“We’re thrilled to be welcoming Dawne to our expanding Vmo Board,” noted Robert Brown, Executive Chairman of Vmo Aircraft Leasing. “Dawne’s significant public and private board experience along with her leadership in the aerospace, defence and space industries will add immediate value to our focus on attaining sustainable growth and unlocking the intrinsic value of our platform for our stakeholders.”
Hickton currently serves as Chair and Chief Executive Officer of Cumberland Additive, an innovative 3-D printing technology company that caters to the space, defence and aerospace markets. Prior to Cumberland Additive, Hickton was Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the 5-billion-dollar Critical Mission Solutions (“CMS”) division of Jacobs Engineering Group (“Jacobs”). In 2019, she stepped off the Jacobs Board to lead the CMS business. During her tenure, she spearheaded the cultural transformation of CMS, while driving a significant increase in exposure to high-growth, higher-value businesses. Her leadership was instrumental in establishing a new business portfolio, integrating four key acquisitions and building a new cyber and intelligence unit. Prior to Jacobs, Hickton was Chief Executive Officer of RTI International Metals, a global, publicly traded, billion-dollar supplier of advanced titanium and speciality metals. Under her leadership, RTI evolved into one of the world’s largest speciality metal manufacturers in the aerospace industry.
“I am excited to be joining the Vmo Board and look forward to working with a world-class executive team to leverage my experience and provide support as Vmo looks to significantly grow the business in the future,” commented Hickton.
Hickton’s extensive resume includes her prior roles as Director and Member of the Executive Committee of the Aerospace Industries Association, a Washington, D.C.-based organization supporting the U.S. aerospace and defence industries, and as Director and Chair of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland. Hickton has received multiple industry-wide recognitions, including Washington Exec Top 100 Execs to Watch between 2020-2022; a Top 100 STEM Leader by STEMconnector, a consortium of businesses, organizations, and universities that connect thought leaders on issues related to science, technology, engineering, and math; and 2010 Stem Woman of Distinction Award.
Hickton was recently selected by Vice President Harris to serve on the National Space Council’s Users Advisory Group. In addition, Hickton currently serves as an emeritus board member of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum and is a member of the University of Pittsburgh’s Board of Trustees. She is also President of The Wings Club Foundation and is affiliated with the Corporate Angel Network. Hickton was the first woman president of ITA, where she founded an international organization, Women in Titanium, which provides mentoring and scholarships for young women in the material sciences.