Chris Pehrson, GA-ASI’s VP of Strategic Development

Chris Pehrson, a Potomac Officers Club member, serves as General Atomics Aeronautical Systems Inc.'s vice president of strategic development. He leads a team of business development professionals who provide the Department of Defense and other customers with various capabilities.

He has served in GA-ASI for nearly 10 years in strategic development leadership roles. Pehrson was promoted from director to senior director of strategic development in August 2015 and has held the role concurrently to the vice presidency, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Pehrson is responsible for a business capture portfolio that includes the MQ-9 Reaper, the MQ-1C Gray Eagle, the Avenger unmanned aircraft system, advanced programs, mission payloads and the intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance lines of business.

Before joining GA-ASI in November 2010, Pehrson served in the Air Force for 23 years and retired as a colonel. He commanded two squadrons and completed staff tours at Headquarters Air Force and the Office of the Secretary of Defense.

Pehrson is rated as a command pilot and an electronic warfare officer with over 3.5K flying hours in the F-111, EF-111, C-130, AC-208, King Air 350 and other non-standard aviation aircraft.

He holds operational experience of over 400 combat hours and multiple deployments to Southwest Asia, Central Asia, Southeast Asia and the Balkans.

Pehrson earned a bachelor's degree in computer science from the University of Michigan, a master's degree in computer information systems from Boston University and a master's degree in logistics from the Air Force Institute of Technology.

Pehrson also holds a master's degree in strategic studies from Air War College. He completed the China regional studies program and the joint land, aerospace and sea simulation.