Tom Vice

Background

About Tom Vice

I’ve always had a passion for engineering and fast machines. As a child, I watched in awe every Apollo rocket launch. I would run outside to see military jets fly over my backyard and would often be found under the hood of my mom’s hot rod Chevy Nova. I learned early on that bureaucracy never made anything better, and that there is no such thing as impossible. I have had the good fortune to work with creative, courageous, and compassionate people that share a vision of doing things that will make a real difference. I’ve been involved in the development of revolutionary aircraft and spacecraft for over 3 decades. My life has been defined by the incredible journeys I have taken – mostly because I ran toward the revolutions – and maybe even created a few myself. I was the former President of Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Systems and Technology Service’s sectors – retiring after nearly 31 years. I joined Aerion after retiring from Northrop Grumman to revolutionize global mobility. It is amazing to me that today we are flying at the same speed we were in 1958 when the Boeing 707 was introduced. In general aviation, the speed of the aircraft has only improved by 10% over 50 years. At Aerion, we set out to change that. We envisioned a future where people can travel between any two points on our planet within just three hours. I remain resolute in achieving this vision. We waste far too much time and endure way too much friction traveling across our planet. Today, I am really excited to be working with the brilliant and dedicated Sierra Space team. We are building the future space transportation system and amazing new destination habitats. We will enable humanity to live, work, explore, and vacation in Space! I am a hands-on operating executive, systems architect and engineer with unquestionable integrity, broad industry experience, and proven strategic, financial, and technical skills. I have a very thoughtful, creative, and collaborative style. I believe that I am a visionary and inspiring leader, with relentless discipline and long-term focus. I earned a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Southern California. USC taught me not only the laws and methods of engineering, but they also taught me the true beauty of engineering.