of Finance and Administration of a TRW Space and Electronics Group subsidiary (now Northrop Grumman) a maker of satellites and space components and responsible for finance, contracts and IT. Prior to TRW he was Director of Finance/Controller at HR Textron (now Woodward) an Aerospace company serving end markets in fixed wing and rotary aircraft with hydraulic and motion control devices where his responsibilities included finance, contracts and IT. He began his career at Allied Signal’s Electro Optics Division (now Honeywell) working through various positions to Vice President of Finance and Administration of its’ publicly held Apollo Lasers subsidiary a market leader in optically pumped, gas discharge lasers and XRF technologies.

Mr. Alfred has over 25 years of general and financial management experience working in the Aerospace and Industrial industries both domestically and internationally. Mr. Alfred also has extensive background in S.E.C. compliance, M&A activities and General & Operations Management. Mr. Alfred holds an MBA from Pepperdine University a BA from Michigan State University and is a Certified Management Accountant. Mr. Alfred is a recipient of “TOP VALLEY CFO’s” award for 2011 presented by the San Fernando Valley Business Journal.

He is a Board Member of the Santa Clarita Economic Development Corporation (SCVEDC).