Chester Kennedy was listed in Florida Trend as one of the Florida 500 most influential business leaders, named by Orlando Magazine as one of the 50 most powerful people in the region and a “Game Changer” by the Orlando Business Journal.
As the former BRIDG Chief Executive Officer, Kennedy expanded on his 35 years of aerospace and commercial electronics industries experience through focus on building R&D capabilities and microelectronics fabrication infrastructure, which are key to facilitating partnerships that transition industry into the new era driven by smart sensors innovation and the Internet of Things.
Prior to joining BRIDG, Kennedy operated a national consulting company focused on helping organizations understand the opportunities and possible disruptive threats that the accelerating pace of technology evolution presents to a variety of traditional industries. Before founding his consulting company, Kennedy spent 30 years at Lockheed Martin and its heritage organizations.
During his diverse three-decade tenure at Lockheed Martin, Kennedy worked every phase of the program life cycle – from concept development though capture, development and production. His experience spans from basic engineering roles to numerous management positions within engineering, business development, and program management. He spent several years working a strategic assignment on the corporate staff. He is a graduate of many executive development programs and spent the last 12 years of his Lockheed Martin career serving at the Vice President level in four different organizational combinations within the corporation; most recently as Vice President and Chief Engineer of Training and Logistics Solutions at Lockheed Martin Mission Systems and Training.
In addition to his passion for the region and the transformative power of technology to improve lives, Kennedy is a huge advocate for STEM-based education. His commitment is proven through his engagement on numerous boards and his sincere desire to create opportunities for others.
Kennedy holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tennessee and a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the Florida Institute of Technology. In his spare time, Kennedy loves spending time both on the water and in the air. He is a dedicated general aviation pilot and a lifelong student of the intersections of technology, business growth, and economic impact.