- Alexander will focus on scaling operations and pushing the hydrogen drone maker into international markets
- Her two-decade GovCon career includes senior growth roles at ASRC Federal, L-3’s National Security Solutions and Serco
- The hire comes amid rapid expansion at Heven, whose workforce has more than doubled since the end of 2025
Heven AeroTech has appointed defense industry veteran Lexi Alexander as chief growth officer, tasked with scaling operations and expanding the company internationally as demand for long-endurance, runway-independent unmanned aerial systems rises. The Sterling, Virginia-based hydrogen-powered drone maker announced the appointment Tuesday.
Ben Levinson, CEO of Heven AeroTech, said Alexander’s experience navigating large-scale defense acquisitions gives the company the capabilities it needs to bring its hydrogen platforms to international markets. The hire follows a stretch of rapid growth in which Heven’s full-time workforce climbed from 38 employees at the end of 2025 to 88 today — a 132 percent increase.
Who Is Lexi Alexander?
Alexander brings more than 20 years of defense growth leadership with a focus on cyber warfare, AI data platforms and secure logistics in federal and international markets. Her GovCon career includes serving as senior vice president of business development and corporate strategy at ASRC Federal and, before that, as SVP of business development and chief growth officer at L-3 Communications’ National Security Solutions segment, which CACI International acquired in 2016. She has also held business development leadership roles at Serco’s North American arm and the former Raytheon Technical Services Co.
Who Else Joined the Heven AeroTech Leadership Team?
The company named Karen Swider-Lyons as vice president of hydrogen. A former U.S. Naval Research Laboratory official with more than two decades in alternative energy, she led a team at NRL that performed much of the foundational work on fuel cell unmanned aerial vehicles. Gaston Paz joins as head of manufacturing and operational strategy, drawing on aircraft production and program execution experience at Airbus and Bombardier to build Heven’s global manufacturing systems.
Heven also listed Samantha Hamilton, its VP of artificial intelligence and a former BigBear.ai delivery director, among the leadership additions; her appointment was announced in February.
The expanded bench comes as Heven deepens its federal footprint. The company secured an Army basic ordering agreement in March for its Z1 hydrogen-powered drones and has partnered with IonQ to adapt quantum technologies for its platforms.
