Bell Helicopter announced recently that Lisa Atherton has been named executive vice president of military business. In this role, Atherton will be responsible for providing strategic direction, overall management and performance for all government programs and business development efforts. Atherton succeeds Mitch Snyder who was recently appointed Bell Helicopter president and CEO.<\/p>\n
Atherton joined Bell Helicopter in 2012 and has held several leadership positions within military programs, including V-22 program manager for the V-22 program office and director of military programs. Prior to her new role, Atherton served as Bell Helicopter\u2019s vice president of global military business development, where she led the combined domestic and international military business development activities, culminating in this year\u2019s landmark foreign military sales agreements for both the V-22 and H-1 programs.
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\n\u201cLisa has been integral in the great success we\u2019ve achieved with the V-22 and H-1 programs and the growing momentum of the V-280 Valor tiltrotor,\u201d said Mitch Snyder, Bell Helicopter president and CEO. \u201cUnder her leadership and guidance, I know the success will only continue and increase for our military programs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prior to joining Bell Helicopter, Atherton was the vice president of Area Attack at Textron Defense Systems. Before joining Textron in 2007, she spent eight years at Air Combat Command\u2019s Directorate of Requirements helping shape the budget and operational requirements and needs for the Combat Air Forces.<\/p>\n
Before these roles, Atherton served as an officer in the United States Air Force. She earned her Master\u2019s in Business Administration from the Mason School of Business at the College of William and Mary and a bachelor\u2019s degree in legal studies from the United States Air Force Academy.<\/p>\n