Research Foundation Board Member Thomas J. Masiello
Thomas J. Masiello is a nationally recognized aerospace and defense executive with more than 30 years of leadership experience spanning the U.S. Air Force, DARPA, and Northrop Grumman. He most recently served as Corporate Chief Technology Officer at Northrop Grumman, where he led the company's technology and engineering strategy and oversaw more than $1 billion in annual research and development investments.
Previously, Mr. Masiello served as Commander of the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), leading one of the nation's largest aerospace research organizations, and as an Office Director at DARPA, where he helped shape next-generation defense technologies and operational concepts. He has also led major initiatives in resilient space systems and Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2).
A former operational fighter pilot, experimental test pilot, and senior military commander, Mr. Masiello has built a distinguished career advancing breakthrough technologies from research and development into operational capability. He is widely respected for his strategic vision, technical leadership, and contributions to national security innovation.
Mr. Masiello holds degrees from the U.S. Air Force Academy, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and the Industrial College of the Armed Forces, and completed executive education at Harvard Business School. He is a member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots and the U.S. Air Force Academy Association of Graduates.