Carl Schaefer is a well-respected and experienced executive professional with over three decades of expertise in the aerospace and defense industry. With an active Top Secret clearance in the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Intelligence Community (IC), he boasts an impressive background in large team leadership, product management, and execution of large aerospace and defense development programs that span the entire product development lifecycle.

Carl Schaefer studied at Virginia Tech and George Mason University, where he pursued M.Eng, Systems Engineering, Ph.D. (Candidate), Information Technology and Engineering, and BS, Aerospace and Ocean Engineering. He worked as an Adjunct Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at George Mason University, held various positions at Aurora Flight Sciences (A Boeing Company), was the T-100 Air Vehicle Lead at Leonardo DRS, and was the Senior Project Engineer and Project Manager at Naval Air Systems Command.

With his extensive professional experience in the industry, Carl Schaefer has successfully executed numerous projects such as the LightningStrike VTOL X-Plane Program and Small Unmanned Air Vehicle System (SUAS) Business Sector among others. His contributions have been invaluable to the companies he has worked for, including FutureLink, Inc., the Naval Air Test Center, and David Taylor Research Center.

Several titles describe Schaefer's expertise, including Program Director, former Adjunct Professor, Senior Program Manager, Project Engineer, and Director, Small Unmanned Air Vehicle System (SUAS) Business Sector. Schaefer has experience in product management and execution of large aerospace and defense development programs. He is also an expert in systems engineering and information technology.