AgEagle Aerial Systems Appoints Chairman Grant Begley as Interim CEO

Retired Navy Tactical Officer and UAVS Director to lead company into next chapter of growth

WICHITA (Kan.), Jan. 16, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. (NYSE: UAVS) a leading provider of full stack drone, sensors and software solutions for customers worldwide in the commercial and government verticals, today announced the appointment of Company Chairman Grant Begley to Interim Chief Executive Officer position, effective January 1, 2024. 

Commenting on the appointment, Begley stated, “I am honored to lead the Company marked by its deep Unmanned Aerial System (“UAS”) technology heritage. I look forward to working closely with the Board, senior leadership, and the many talented employees of AgEagle to usher a new chapter of growth for all our stakeholders. Together, we will capitalize on the growing interest from government and military agencies worldwide in AgEagle’s eBee VISION as well as increasing investments in leading UAS solutions by military and public safety organizations worldwide. I am eager to build upon the success of previous management as I leverage my industry expertise and longstanding relationships within the global defense industry to help build long-term shareholder value.”

Grant has served as a member of the Board since June 2016 and was elected Chairman in October 2023. He is an accomplished and globally recognized expert in Aerospace, Unmanned Systems and Robotics, currently serving as President of Concepts to Capabilities Consulting, LLC, a specialty consulting firm he founded in 2011 to help lead and guide development of new capabilities in Aerospace and Unmanned Aerial System (“UAS”) technologies for government/defense and commercial clients.

An active Board member of Vaya Space since 2015, Grant also served as the vortex-hybrid rocket company’s CEO from 2018 through 2022. Previous senior leadership roles have included Chief Business Development Officer and SVP of Alion Science and Technology, where he helped develop Alion’s $1 billion annual revenue Business Development Enterprise; Pentagon Senior Advisor for Unmanned Systems at the U.S. Department of Defense; Senior Director of Mission Systems Integration at Raytheon, where he led the Company’s cross-functional and cross-organizational integration of Digital Systems, Avionics, Electronics and Software operations; and Director of Advanced Concepts at Lockheed Martin, where he architected and steered development programs in the areas of UAS, Advanced Energetics and future generation weapon systems.