SIMI VALLEY, Calif., June 15, 2021 – AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in intelligent, multi-domain robotic systems, today announced the relocation of its corporate headquarters from Simi Valley, Calif. to Arlington, Va., effective June 15, 2021.

“The greater Washington D.C. area is where many of our key customers are located, and expanding our presence in the region will further our access to decision makers, influencers and talent,” said Wahid Nawabi, AeroVironment president and chief executive officer. “Our recent acquisition of Progeny Systems ISG and our new Artificial Intelligence Innovation Center expand our footprint near the Beltway and build on our momentum as we continue to grow our portfolio and global scope. We look forward to growing our Washington, D.C. presence and continuing to serve our customers with solutions that help them Proceed with Certainty.”

AeroVironment will maintain its presence and existing operations in Simi Valley, Calif. and other existing sites across the United States and in Germany.

Esper brings deep strategic insight and operational excellence to support Epirus’ mission and build powerful, innovative products that further national security effortsWASHINGTON – (May 18, 2021) – Epirus, Inc., a Silicon Valley-backed, high growth technology company, today announced that Mark T. Esper, Ph.D. has joined the company’s Board of Directors. Dr. Esper served as the 27thUnited States Secretary of Defense from 2019 to 2020 and the 23rd Secretary of the Army from 2017 to 2019.

“History informs us that those who are first to harness once-in-a-generation technologies have a decisive advantage well into the future. At a time when new, low-cost technologies can empower our adversaries and make anyone a target, America must stay ahead of its rivals as we modernize and protect our national security interests for years to come. Epirus stands at the vanguard of those accelerating military and homeland security applications of game-changing technology to disarm drones used to launch lethal attacks against our service members and civilians anytime, anywhere. Addressing emerging threats and challenges was always a priority of mine at the Pentagon and will continue to be going forward. Epirus has proven itself able to rapidly innovate and adapt in ways that can make it a critical partner to the US government and our allies,” Dr. Esper said.

“Recent drone attacks targeting U.S. forces and concerns here at home underscore the urgent need for the deployment of effective Counter-UAS technology in the field of operations. At Epirus, we have made it our mission to meet this challenging problem by developing a solid-state, software-defined, high-power microwave to disable potentially harmful electronics. We cannot wait for the loss of human life to become the catalyst for change when technology exists that can stop threats today. Adding a visionary leader like Mark to the Board solidifies our ability to bring to market the technology we need to help protect the U.S. warfighter and develop other new applications of our technology for broad commercial use,” said Grant Verstandig, Epirus Executive Chairman and Co-Founder.

This appointment supports Epirus’ commitment to bring in experienced operators to its Board of Directors to guide the company through its next phase of development and growth. The company’s Board of Directors is led by its Executive Chairman and Co-Founder Grant Verstandig, Chairman of Rally Health as well as Founder of Red Cell Partners and an active entrepreneur, venture capital investor, and philanthropist; John Tenet, a Founding Partner at Red Cell Partners and previously a partner at 8VC; Alex Moore, a partner at 8VC as well as a founding employee and Director of Operations at Palantir and Co-Founder of NodePrime; Geoff Lewis, Founder and Managing Partner of Bedrock; Leigh Madden, Epirus Chief Executive Officer; and Bo Marr, Epirus Chief Technology Officer and Co-founder.

Dr. Esper joins the board following the company’s May 6 announcement of an advisory board of powerhouse leaders including: Michael Ovitz, Founder, CKE and Co-Founder, Creative Artists Agency and former President, Walt Disney Company; Sam Palmisano, Chairman, Center for Global Enterprise and former CEO/Chairman, IBM; Jerry Yang, Founding Partner, AME Cloud Ventures and Co-Founder and former CEO, Yahoo! Inc.; Richard Mattera, Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer, UnitedHealth Group; and Jeffrey Grant, Board Member, The Aerospace Corporation and former Vice President and General Manager of Space Systems Division, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems.

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• Tim Conver to retire as chairman of the AeroVironment Board of Directors, effective at the company’s 2021 annual meeting of shareholders

• Wahid Nawabi, president and chief executive officer, elected Chairman of the AeroVironment Board

SIMI VALLEY, Calif., May 11, 2021 – AeroVironment, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in intelligent, multi-domain robotic systems, today announced that its Board of Directors has unanimously elected President and Chief Executive Officer Wahid Nawabi to succeed Tim Conver as chairman upon Mr. Conver’s planned retirement from the Board of Directors, effective at the company’s 2021 annual meeting of shareholders. Mr. Nawabi joined AeroVironment in 2011 and assumed the role of president and chief executive officer in May 2016. 

Tim Conver has served as a member of the AeroVironment Board of Directors since 1988 and assumed the role of president in 1991, then chief executive officer in 1992. Mr. Conver was elected chairman of AeroVironment’s Board of Directors in 2007, upon the retirement of founder Dr. Paul MacCready, Jr.  During his tenure, Mr. Conver led AeroVironment’s transformation into a global leader in unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), tactical missile systems (TMS) and high-altitude, pseudo-satellites (HAPS), leading the company’s initial public offering in 2007 and growing annual revenue from $10 million to $264 million in fiscal year 2016.

“As part of our commitment to strong corporate governance, the AeroVironment Board of Directors maintains an ongoing and deliberate process for managing succession,” said Arnold Fishman, lead independent director. “Tim Conver has served AeroVironment as a visionary leader and a disciplined Chairman of the Board whose contributions have molded the company into the recognized leader in our industry. Wahid’s track record of effective leadership and demonstrated results as chief executive officer, which include three consecutive years of profitable, double-digit revenue growth, are fundamental to the Board’s decision to elect Wahid as the next Chairman.  We are excited to welcome Wahid to this new role as part of our planned succession process.”

“On behalf of AeroVironment’s Board of Directors, I thank Tim for his vision, determination and guidance,” said Wahid Nawabi. “Tim helped cultivate a unique company culture focused both on defining the future in our markets and allowing us to deliver uniquely valuable solutions that help our customers and employees Proceed with Certainty.  Tim’s leadership and mentorship have resulted in countless American and allied lives saved as a result of our innovative UAS and TMS solutions.”