Executive Leadership Team

McKean Defense’s executive leadership team includes individuals with long service to Defense programs and with seasoned management experience. We have a history of identifying individuals who share our customers’ missions and make them their own. We are partners in the truest sense of the word.

Joseph L. Carlini

Chief Executive Officer

Joe establishes the op tempo for the McKean team and is the cornerstone of our future vision. Internally, Joe is recognized as a leader whose practical business experience and open-minded management style creates the environment where our team can feel free to be innovative and empowered to deliver unique solutions to our customers.

Prior to establishing McKean Defense, Joe was a Group Senior Vice President with SAIC, where he spent 20 years. Joe has a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Catholic University.

Chuck Bristow

President, Mikros Systems Group

Chuck is McKean’s newest addition to the executive leadership team and will be leading the newly acquired Mikros Systems under the wholly owned subsidiary. Chuck has more than 25 years of experience providing the U.S. Department of Defense with products and services.

Prior to the McKean acquisition, Chuck was the President and Chief Operating Officer at Mikros, leading the development and production of the company’s condition-based maintenance solutions. Chuck’s earlier experience includes assignments as the Director of Network Engineering for Clariti Telecommunications International, and member of the technical staff at Magnavox/General Atronics Corporation. His background includes work in hardware engineering, integration, and design of military communications equipment. Chuck has a B.S. in Technology Management from Kennedy-Western University.

Larry D. Burrill

President, McKean Technical Services Group

Larry provides the group leadership and focus to meet the formidable challenges facing the Navy today. His guidance is grounded in efficiency and experience and our customers can count on him to provide comprehensive creative solutions.

Prior to co-founding McKean Defense, Larry spent 24 years in the United States Navy, where he retired as a Captain in 2001. He then went to AMSEC and held the position of Vice President and Operational Manager. Larry earned his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Maine Maritime Academy and his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering, with a focus in robotics controls engineering, from the Naval Postgraduate School.

Roberta Chagnot

Chief Marketing Officer

Roberta is responsible for developing marketing strategies and programs, as well as managing the business development and proposal processes. Roberta has held operational management and business development management positions at Systems and Software Consortium, Inc. (SSCI), EDO, AERA, Northrop Grumman/Litton PRC, and Advanced Technology Incorporated. She has a B.S. in Oceanography from Catholic University.

Mike Denny

Chief Strategy and Growth Officer

Mike develops strategies and oversees business development to increase McKean’s presence in our current markets and to expand our footprint to new and exciting areas. He is a proven business leader with deep understanding of the acquisition, engineering, logistics and program management requirements of the Navy. Mike spent 30 years in the Defense industry prior to joining McKean, in executive leadership roles such as President and Chief Operating Officer, Vice President of Corporate Strategy and Business Development, and Vice President of Navy programs. Early on, Mike had technical and program management roles for Naval Sea Systems Command Undersea Warfare and Combat systems programs. Mike has a B.A. in Business Administration and Business from New Hampshire College.

Leonard F. DeStefano, Jr.

Chief Operating Officer

Len is focused on enhancing our business performance and boosting our organizational health to embrace the full potential of our employee ownership model. Len has the ability to blend his 34+ years of technical expertise with sound business acumen, helping McKean Defense achieve a level of service that is truly uncommon.

Prior to co-founding McKean Defense, Len was a Vice President with SAIC/AMSEC, and a Vice President at Todd Combustion. He also spent 15 years with the government as an employee of the Naval Shipyards and the NAVSEA Fleet Technical Support Center.

Don Lehner

General Manager, McKean Technical Services Group

Don oversees contract execution and workforce management of the team. He started his DOD career in 1976 as an active duty sailor. Don has spent more than 30 years supporting Defense programs and managing large, technically diverse organizations. Prior to joining McKean Defense, he was a long time employee of SAIC. Don holds a B.S. in Management Information Systems from Excelsior College.

Stuart Macaleer

Chief Financial Officer

Stuart provides focus on the strategic processes that optimize our financial infrastructure, improve profitability, streamline business operations, and enhance company value for our employee owners. Previously, he served as Senior Controller at Corporate Results, Inc. where his clients included McKean Defense and Applied Systems Research. He has also served as Division Controller and Deputy Ops Controller for SAIC. Stuart earned a B.S. in Quantitative Finance from James Madison University and a Masters in Business Administration from George Washington University.

Christine Pingelli

Chief Human Resources Officer

Christine is focused on the enhancement of employee capability and organizational effectiveness. She has more than 25 years of global human resources experience and served as Vice President of Human Resources for Verispan and as Vice President Human Resources for Unisys Corporation. Christine holds a B.A. in Psychology from Boston University and an M.A. in Industrial Psychology from Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Roderick F. Smith

Chief Technology Officer

Rod is responsible for implementing a company strategy to increase the application of our technology solutions with current and strategic customers. Specifically, Rod is part of the company’s focus on increased support to Combat Systems programs, and on growing market presence across SPAWAR’s portfolio of programs.

Rod’s senior Government positions included SPAWAR Systems Command Deputy Commander and SPAWAR Systems Center San Diego Executive Director. He has also held executive positions within the Defense Industry. Rod has a B.S. from the Naval Academy and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from the Naval Post Graduate School.

Lori Ventimiglia

President, Cabrillo Technologies

Lori leads our tactical network solutions group. Her ingenuity and ability to understand our customers’ requirements in a dynamic environment helps guide this group of highly skilled technicians. Cabrillo’s main focus is on moving your IT capabilities to the next level.

Lori has 25 years of commercial and Navy industry experience including 17 years at SAIC as both a Senior Systems Engineer and Division Manager Vice President in design and integration of complex systems. Lori was responsible for over $60M in annual revenue at SAIC including afloat Networking systems design for shipboard and shore-based tactical networks and lifecycle engineering challenges of maintaining these capabilities. She has supported the Navy in new designs, training, logistics, configuration management, and sustainment for ISNS, SCI-Networks, ADNS, and CANES for all Navy Platforms.