Speakers

Wahid Nawabi is Chairman, President, and CEO of AV, a global defense technology leader redefining the future of unmanned systems across all domains. Under his leadership, AV has transformed into a disruptive force in the industry - focused on innovation, agility, and delivering mission-critical solutions at the speed of relevance.

With more than 30 years of experience spanning engineering, operations, and executive leadership, Wahid brings a rare combination of vision, technical expertise, and human-centered leadership to everything he does. Since joining AV, he has reshaped the company's strategy, launched multiple award-winning breakthrough products, and led a cultural reinvention that has driven eightfold revenue growth, expanded operating margins, and outpaced industry benchmarks.

Born in Afghanistan and arriving in the United States as a legal refugee, Wahid’s journey embodies resilience, reinvention, and relentless drive. From rebuilding his life in a new country to leading a next-generation defense technology company, his story is a testament to the power of perseverance, innovation, and leadership grounded in purpose.

Wahid is a passionate advocate for innovation with impact, frequently speaking on topics ranging from leadership, the future of autonomous systems, and the evolving intersection of technology and national security. As an engineer and businessman, he combines deep technical insight with bold leadership to drive the disruptive innovation that defines AV. He holds a degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Maryland at College Park.

Today, Wahid continues to lead AV with a singular mission: to advance the technologies that protect our nation, our allies, and our future.

Sean Woodward has served as Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since May 2026. He brings more than 22 years of defense technology finance leadership gained exclusively within publicly traded Aerospace & Defense companies, including Honeywell International, General Dynamics, and AeroVironment.

Prior to his recent promotion, Sean served as Chief Financial Officer of AeroVironment’s Autonomous Systems (AxS) Segment. Over his 15-year tenure at AeroVironment, he has held positions of increasing financial leadership responsibility, building and leading teams across corporate FP&A, business management, pricing and cost estimating, program planning and controls, government accounting compliance, and cost accounting. Sean has led the company’s long-range strategic planning and annual operating planning processes and has participated in every acquisition in AeroVironment’s history.

Sean holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Management from the University of South Florida and a Master of Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from the University of Tampa. He has also completed the Chief Financial Officer Executive Education Program at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business. Sean holds numerous professional credentials in project management and federal contract management.

Dr. Robert (Rob) Smith serves as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the AV’s Autonomous Systems (AxS) and Space, Cyber and Directed Energy (SCDE) business units, as well as its global operations and manufacturing footprint. He is responsible for advancing integrated, mission-ready capabilities across domains while driving operational excellence at scale.

Dr. Smith joins AV from Raytheon, an RTX company, where he most recently served as Vice President of Radio Frequency Solutions, leading a multi-billion-dollar radar and electronic warfare business with full P&L responsibility. Previously, as Vice President of Mission Suites, he led the development and delivery of integrated sensor and electronic warfare systems for U.S. and international customers.

Prior to Raytheon, Dr. Smith was Senior Vice President and General Manager of Integrated Defense Solutions at CAES. He also served as President of Government Operations at BWX Technologies (BWXT), where he led all U.S.-based nuclear business lines supporting the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Nuclear Security Administration, NASA, and other government customers.

Earlier in his career, Dr. Smith held multiple executive leadership roles at Lockheed Martin and led Nantero’s Government Business Unit, playing a key role in the company’s acquisition by Lockheed. He also served as a Director at Windermere and as a civil servant within the intelligence community, where he held a range of operational, engineering, and leadership positions.

Dr. Smith holds a bachelor’s degree, cum laude, in chemical engineering from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County; a Ph.D. in chemical engineering from Auburn University; and an MBA from Johns Hopkins University.

Denise Pacioni has served as Head of Investor Relations since May 2025.

Prior to leading the Investor Relations function at AV, Denise has held several leadership positions across the Aerospace and Defense sector spending the majority of her career at The Boeing Company working on multiple programs and functions in manufacturing, finance, business development and communications on the USAF C-17 Program, Expendable Launch Systems, and Space and Defense Systems before moving to Corporate Headquarters in Chicago (where she resides now) and working in Investor Relations and Corporate Finance and Banking.

Denise has a Bachelors of Science in Finance from the University of Southern California and an MBA from Loyola Marymount University.