Lockheed Martin exec new VP of helicopter division
A longtime Lockheed Martin employee who began his career as an intern and attended the University of Central Florida will become head of the division that oversees the defense giant’s helicopters, radar and cyber training programs.
Frank St. John, 52, will take over as executive vice president of Lockheed’s Rotary and Mission Systems division based in Washington D.C. after spending 18 months in the same capacity for its Missiles and Fire Control division.
Scott Greene, 61, will take over as missiles and fire control executive vice president after spending nearly two years as vice president of tactical and strike missiles there.
Marillyn Hewson, Lockheed Martin chairman, president and CEO, called St. John and Greene “proven leaders.”
“These appointments reflect Lockheed Martin’s commitment to succession planning and strong governance,” she said in a news release. “We have deep talent and expertise in our executive leadership team.”
Since St. John has led MFC, the division has built a $50 million, 250,000square-foot facility in Orlando as regional employment numbers have jumped to 8,000 Lockheed Martin workers between its and Rotary and Mission Systems.
The company during that time frame has landed a number of large contracts with significant parts of that work done in Central Florida.
Those include a $900 million U.S. Air Force contract for technology related to the agency’s long-range missile program and work related to the U.S. military’s F-35 fighter.
The appointments will take effect Aug. 26.
Tampa tech investors come to Orlando
A Tampa-based investment firm will expand into Orlando, potentially providing local tech companies a new option when they seek funding.
SeedFunders, which started in early 2018 as a way to attract more tech companies to Tampa and St. Petersburg, recently launched SeedFundersOrlando.
The consortium has made small investments into 10 startups so far, mostly in the Tampa area. However, one startup, TSOLife, started just north of Sanford and provides a storytelling platform for terminal people to share with family.
That company recently landed $1 million from a different investment group after SeedFunders poured $100,000 into it.
VentureScaleUp CEO Dennis Pape, who runs the coworking space Catalyst in downtown Orlando, will serve as CEO of SeedFundersOrlando.
“There is a capital gap here in Orlando,” said Pape, who also said investments from the fund are expected to be in the $100,000 to $150,000 range. “These types of companies, those that have not achieved revenue, are not finding capital to grow and thrive here. Their only source is friends and family. Angel investors are hard to find.”
The Orlando operation has four investors with a goal of attracting 10 by September, which is also the month the group plans to make its first investment.
SeedFunders founder David Chitester in May had explored the idea of his fund expanding to a new market.
That’s when Pape got involved with the group, which has invested in five companies per year since it launched.
“Is there five in Orlando that we can get done in a year?” Pape asked. “I think so. Are there 20? No. I think five is a reasonable goal that we could invest in and that are investible.”
Pape said the benefit of local tech companies landing investment is a momentum that could build.
“If nascent entrepreneurs working in larger companies see success, they are a lot more willing to take a chance of leaving the corporate environment and pursuing their dream,” he said. “If they don’t see that, they probably aren’t going to take that leap.”