AeroVironment has named Mary Clum president of its Space, Cyber and Directed Energy business, effective Oct. 24, 2025.
Clum currently serves as executive vice president of Space and Directed Energy Mission Systems and will report directly to Chairman, President and CEO Wahid Nawabi. Trip Ferguson, who is stepping down, will stay on for a limited time to support the transition.
“I’m excited to guide SCDE’s talented team as we take our mission even further,” Clum said. “Across all domains, the SCDE team is engineering a safer future for our nation and its allies. Our people have provided more than 260 systems on orbit, with proven performance in the harshest environments. They are delivering advanced solutions, supporting orbital warfare, space domain awareness, resilient communications, command and control, all while degrading adversarial capabilities.”
Clum joined AeroVironment in May 2025 through the company’s acquisition of BlueHalo, where she served on the executive leadership team as president of the Product and Space Systems portfolio. In that role, she oversaw product innovation and manufacturing operations, driving growth across the portfolio and aligning with the company’s long-term strategic goals. Earlier, she spent more than a decade at Raytheon, including as senior manager for the Directed Energy and Mobile Range product areas.
“Mary has the experience, expertise, and resolve to lead SCDE as we enhance our industry-leading technologies, scale our production capabilities, innovate into new markets, and strengthen our relationships with our partners,” Nawabi said. “Since joining AV, Mary has expertly guided emerging technologies – including directed energy weapon systems and long-haul space laser communication terminals – from concept to reality with the urgency required to fulfill critical national security missions. We are confident she will continue to advance our growth and leadership in SCDE.”
Michael Pace, AeroVironment’s senior vice president of Space RF Systems, has been promoted to senior vice president of Space and Directed Energy Mission Systems. A technical expert in advanced technologies such as digital beamformed phased arrays and software-defined architectures, Pace joins Johnathan Jones, recently named senior vice president of Cyber and Mission Solutions, on Clum’s Space, Cyber and Directed Energy leadership team.
“It has been a privilege to lead AV’s SCDE segment,” Ferguson said. “Over the past three years, I have had the pleasure of working closely with Mary and have seen firsthand her innovative vision. I know SCDE is in good hands with her at the helm and believe AV is well positioned to capitalize on the range of market opportunities ahead. I look forward to watching the continued growth of AV as I spend more time with my family.”
Clum won WashingtonExec’s 2024 Pinnacle Award for Space Executive of the Year (Private Company).