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Doug Kitani joined Erickson as Chief Executive Officer and Director, having served as Chief Executive Officer and Director of IAP Worldwide Services, a global defense services company specializing in logistics, expeditionary infrastructure, facilities engineering and power systems.

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His prior experience includes leading portfolio strategies and corporate development for DynCorp International. Mr. Kitani is known for his expertise in mergers and acquisitions and quality improvement, having spent many years working in the private equity investment field. Mr. Kitani earned his MBA in Finance and Strategy from Emory University and graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point. He served as a U.S. Army helicopter pilot (qualified in the UH-1, OH-58, and UH-60 while completing 11 years of active and reserve duty), is a member of the AOPA and is a supporter of the Green Beret Foundation.

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As Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Wideman oversees the preparation and approval of all financial reports, the management of cash flow and forecasting, as well as all financial accounting. His background includes wide-ranging experiences in Corporate Financial Management, Financial Planning & Analysis, Investor Relations, Corporate Treasury, Financial Risk Management and Fixed-Income asset management for companies in the consumer products, apparel/footwear, software and government contracting industry groups.

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Most recently, Wideman served as Vice President of Finance and Corporate Treasurer for FLIR Systems in Wilsonville, Oregon, which designs, develops and manufactures thermal imaging and sensing devices for government and commercial enterprises. He holds a B.S. in Finance & Economics from Tuskegee University in Tuskegee, AL as well as an MBA from the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia.

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Melissa Berube joined Erickson in October of 2013. Her background includes significant experience in mergers and acquisitions, corporate finance, public and private offerings of debt and equity, and extensive contract negotiation experience. Her responsibilities at Erickson include contract negotiation and management, corporate governance and compliance, and litigation management.

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Ms. Berube is a graduate of the University of Portland and earned her law degree at the University of Washington in Seattle. She is a member of the Oregon Hispanic Bar Association, the Hispanic National Bar Association, Team Red Lizard, a local running club, and a volunteer gala committee member of Incight, a local non-profit group dedicated to promoting higher education and career opportunities for persons with disabilities.

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Mr. Cochie joined Erickson in January 2018 having served more than two decades in public and private sector roles in the defense industry. His expertise includes defense acquisition, systems engineering and government affairs. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Washington Operations and Special Programs for Nammo, a global leader of advanced ammunition and energetics products. Previously, he served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army, serving as a helicopter pilot and a procurement and acquisition officer.

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Cochie is a veteran of deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq with the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (qualified in the MH47G Chinook and MH6M Littlebird). He holds a B.S. in Design Engineering and a M.S. in Industrial Engineering from the University of Central Florida and an EMBA from Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business and serves on the boards of the Army Aviation Association of American (AAAA) and NDIA Special Operations/Low Intensity Conflict (SO/LIC).

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Hayden Olson is responsible for all aircraft and part manufacturing, maintenance, repair and overhaul, global field maintenance, and supply chain management. He most recently held the position of VP of Administration, which included the human capital, corporate safety and marketing departments. Prior to that, he served as interim VP of the Government business and director of finance for multiple business units within Erickson. Hayden brings a wealth of aviation and business leadership experience to the Erickson team having previously served in management roles with DynCorp International’s Department of State INL Air Wing program, and for RSM McGladrey, Inc. as an advisory consultant.

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Hayden earned his Bachelors of Science in Corporate Finance at the University of Central Florida and his MBA from Rollins College, with a concentration in Management and Entrepreneurship.

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Brittany Wise is responsible for all civilian focused air operations including Erickson’s global infrastructure and firefighting activities. Brittany previously served as Erickson’s Senior Director of Commercial Sales. Brittany brings more than 15 years’ experience in the aviation industry, working in sales, business development and operation roles supporting multiple helicopter operators, platforms and missions around the World.

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Brittany graduated from Southern Oregon University with a degree in Business Management, and is currently working toward completion of her MBA at University of Washington.

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Chris Schuldt is responsible for Erickson’s Aviation Operations Center of Excellence tasked with managing flight operations, field maintenance and program management activities for Erickson’s operating fleet. He is also responsible for Erickson’s corporate marketing team.

Chris has been with the company for over 10 years, serving in numerous corporate and field-based roles. After joining Erickson as the President of Evergreen Helicopters, he led operations and business development teams in Erickson’s civil and defense business units. Most recently Chris served as Chief of Staff to our CEO.

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Chris earned his Bachelor of Science in Business Management at Linfield College, and his MBA at University of California Los Angeles with a concentration in Finance.

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Jon McLaughlin is responsible for Erickson’s strategic planning and corporate development function. He leads Erickson’s M&A and strategic partnership efforts across the A&D value stream with an emphasis on new technologies. Prior to joining Erickson, Jon was Director of Corporate Development and Special Projects at IAP, focusing on both internal and external growth initiatives. Earlier in his career Jon was a founding member of a leading institutional asset management firm in New York City and worked in financial services in both London and New York.

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Jon holds a B.A. in Economics from Columbia University and a MBA from the Kelley School of Business where he was a Consortium Fellow.