250+ years.
Senior executives do the work.

Gemo is a combat veteran, an aerospace engineer, and a global Aerospace & Defense executive with over 20 years of experience. As a dual-rated U.S. Air Force pilot, he flew combat rescue helicopters and tactical airlift jets in Iraq and Afghanistan. In the Defense industry, he managed Fortune 500 engineering teams on several billion-dollar programs at Sikorsky-Lockheed and scaled his EdTech startup into a profitable national business. Gemo has also held senior corporate leadership roles including Global Sales Director at CMC Electronics, VP of Defense Business Development at Gecko Robotics, and VP of Sales and Marketing at HABCO Industries. He founded Bastion Atlas in 2024 to assemble an elite team of Aerospace & Defense business development professionals and extend their impact across the global industry.

Buck brings four decades of military aviation experience and a proven record of defense business development to Bastion Atlas. A retired U.S. Army AH-64 Apache aviator with 20 years of service, he served as a Tactical Operations Officer specializing in electronic warfare, joint mission planning, and personnel recovery. Since transitioning to industry, Buck has guided defense clients through complex acquisition environments, securing contracts valued in the hundreds of millions across aviation, unmanned systems, and electronic warfare programs. He leverages deep relationships with Army Aviation Program Offices and industry leaders including Boeing, Sikorsky, and Lockheed, shaping requirements and building winning strategies. Buck applies an analytical approach to business development that emphasizes deliberate planning and execution. He holds a graduate degree in Computer Resources and Information Management.

Brad is an aerospace executive with nearly 30 years of experience spanning product design, marketing, and global sales across the aerospace and defense industry. Most recently, he served as VP of Sales and Marketing at CMC Electronics, where he built and led an international sales organization that delivered a 30 percent revenue increase within two years. Previously, Brad was VP of Marketing and Product Design at Bombardier, leading a global team of 130 professionals responsible for the design, positioning, and commercialization of private jets worldwide. He played a central role in Bombardier’s rebranding and led early development of several flagship platforms, including the Global 7500. Brad holds an MBA from Queen’s University, a Bachelor of Aerospace Engineering from Carleton University, and completed Stanford’s AI/ML program.

Nate is a strategy and growth executive with extensive experience in the military and commercial aerospace sectors.  Most recently he developed corporate strategy for Collins Aerospace where he was responsible for international and defense investment decisions.  Before that, Nate spent a 25-year career as a U.S. Air Force pilot.  He has extensive experience at the NATO headquarters and the Pentagon.  He commanded a 500-person aviation unit in Afghanistan and a US based 1200-person organization that ran the gamut from training to operational test and education.  He has experience in 16 different military aircraft.  Nate holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Air Force Academy and a Master of Global Business Administration from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.

Chris has 15 years of DoD industry experience with roles of increasing responsibility in Marketing and Sales at Rockwell Collins and BAE Systems. Most recently, he served as Senior Director of Business Development for BAE Systems where he had responsibility for a $4B pipeline over a five-year plan. Chris spent 31 years in USAF on active duty and Reserves with tours as an Acquisitions officer, combat aviator, CENTCOM analyst, STRATCOM Chief of Nuclear Operations and is joint-qualified. His final Reserve assignment was as augmentee to the Commander, HQ Air Force Special Operations Command Operations Center where he retired in 2025. Chris holds a BA in Economics and MBA in Marketing from Indiana University and is a graduate of the United States Air Force Weapons School.

John Williams is a seasoned, global business development executive with more than 20 years of experience driving sustained growth across the aerospace, defense, aviation, and logistics industry sectors. Throughout his distinguished career, he has held senior leadership positions with Boeing, Textron Aviation, Bell Helicopters, and DSV, where he led strategic sales campaigns, spearheaded market expansion initiatives, and managed complex international customer engagements from pursuit through close. Over the course of his career, John has secured large defense aircraft sales, sustainably increased market share across Asia-Pacific aviation markets, generated exponential growth in sales pipeline opportunities, and delivered strategic contract growth within the global logistics sector. His areas of expertise include government and military sales, OEM relationships, strategic partnerships, and international business development across diverse global markets.

Whitney is a former Navy civilian leader who was responsible for the standup of the Submarine and Maritime Industrial Base organizations, managing a ~$10B portfolio across U.S. Navy programs and platforms. She also has experience justifying and defending efforts, communications, and strategy for “first of class” vessels and technologies including the Columbia-class submarine and DDG 1000 programs. She has extensive relationships across NAVSEA, industry, academia, and senior Navy/DoW leadership, enabling effective coordination and influence across the maritime enterprise. Her experience leading program offices, managing strategic operations, and engaging with both domestic and international stakeholders positions her to connect with key decision-makers and drive opportunities for investment. Whitney’s perspective on evolving maritime requirements and industrial trends aligns with emerging opportunities in next-generation surface and unmanned platforms.

J.T. Naylor is a retired U.S. Army aviator and acquisition officer with experience across military leadership and business development. After operational command during Operation Iraqi Freedom, he served in acquisition roles spanning requirements development, program management supporting Army Special Operations Aviation, and assignments with RDECOM, AFRICOM J-8 in Stuttgart, and the U.S. Embassy in Paris, where he attended the French war college (IHEDN). He concluded his Army career as Product Director for Common Systems Integration at PM Aircraft Survivability Equipment, leading JUONS programs and contributing to Future Vertical Lift requirements. Post-retirement, J.T. worked at Northrop Grumman supporting UH-60V, MOSA, FVL, and FMS/DCS. He is currently the Director of Army Data Innovation at Dell Technologies, bringing extensive global engagement and strategic growth experience to Bastion Atlas.

Randy brings 36 years of Canadian Forces experience – including assignments as the Director of Air Requirements (DAR) and Commander of the 427th Tactical Helicopter Squadron – and extensive expertise as an experimental test pilot, a corporate program manager, and in human factors engineering. Since transitioning to industry, he has managed defense and government programs, supporting rotary-wing commercial and military capabilities. After nearly 4 decades in uniform and 13 Years with CMC Electronics, Randy joined Bastion Atlas as a Business Development executive. His deep network across the U.S., Canadian, and international defense communities – and the relationships he has cultivated over decades – positions him to anticipate programs on the horizon, identify emerging opportunities, and guide Bastion Atlas toward initiatives with the highest potential in Canada and the U.S.

Mari Jo holds a BA in French from Rutgers and a J.D. (Order of the Barristers) from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Admitted to the bars of Connecticut, Virginia, and the Supreme Court, she practiced law for 35 years. Her career spanned defense and corporate positions, culminating as Vice President and General Counsel of Brink’s, where she specialized in domestic and international business.  Following retirement, she served as Adjunct Professor at Massachusetts Maritime Academy, teaching American Government, Business Law and Maritime Law. Mari Jo’s family has strong military ties: her late husband and son are USAFA graduates and retired senior officers and her grandson is a cadet at VMI.  An enthusiastic golfer, she also volunteers as a Certified Mediator and Teen Court consultant.