{"id":59231,"date":"2017-10-17T17:00:10","date_gmt":"2017-10-17T17:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2017\/10\/17\/boeings-new-phantom-works-head-to-come-from-aurora\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T00:18:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T00:18:36","slug":"boeings-new-phantom-works-head-to-come-from-aurora","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/industry\/2017\/10\/17\/boeings-new-phantom-works-head-to-come-from-aurora\/","title":{"rendered":"Boeing’s new Phantom Works head to come from Aurora"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 Boeing\u2019s advanced technology division, known as Phantom Works, is getting new leadership from Aurora Flight Sciences, the innovative maker of drones and automation tech that Boeing plans to buy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mark Cherry, currently Aurora\u2019s president and chief operating officer, will take the reins of Phantom Works from Darryl Davis, who ran the group for 10 years and recently moved into a \u201ccompany-wide program management role,\u201d Boeing announced Tuesday .<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMark will accelerate efforts to integrate advanced technologies and processes into solutions that our customers want and that can grow our business,\u201d Leanne Caret, Boeing\u2019s president and CEO of its defense, space and security division, said in a statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As head of Phantom Works, Cherry will likely oversee a number of key efforts \u2014 perhaps most crucially, the technologies that will drive Boeing\u2019s bids for the Air Force\u2019s and Navy\u2019s next fighter aircraft \u2014 but also developments in areas such as hypersonics and unmanned aircraft.
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Before joining Aurora in 2012, Cherry held positions at other defense and aerospace firms including 20 years of experience at Sikorsky Aircraft. He is also an Air Force veteran, where he worked a stint at the A-10 program office, and is a graduate of both the Air Force Academy and Stanford University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Boeing announced its acquisition of Aurora earlier this month, prompting analysts to hypothesize whether the buy would give Boeing \u2014 especially Phantom Works \u2014 a much needed shot in the arm after losing high profile combat aircraft contests like the long range strike bomber and joint strike fighter.<\/p>\n\n\n\t