DILLON KANE - Key Persons
Arthur brings more than 25 years of experience in IT architecture, design, development, and testing. After receiving his BS in electrical engineering from the University of Illinois, Arthur took an engineering position at Motorola where he helped design Motorola's first commercial digital radio for the public service sector (police, fire, and other government agencies). Arthur received his MBA from Lake Forest Graduate School of Management and then moved into the financial industry working on real-time derivative pricing and risk management systems at Chicago Research and Trading Group (a leading Chicago-based derivatives firm sold to Nations Bank). At Nations Bank and then Bank of America, Arthur architected Bank of America's first web-based check image delivery system for the "Bank of America Direct" commercial cash management system. Arthur was one of the six founding consultants of STA Group. Arthur currently leads STA's Big Data Practice, and in 2011 became Director of Technology Consulting. As CTO of Aviation Safety Technologies, Arthur developed AST's SafeLand network and reporting system.
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Engineer at ChapAero
Brian Chapman, Principle Engineer at ChapAero has joined AST to lead aircraft performance engineering solutions for compliance, development, and efficiency-related programs. Retired United Airlines Engineer, Brian was responsible for the development and application of aircraft performance programs for takeoff and landing gross weights, weight and balance, flight planning performance, mission analysis, and new airplane evaluations.
After earning a degree in Aerospace Engineering from California State Polytechnic University, Brian joined Douglas Aircraft Co. in 1970 and served in various design support roles. He found a home in the Aerodynamics Department, where he helped obtain FAA Certification for new versions of DC airplanes. During his airline career, Brian was responsible for airplane performance and weight & balance at Southern Airways, North Central Airways, and Republic Airlines. Joining United Airlines in 1984, he led the development of an updated, more robust system to compute takeoff and landing gross weights. Prior to retiring from United in 2011, Brian served as Chairman of the IATA Standard Computerized Airplane Performance (SCAP) Committee and he helped organize and served as Vice President of the Society of Aircraft Performance and Operations Engineers (SAPOE).
Job Titles:
- CEO of the Conure Aviation Group
David has more than 30 years of experience in the application of advanced technology concepts and solutions for the financial services industry. As the CIO at CRT (a leading Chicago-based derivatives firm sold to Nations Bank), David led a global technology organization that built and supported real-time pricing, trade execution, and risk management capabilities that were instrumental in CRT's success and ultimate sale. At Nations Bank and then Bank of America, David was a leader in the Global Corporate and Investment Bank in finding innovative technology solutions for complex corporate banking problems. David then ran the New Ventures Group for Citadel Investment Group in Chicago before forming the Dillon Kane Group in 2001.
David's work in Dillon Kane Group includes:
• Identifying, sourcing and communicating with clients about innovative technology solutions to complex insurance and financial services problems
• Providing independent industry expertise to advise on the merits of various technology solutions without any financial stake in the result
• Advising clients on various process and organizational issues to help them optimize relationships, capabilities and results produced by the Business/IT partnership
• Conducting due diligence for clients on various technical considerations within potential partnerships or M & A candidates
Don has been involved with AST since its inception in 2008. Don is a founder and Senior Managing Director of the Dillon Kane Group ("DKG"), an advisory firm and business incubator based in Chicago. Don drove the evaluation of the market opportunity to commercialize Dr. Rado's intellectual property. Working with Bob Francis, a former Vice Chairman of the NTSB, Dr. Rado and Mike Dahl, he met with Air Carriers, Pilots, FAA and other aviation industry participants over several years. The process lead to the development of a business model which included industry and FAA validation and the introduction of the SafeScan technology at airports. Don helps coordinate a wide set of resources within DKG supporting AST.
Don works closely with Joe Vickers to support the commercial rollout of AST's service offering. AST is evolving from a shared services to a dedicated resource model. He will continue to support efforts to build both domestic and international networks of connected fleets and airports. In addition, he is focused on the longer term strategy of AST's business model. AST will remain focused on developing new technologies and service offerings which are transformational for network participants.
Don founded DKG with David Dillon in 2001. Prior to founding DKG, he worked at Goldman Sachs for 14 years, leaving the firm as a Managing Director in the Investment Banking Division. He specialized in Financial Services and established the firm's Financial Institution's Technology Practice. He worked closely with senior management of major financial institutions evaluating strategic and financial options during a time of tremendous industry change.
Don is married with 4 children and graduated from the Kellogg Graduate School of Management at Northwestern and the University of Illinois.
Job Titles:
- Chief Scientist
- Director of the Vehicle Surface Interaction Research Center and the Crash Safety Research Center at the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute
Dr. Zoltan Rado is the director of the Vehicle Surface Interaction research Center and the Crash Safety Research Center at the Pennsylvania Transportation Institute. His research interests include vehicle dynamics: vehicle surface interaction, dynamic frictional characteristics and braking; road surface characteristics; automotive-aviation safety: dynamic vehicle modeling and simulation, finite element analysis; and vehicle crash safety research; advanced vehicle technologies among many others.
Dr. Rado's applied research initiatives include real-time prediction of aircraft landing dynamics, braking friction and stopping distance from flight data recorder information; winter runway friction measurement research (sponsored by NASA, FAA, Transport Canada, EU); investigation of the braking and frictional behavior of a several different aircraft types involved in runway overrun accidents (Norway, USA, Canada, Japan) worked with different organizations on aircraft braking and aircraft friction modeling and analysis (NASA, NTSB, JAA); a multiphase project to research, define and develop the next-generation highway maintenance vehicle (sponsored by Iowa DOT, Minnesota DOT and Michigan DOT); and the development of one-of-a-kind variable slip friction measurement research equipment; the research and design of special digital algorithms and filtering for inertial accelerometer and inclinometer systems for use in braking and vehicle dynamics research, design and development of ultrasonic and special "Light Slicing" measurement of surface texture for friction research; development of an integrated truck-based surface characteristics measurement system (for The Ministry of Transportation and Water Management, The Netherlands). Dr. Rado presently serves as the chair of:
• Vice-Chairman of ASTM Committee E17 on Vehicle - Pavement Systems; Group II
• Member of the ASTM E17 committee on Vehicle - Pavement Systems
• Member of the ASTM F9 committee on Tires
Captain Hank Krakowski is CEO of the Conure Aviation Group, a global aviation consultancy service. Hank previously served as the Chief Operating Officer of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). As COO, he was responsible for all aspects of the US air traffic control system - operations, maintenance, financial performance, research, acquisition of new systems & equipment and planning for NEXTGEN, the air traffic control system of the future.
Hank came to the FAA from United Airlines where he spent nearly 30 years in a variety of flight and senior management positions. His last position was Vice President of Flight Operations, and he was previously United's Vice President of Corporate Safety, Security & Quality assurance. Hank has flown the Boeing 727, 737, 747 and Douglas DC-8, DC-9, and DC-10, as well as a variety of commuter and corporate turboprop and jet aircraft. He is also an experienced aircraft dispatcher and certified Airframe & Powerplant mechanic. He has a Master's degree in Business & Management and a Bachelor's degree in Aircraft Maintenance Engineering. Hank has served as co-chair of the Collier Trophy winning Commercial Aviation Safety Team, chair of the Star Alliance Safety Committee, and a member of the Airlines 4 America Safety and Operations Council.
Joe oversees the authorization, technical development and commercialization processes of the SafeLand and SafeScan reporting systems.
Previously, Joe's career centered on airline operation control centers. In addition to being responsible for United Airlines Operations Control Center (OCC), Joe was responsible for business process redesign and consolidation of UAL's OCC structure prior to and including the Continental Airlines merger. Joe developed the design requirements of the UAL Network Operations Control Center and has consulted internationally on OCC projects since he retired from UAL.
A career spanning deregulation, Joe held leadership roles in the OCC's of Midway and Altair Airlines. A CFI with multi-engine/instrument ratings, Joe remains active in general aviation and has served as a FAA Designated Examiner for almost 20 years. Joe has an MBA from University of Illinois at Chicago and his undergrad was at Florida Institute of Technology.
John Gadzinski has flown as an F-14 carrier pilot during two combat tours. In 1996 he joined Southwest Airlines and later served as air safety chairman for the pilot association and then as director of safety for the Coalition of Airline Pilot Associations. John was a member of the numerous NTSB investigations involving runway excursions as well as the TALPA ARC. Currently he is president of Four Winds Aerospace Safety Corp and in 2016 was awarded a patent for a unique cockpit display designed to alert pilots in the event of poor braking during landing. He has been a featured speaker at NASA, the Flight Safety Foundation, and numerous international conferences as well as featured in podcasts and articles including the New York Times. John still flies as a captain on the B737 with over 12,000 hours of flight time and lives in Virginia Beach.
Job Titles:
- Chief
- Technology Architect
- Chief IT
Kevin is the Chief IT Architect for Aviation Safety Technologies with more than 26 years of experience as a Director, Manager, Consultant, Architect and Developer. Relying on his extensive years of experience providing technology solutions, he developed the Application, Technical and Data architecture for their flagship product, Safeland. Additionally, Kevin serves as Director of Technology Consulting for STA Group, LLC, a sister company, managing an advanced development center to support a leading P&C insurance company. Based in downtown Chicago, the development center provides premium resources and services to accelerate delivery of quality solutions enabling the client to meet its business goals.
Previously, Kevin was a Manager and Senior IT Architect for a project to develop a next-generation claims system for a leading P&C insurance company. Prior to his involvement in the claims project, Kevin helped jump-start their Enterprise Architecture program. At his previous client, Kevin was Manager and Senior IT Architect working to customize STA Group's Application Security Architecture (ASA) framework for the client's Enterprise Entitlement solution to support their Internet based treasury management system.
Michael started his business career in the chemicals and plastics industry and began participating in a series of entrepreneurial ventures beginning in 1984. Dahl lead growth businesses in paints and coatings, building materials, plastic recycling, synthetic lumber manufacturing, and pipe extrusion. He has directed the diverse efforts of start-up organizations with no revenue and a handful of employees, as well as entities with hundreds of employees and hundreds of million dollars in revenue. In addition to his role at AST and Friction Sciences, Mr. Dahl serves as Director of WL Plastics Corporation, Rotating Equipment Specialists and Critical Process Systems. He is Chairman of the trade association The Alliance For Polyethylene Pipe, and is the past Chairman and Director of community cancer support organization Wellness House Foundation. Mr. Dahl holds a BS in Business Administration degree from Kansas State University.
Willie has more than 25 years of experience helping technology companies carve competitive differentiation, fuel growth, and optimize brand performance. He has managed global marketing for diverse portfolios encompassing enterprise-class software, hardware, IoT, networking and infrastructure, cloud-based services, professional services and support, and other disciplines.
Willie's prior experience includes strategic marketing leadership roles at CommScope and Motorola, and creative engagements with Xerox, IBM, Honeywell, and dozens of other technology leaders. He has helped launch start-ups, revitalize brands, and position companies for successful acquisition.