Speakers

James Chew is the Senior Global Group Director, Aerospace and Defense, Cadence Design Systems, as well as the Chair, NDIA Science and Engineering Technology Division. Based in Washington, DC, Chew regularly interacts with senior level executives within the Executive and Legislative branches of the Federal government and senior executives in the global Defense Industrial Base. He developed and is leading the execution of a business development campaign that, in eight years, has made Cadence the leader in Digital Electronic Systems Engineering within the DoD.

In his forty years of experience, Mr. Chew has served as a propulsion engineer for Boeing Aerospace Company, senior engineer for SPARTA, Director of Rocket Propulsion Technology Plans and Programs for the Air Force Phillips Laboratory, Staff Specialist for Weapons Technology for the Office of the Secretary of Defense, and the Director of Air and Surface Weapons Technology for the Office of Naval Research. Mr. Chew also served as Exide’s (Nasdaq:XIDE) Vice President for the Military and Specialty Global Business Unit, Product Marketing Consultant for the Dodge Division of Chrysler Corporation, General Motor’s American Tuner Program Manager, T/J Technologies Chief Operating Officer, Vice President, Science and Technology, ATK (NYSE: ATK), and SAIC’s (NYSE: SAI) Vice President, Space Systems Development Division, L-3 Communications Holdings (NYSE: LLL) Director, Advanced Technologies and Concepts and Director, Strategic Development, General Atomics.

While at Boeing Aerospace, Mr. Chew developed the solid divert propulsion system that transitioned to the Navy’s Theater Missile Defense program, developed Boeing’s first electro-magnetic gun, and wrote the nation’s first technical overview paper on carbon- carbon rocket nozzle technology. At SPARTA, Mr. Chew co-managed the first SETA contract for the Air Force Rocket Propulsion laboratory. With the Air Force, Mr. Chew led the research team that received the 1991 Air Force Science and Technology Achievement Award for the applications of low-cost polymers for solid rocket propulsion systems. He led the development and execution of the national rocket propulsion technology program, known as the Integrated High Payoff Rocket Propulsion Technology program (IHPRPT), for which he and his team received the Federal Executive Board Major Accomplishment Award. With the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Mr. Chew led the development and execution of a focused technology program to sustain the nation’s strategic systems. At the Office of Naval Research, Mr. Chew re-focused Navy’s $100M Air and Surface Weapons Technology portfolio to quickly create new Naval warfighting capabilities. For these efforts, Mr. Chew was awarded two commendations from the Chief of Naval Research for program management excellence. He has authored over sixty technical publications in the areas of aerospace/defense technologies and program management.

Mr. Chew’s auto industry accomplishments include developing the first global “enthusiast/youth tuner” battery, developing and leading the execution of General Motor’s youth enthusiast program, and contributing to the “The New Dodge” strategic marketing campaign. Mr. Chew is an active automotive journalist and is a member of the Motor Press Guild.
At T/J Technologies, Mr. Chew refocused the company to its competency of developing new materials for advanced electrochemistry applications. Under his leadership, T/J was recognized by Crain’s Business Daily as one of Michigan’s “20 Largest Technology- based Companies” and named as one of “50 Michigan Companies to Watch” by the Michigan Small Business Association. Mr. Chew completed the successfully merging of operations between T/J Technologies and A123 Systems (Nasdaq: AONE). At ATK, Mr. Chew developed and executed the corporate strategy to transform ATK from a commodity weapons supplier to a leader in the Space and Defense systems market. At SAIC, Mr. Chew pioneered the concept of using commercial satellites to host DoD payloads to affordably meet the National Security Strategy. At L-3, Chew led the product development and transition of technologies to the DoD and commercial markets. At General Atomics, Chew transitioned a unique diesel fuel systems technology to the global automotive suppliers.

Mr. Chew earned a lifetime California State Community College teaching credential in engineering. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the California State Polytechnic University, Pomona and a Master of Science degree in Systems Management from the University of Southern California. Mr. Chew is a graduate of the Stanford Executive Engineering Program and the Defense Systems Management College Advanced Program Management Program. He earned DoD Level 3 certification in Acquisition, Program Management, and in System, Planning, Development, Research and Engineering and certified by the United States Air Force as a Level 3 Acquisition Professional. Chew was recognized as the 2009 California State Polytechnic University, Pomona College of Engineering Distinguished Alumnus. He also was a panel member on 2012 National Academies “Assuring the U.S. Department of Defense a Strong Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) Workforce” panel. From 2021 to 2023, Chew was a Special Government Employee (SGE) to the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense (Acquisition and Sustainment). In 2023, Chew was inducted into the Hall of Fame of his High School alma mater, Antelope Valley High School (Lancaster, CA).