09.26.24 / News

Phoenix Defense Welcomes Jim Orahood as SVP & GM of Aerospace Manufacturing

We are pleased to welcome Jim Orahood to Phoenix Defense.  Jim brings over 25 years of leadership experience in defense, aerospace, and space industries, consistently driving growth and operational excellence. Jim’s expertise spans defense systems, autonomous platforms, and advanced aerospace technologies. Throughout his career, Jim has led multi-site operations and program teams ranging from $10M to $150M, demonstrating a strong record of enhancing profitability, improving product delivery timelines and organizational performance. 

Most recently, Jim served as General Manager of a business unit within eBay, overseeing the transition of a robotics and AI startup following its acquisition. Prior to eBay, Jim was VP and GM at Teledyne Advanced Electronic Solutions, where he played a pivotal role driving substantial improvements in profitability and operational efficiency. Jim has held executive roles across the aerospace and defense sectors, including serving as VP and GM at Ampex Data Systems and as Division GM at L-3 Communications, where he improved profitability and operational integration across multiple sites.

Al Funderburk, Phoenix Defense CEO welcomes Jim, saying, “With a foundation in engineering management and business development, we are confident that Jim’s leadership and expertise will be invaluable as we continue to drive innovation and growth.”

Jim holds a B.S. from the United States Air Force Academy and is a certified Motorola Six Sigma Green Belt. He is also a former U.S. Army Officer and maintains a current DOD TS SCI Clearance.

About Phoenix Defense

Phoenix Defense LLC. includes Phoenix Logistics, PLI Manufacturing, Riptide Software and Phoenix Defense Germany GmbH. Phoenix Defense is an agile provider of engineering, manufacturing, information technology, and logistics and supply chain services to the defense, space, aerospace, and industrial markets. The company is made up of talented experts, with years of defense and industry experience, who reliably solve technical and programmatic problems related to aerospace design and manufacturing, as well as complex logistical challenges related to delivery of critical infrastructure (Medical, Energy, IT and Transportation).