Josh Thompson Named GD-OTS President

Josh Thompson, a long-time General Dynamics executive, has been appointed president of General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems. The global aerospace and defense company said Friday Thompson’s appointment will take effect on Feb. 01.

Josh Thompson’s Career History

Thompson has been serving as senior vice president and chief financial officer of Gulfstream Aerospace, another wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics, since 2020. He initially joined the parent company in 2002, holding various roles in its corporate headquarters and the OTS business unit within the Combat Systems group. Some of the positions he held were vice president of finance and CFO in 2018.

Phebe Novakovic, chairman and CEO of General Dynamics and a nine-time Wash100 Award winner, described Thompson as an accomplished executive and a highly respected leader.

“He brings a breadth of experience managing customer-focused organizations with complex manufacturing and supply chains,” said Novalovic. “He possesses the skills and commitment necessary to ensure OTS meets our customers’ need for state-of-the-art systems.”

Firat Gezen to Retire as GD-OTS President

Thompson will succeed Firat Gezen as president of the GD-OTS. Gezen is set to retire in March 2025. He has been part of the company since 1997.

“Firat has served General Dynamics with distinction for 28 years, including tenures at Land Systems, European Land Systems and OTS,” said Novakovic. “His industry expertise and strong leadership have been instrumental to the performance and growth we have achieved at OTS.”