Aurora Flight Sciences today named Matthew G. Hutchison to be the company’s Chief Operating Officer. Hutchison replaces Mark C. Cherry, who was today named by Boeing as the new head of the Boeing Phantom Works. Boeing recently announced a transaction to acquire Aurora.
Hutchison currently serves as Vice President for Engineering at Aurora. He joined Aurora in 1993 as an engineering analyst supporting the company’s unmanned-aircraft development programs. He was instrumental in the creation of Athena Technologies, a spinout from Aurora that was sold to Rockwell Collins in 2008, and ultimately led their Unmanned Aircraft Systems and Controls Technologies business. Hutchison rejoined Aurora in 2014. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering, both from Virginia Tech and was recently named as an Associate Fellow in the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA).
“This is great news for Boeing and great news for Aurora. Matt and Mark are two of our industry’s outstanding leaders and this further strengthens the ties between Aurora and Boeing,” said Chairman and CEO John Langford.
