10 Shield AI operations leaders
Mark Parody, Vice President, Manufacturing, heads this list of Shield AI operations leaders, who also include a Head of Operations, a Vice President of Program Operations and directors over enterprise strategy and operations, engineering operations and mission control. A reader can learn how operations leaders work at Shield AI from people who have held the role.
Professionals to explore
Andrew Dimitruk
LinkedInExperience: Chief Operations Officer · Shield AI
Andrew Dimitruk is a former Chief Operations Officer at Shield AI, a role held from June 2021 to May 2025, based in San Diego, and describes leading the shift to an operation built to support rapid revenue growth. Andrew Dimitruk was Vice President Of Business Development at Shield AI from 2020 to 2021 and has been Chief Executive Officer at Ironflow AI since July 2025.
Christopher Gerbas
LinkedInExperience: Director Mission Control · Shield AI
Christopher Gerbas has been Director Mission Control at Shield AI since August 2026, a role in the Aircraft Operations Division that the listing places in the Operations department, based in Dallas, Texas. Christopher Gerbas was Director Network Operations at Southwest Airlines from 2022 to 2026 and Sr. Manager Network Operations there from 2021 to 2022.
Daniel Lupo
LinkedInExperience: Head of Operations · Shield AI
Daniel Lupo has been Head of Operations at Shield AI since August 2024, based in Frisco, Texas. Daniel Lupo was Current Operations Officer at Shield AI in 2024, DoD Civilian Current/Future Operations Manager at the United States Department of War from 2023 to 2024 and Senior Operations Officer at the U.S. Army John F. Kennedy Special Warfare Center and School from 2018 to 2022.
James Burns
LinkedInExperience: Director of Enterprise Strategy and Operations · Shield AI
James Burns has been Director of Enterprise Strategy and Operations at Shield AI since January 2026 and Chief of Staff to Co-Founder and President there since February 2026, based in Dallas, Texas. James Burns was Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company from 2024 to 2026 and Associate there from 2022 to 2024.
Jody Slaton
LinkedInExperience: Vice President of Program Operations, Aechelon · Shield AI
Jody Slaton has been Vice President of Program Operations, Aechelon at Shield AI since June 2026, based in Orlando, Florida, and has held the Vice President of Program Operations role at Aechelon Technology Inc. since January 2022. Jody Slaton was Sr. Director of Systems Engineering at Aechelon Technology Inc. from 2018 to 2022 and Director of Integration Engineering there from 2014 to 2018.
Joey Nielson
LinkedInExperience: Director of Engineering Operations · Shield AI
Joey Nielson has been Director of Engineering Operations at Shield AI since January 2026, a role the listing places in the Operations department at Director level, based in San Diego, California. Joey Nielson was Director of Mechanical Engineering at Shield AI from 2023 to 2025 and Senior Manager of Mechanical Engineering there from 2021 to 2023.
Manas Menon
LinkedInExperience: Vice President Production and Supply Chain · Shield AI
Manas Menon is a former Vice President Production and Supply Chain at Shield AI, a role held from January 2022 to June 2025, overseeing manufacturing, supply chain, quality and operations for autonomous aircraft systems, and held the Director and Senior Director Of Operations and Automation Engineering titles there in 2021. Manas Menon has been Senior Director of Automated Manufacturing at Dandy since October 2025, based in Austin, Texas.
Mark Parody
LinkedInExperience: Vice President, Manufacturing · Shield AI
Mark Parody has been Vice President, Manufacturing at Shield AI since June 2025, based in Frisco, Texas, and the role description reads Leading manufacturing operations and industrialization. Mark Parody was Director - Global Manufacturing & Industrialization at Lucid Motors from 2021 to 2025 and Director - Quality Engineering at Nissan Motor Corporation from 2020 to 2021.
Rick Mullen
LinkedInExperience: Director of Manufacturing and Operations · Shield AI
Rick Mullen is a former Director of Manufacturing and Operations at Shield AI, a role held from July 2022 to June 2026, and has been Director of Quality there since June 2026, based in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Rick Mullen was Director of Continuous Improvement at Lennox in 2022 and Senior Manager, Operational Excellence at Bell Flight from 2019 to 2022.
Tiffany Booker
LinkedInExperience: Director of Deployed Operations · Shield AI
Tiffany Booker is a former Director of Deployed Operations at Shield AI, a role held from July 2025 to September 2026, and was Senior Manager of Deployed Operations there from 2024 to 2025. Tiffany Booker was Program Analyst, Unmanned ISR Requirements at Air Force Special Operations Command from 2022 to 2024 and has been Chief of Staff at Kraus Hamdani Aerospace, Inc. since September 2026.
Choose the right perspective
Match the person's area, whether company operations, manufacturing, mission control or deployed operations, to the decision you face. Check when each person's role started and whether it has ended, to judge how close their view is to your question.
Questions to take into the conversation
- 01Which operating decisions took up most of your time in your role?
- 02How did you set priorities across the teams you led?
- 03What made an operating change go smoothly or stall in your experience?
Reaching Shield AI operations leaders
How can I contact one of these Shield AI operations leaders?
Pick one of the 10 people on this page and choose "Book a paid call", or describe your project to find others. You offer a fee for a 15-minute call or a written answer, Instant Expert finds the person's work email and sends the invitation, and they decide whether to accept. The list covers 1 company: Shield AI, based on profile data retrieved on October 24, 2026. Being listed here doesn't mean someone has agreed to take calls.
How much does it cost to reach Shield AI operations leaders?
You choose the offer, starting at $5 per person. The offer is what the person receives, and Instant Expert's fee is added on top, so a $100 offer costs you $125. The fee is 20% of what you pay. You're charged only when the person books the call or sends the answer.
What if they don't reply?
You pay nothing. Instant Expert sends follow-up reminders, and if the person hasn't booked or answered within 7 days, the request expires and any hold on your card is released. You can invite several of the 10 people on this list at once and cap your total spend, so you pay only for the ones who accept.
Can an AI agent ask one of these Shield AI operations leaders a question?
Yes. An agent with a USDC wallet on Base can ask one question without an Instant Expert account. It names the person, for example by the LinkedIn URL on this page, and pays per ask over x402 (HTTP 402). The person answers in writing or by voice note, and if nobody answers within 7 days, the payment goes back to the wallet automatically. Claude and ChatGPT can do the same through the Instant Expert connector: setup is at /docs/mcp for Claude and /docs/chatgpt for ChatGPT. x402 docs
About this directory
This is a professional research starting point based on business profile data retrieved on . Titles and companies reflect that source snapshot; roles marked former had ended by then. Check the linked profiles for current details. Inclusion does not imply Instant Expert membership or availability.
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