Leadership

John Purvis is the Chief Executive Officer of Edge Autonomy. Prior to joining Edge, he served as the CEO of Edge Autonomy, a leading provider of innovative small unmanned autonomous systems that merge the payload capacity and endurance of larger systems with the flexibility of a more portable vehicle. Before joining Edge Autonomy, John served as an Operating Partner responsible for Aerospace and Defense for Trive Capital, a Dallas-based private equity firm. In this role, John served as CSO for AEVEX Aerospace, focused on building a Special Operations and C4ISR portfolio through organic growth, technology development and acquisitions. Prior to Trive, John served as the CEO of AME Unmanned Air Systems and, following Lockheed Martin’s acquisition of AME, as Director of Unmanned Integration Systems within Lockheed’s Ship and Aviation Systems business. Before AME, John served as the Vice President of Aviation Programs and Vice President of Technology at Sierra Nevada Corporation. John received his MS and BS in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado. 

Josh Brungardt is the Chief Operating Officer of Edge Autonomy and holds a faculty position at Oregon State University. Josh was also the former Executive Vice President and Co-Founder of PARADIGMisr. He has served as the UAS Director for Kansas State University helping to grow one of the largest and renowned UAS Academic programs in the United States. Mr. Brungardt has also been Chief Pilot for High Performance Aircraft Training, EFIS Training, and Lancair Aircraft. In addition to serving on the Kansas Governor’s Aviation Advisory Council from 2010 to 2012 as the UAS Chair, he has attended Senior Officer training on the Predator UAS at Creech AFB with the 11th Reconnaissance SQ. and has served as an instructor and test pilot to the U.S. Air Force. He holds ATP & CFII ratings with over 4000 hours, as well as having raced at the Reno National Air Races. In 2006, Brungardt founded the pilot training company EFIS Training, which focused on pilots transitioning to glass cockpits.

Brungardt received a bachelor’s degree in airway science and an associate’s degree in professional pilot from Kansas State University in 2002. In 2013 Josh was awarded the Alumni Fellow of the year award from KSU’s College of Technology and Aviation.

Scott Kirk is the Chief Financial Officer of Edge Autonomy, and is responsible for leading the finance, accounting and IT organizations, and overseeing all human resource, real estate, legal and risk management activities. Scott is an operationally focused executive with experience building companies and scaling operations in partnership with private equity partners and Fortune 500 leadership teams. Scott brings fifteen years of experience in unmanned and autonomous systems engineering and manufacturing operations to Edge Autonomy, including prior leadership positions at Edge Autonomy, Lockheed Martin Unmanned Integrated Systems, Chandler/May and AME Unmanned Air Systems. Scott holds a BS in Finance from California Polytechnic State University and is a CFA charterholder.

Allen is a twenty-year veteran of the aerospace market and will lead the organization’s efforts to further develop, enhance, and innovate on our offerings. Prior to joining Edge Autonomy, Allen held key positions throughout the industry including the CTO position at Skydweller Aero Inc, Chief Architect for special programs at Northrop Grumman, and Chief Engineer for AME Unmanned Air Systems. Allen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering from Utah State University and a Master of Science degree in Aeronautical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champagne.

Jennifer is a trusted voice in the HR community, both in the government contracting market and beyond. She will lead Edge Autonomy’s Human Resources function including its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) efforts. Prior to joining Edge Autonomy, Jennifer spent over twenty years growing HR functions around the industry including MBDA Missile Systems and Systems Application & Technologies, Inc. (SA-Tech). A native of California, she holds an MBA from California Lutheran University and a Bachelor of Arts from the California State University.

Joshua Stinson is the Chief Growth Officer at Edge Autonomy. Prior to his current role, Josh was the Vice President of Business Development at QinetiQ Inc., where he managed all ISR and Airborne Sensor opportunities.
During his twenty years in the industry, Josh has served a Business Development Direct at Peraton. At Peraton, Joshua worked to increase the company’s footprint with the US Army, Special Operations, and the Intelligence Community (IC). He has also acted as the Director of the National Intelligence Center at Huntington Ingalls Industries (HII), managing all the intelligence programs in support of the Department of Defense (DoD) and IC partners. Josh’s thirteen years of service as a US Army Special Forces operator and his time as an Intelligence Officer in the Defense Clandestine Service (DCS) have given him a unique insight into the needs of his customers. He is dedicated to providing each customer with the services and expertise they need to achieve their objectives.

Josh earned a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Pepperdine University.

Sam Miller is responsible for guiding the transformation of customer requirements into best-in-class products, driving strategic vision in our product portfolio, and ensuring that customers are fully supported from concept through end-of-life.
After receiving a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from Iowa State University in 2001, Sam served a seven-year tenure at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, working in conceptual design and executing the rapid development of numerous classified UAS programs from concept through deployment. He also acted as the Operations and Maintenance Support Manager for Skunk Works’ SUAS programs for three years, further inspiring customer success through tailored training and support. Sam joined Edge Autonomy in 2009 as Engineering Manager, he adapted and expanded into multiple roles to support the business as it grew. He ultimately transitioned to Executive Vice President and COO, overseeing daily operations for over six years.

Throughout his career, Sam has acted as a catalyst in the success of UAS programs by harmonizing with customers, challenging paradigms, and fostering a culture of accelerated innovation. With over two decades of UAS experience, Sam’s pragmatic approach to problem solving and customer-centric dedication offers a unique incentive to Edge Autonomy.

Gordon Jennings leads Edge Autonomy’s flight control effort and provides platform-wide technical mentorship grounded in four decades of engineering experience. In his previous role at Edge Autonomy, Gordon served as President/CEO/CTO and anything else a small but growing business required. Before founding Edge Autonomy in 1998, Gordon had a varied engineering career in wastewater measurement, computer peripherals, and hardware and software consulting across several industries.
Gordon is a lifelong radio control modelling enthusiast with many years of national and international competition experience.

Gordon holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from California Polytechnic University.