Edward Linhart

Ed most recently was the Vice President of F-35 Global Production for Lockheed Martin. He started on the program in April 2003 and saw the F-35 from Design to Flight Test. He was responsible for implementing the most modern assembly line in the aerospace industry, to reach a production rate of one aircraft a day. Ed retired at the end of September 2007. Before this Ed was a consultant to small to large companies from 2001 to 2003. He was consulting for Lockheed Martin on the F-22 Program when they asked him to take the position on the F-35 Program. From 1990 through 2001 Ed had organized and lead purchases of small private companies and small divisions of companies such as Raychem, ALCOA and Hexcel Corporations. He sold his interests in the companies and retired in August 2001. Ed has won numerous awards during his career, the most prized being the Engineer of the year award, in 1991, presented by the California Engineers council for his work on the F-22. Ed has worked on many programs, in his 40 plus years career, the F-35 being the seventh from design to production. He has been involved in the design and production of these programs. Ed graduated from California State University, Long Beach, with a Bachelors degree in Industrial Technology, in 1975 and a Masters Degree, in 1977. He has since completed certificate programs, the latest being a Certificate in Executive Management from Insead University, in Fontainebleau near Paris France, in 1988.