Tom Vecchiolla to take the helm at VT Systems

Singapore-based ST Engineering announced on September 10 the appointment of Tom Vecchiolla as president and CEO (designate) of its U.S. Headquarters, Alexandria, VA-based VT Systems. He will take over as president and CEO from General (Ret.) John Coburn on December 1, 2018, who will relinquish his CEO position but remain as non-executive chairman of VT Systems.

Gen. Coburn has been leading VT Systems for 17 years since it was set up in 2001 to support the group’s overseas expansion. Today, the U.S. is the group’s single largest market outside of Singapore, with operating companies and major operations in 16 cities, contributing more than 20 percent to group revenue.

“John’s leadership has been pivotal in the growth of our U.S. businesses, evidenced by the scale and size of our U.S. presence today. I am glad that the group can continue to benefit from his proven ability, domain expertise and network as he devotes more of his time to engaging closely with customers and government agencies in the U.S.,” said Vincent Chong, president and CEO of ST Engineering.  “This is an excellent time for Tom to join the group as we focus on growing our U.S. presence, particularly in the defense segment. With his proven record of corporate leadership roles in taking international and domestic defense business to high levels, Tom is indeed a valuable addition to the group’s leadership bench.”

“I am fortunate to have served and played a part in ST Engineering’s growth in the U.S. With a list of renowned and leading businesses in the U.S., there is so much more potential for the group to tap on,” said Gen. Coburn. “The time is now right for me to hand over the leadership as ST Engineering embarks on its next phase of growth and opportunities, with the U.S. market playing a more critical role in driving the success of the group.”

Vecchiolla brings with him a wealth of experience in the defense industry, with 17 years in the private sector and 24 years in the public and military sector. Prior to joining VT Systems, he founded his consultancy firm based in Washington D.C. to provide senior advisory services for global aerospace and defense clients. From 2002 to 2017, Vecchiolla was with Raytheon Company, where he held several executive management positions in business development and strategy as well as sales and marketing. His last position was president, Raytheon International, Inc., where he oversaw the international sales and marketing efforts for more than 80 nations globally, and spearheaded market expansion into significant markets as well.  He also held various business development leadership roles, strategy and competitive capture positions, driving the top line and market development for a wide variety of defense and security programs both within the U.S. and globally.

Vecchiolla holds a Master of Science in Systems Management from the University of Southern California and Bachelor of Science from the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Maryland.

Source: ST Engineering