About Daniel Vicario

Daniel V. Vicario, Jr., call sign “Blinky,” was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA, in the same neighborhood as Sylvester Stallone, which has been dramatized in many of his movies. Dan’s 25-year career in the U.S. Navy and Aerospace, Energy, and Defense industries has taken him to over 30 countries and 45 states. He has been honored to lead the country’s “best and brightest” in some of the world’s most difficult operational and commercial environments.

After being commissioned an Ensign onboard the USS CONSTITUTION, Daniel’s Naval career started at the cradle of U.S. Naval Aviation NAS Pensacola. Upon completing his training, he was designated as a Naval Aviator in September 1999. After successful completion of Survival Evasion Resistance and Escape (SERE) and Extreme Cold weather training, school as a class leader and team leader, Dan was stationed at Naval Air Station North Island in Coronado, CA, at Helicopter Maritime Strike HSM-41 for fleet replacement training in the SH-60B, as long-range sea surface and subsurface and reconnaissance and strike pilot.

Upon completing his training, Dan was assigned to Helicopter Maritime Strike 73 Battlecats, where including his duties as a naval aviator, he served as the squadron’s communications officer and division maintenance officer for the aviation life support division and avionics and armament division. In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, Daniel was called to action to support both Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF) and Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) over the next three years.

Dan’s first deployment was aboard the USS RENTZ with HSM-73’s Detachment seven. Their mission was to support U.S. Joint Inter-Agency Task Force in the southern Pacific and the Caribbean, supporting counter-drug and antiterrorism operations. Dan and his detachment supported the interdiction of over four metric tons of cocaine, with a street value of $300M, and several human trafficking operations.

Dan was designated a helicopter aircraft commander and maintenance test pilot upon return. He was then assigned as operations officer for HSM-73’s detachment two, “The Red Mangs.” The Red Mangs were assigned to the USS CARL VINSON Carrier Strike Group One (CSG-1) aboard the USS ANTIETAM (CG-54) cruiser. After an accelerated training cycle, the strike group deployed with the Pacific Fleet’s Amphibious Strike group in direct support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. During the deployment, Dan was responsible for coordinating his detachment’s support of the Carrier Air Wing and afloat U.S. Naval forces and several multinational exercises with the following countries: South Korea, Japan, Australia, and the Indonesian Navy. After completing the 2nd most extended deployment in U.S. Navy’s history post World War II, Dan transferred back to NAS Pensacola.

After qualification in the venerable UH-3H Sea King at NAS Norfolk, Dan was the Air Operations Officer of NAS Pensacola’s helicopter support unit. He helped train the next generation of Naval Aviators, Naval Search and Rescue swimmers, and U.S. and foreign militaries on advanced search and rescue and shipboard operations. In the aftermath of the Hurricane Katrina disaster, Dan and his unit were tasked with supporting disaster relief efforts in New Orleans and the surrounding area. He was selected to lead a two-helicopter rescue mission to evacuate the memorial hospital, the disaster currently being dramatized on Apple TV, Five Days at Memorial. He was also selected as the principal pilot to support all aerial filming of the historic sinking of the USS Oriskany and as the dynamic flight coordinator for two Blue Angel Homecoming airshows at NAS Pensacola.

After accumulating over 2000 mishap-free flight hours in fixed-wing and rotary aircraft, including 200 Night Vision Goggle (NVG) hours and over 500 deck landings onboard various U.S Navy and foreign warships, Dan decided to hand his seat over to the next generation and left active-duty service and joined the Naval Reserve.

Dan’s last assignment in the Naval Reserve was as the Executive Officer of a Communications and Control detachment for Marine Expeditionary Security Forces stationed at Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach. His unit supported multiple deployed units worldwide to support antiterrorism and anti-piracy efforts. After an 18-year career in the service of his country, reaching the rank of Lieutenant Commander, Dan left the U.S. Navy to focus on his business career and family.

After leaving active duty, Dan’s corporate career started at Collins Aerospace in Orange County, California as a Sr. Product Manager in the company’s cabins system business. Specifically, Dan was responsible for supporting the company’s In-Flight Entertainment avionics system. His customers included some of the world’s largest airlines, including American Airlines, Lufthansa, Air France, Qantas, Japan Airlines, and several others.

While at Collins Aerospace, Dan received Project Management Professional (PMP) and Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (LSSBB) certifications. Dan also volunteered to teach future PMPs for the Project Management Institute (PMI). During his five-year tenure as a PMP trainer for PMI, he helped hundreds of students attain their PMP credentials, earning him the coveted Volunteer of the Year Award for his local chapter, the third largest in the country.

Dan’s next stop was as Sr. Program Manager for Advanced Technology Development at Capstone Green Energy Corporation. Some of Dan’s work included not only supporting managing the company’s portfolio of government programs. His team achievements include Fuel Flexible Turbine System (FFTS) Program and the White House-Sponsored C370 Program. Dan’s teams were supported by the Department of Energy, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and the National Laboratory infrastructure, specifically the Argonne and Oak Ridge National Laboratories. After successfully closing all his programs at Capstone, Dan ventured back to the Aerospace industry.

As a Sr. Portfolio Manager at Parker Aerospace in Irvine, CA, Dan managed the company’s $300M Annual aftermarket portfolio of products and programs, helping it meet its 3-year goal of 100% growth. He also wrote the Aerospace’s division portfolio management policy for the six divisions of Parker Aerospace. His last position at Parker Aerospace was the aftermarket portfolio manager of Parker’s fluid conveyance business: Parker Stratoflex. In his three-year tenure, he helped grow the portfolio’s annual sales from $12M to over $30M. Specifically, he developed the business to support the life-extension program for the B-52 Stratofortress and several militaries and commercial aircraft and engine programs.

In his latest position as Program Management Office (PMO) Leader for the Industrial Sector of the Eaton Corporation, Dan supported the Sr. VP of Program Management by managing the sector’s New Product Introduction $4.5 Billion portfolio of products in the Aerospace, Vehicle, and eMobility Divisions. Dan was also responsible for Eaton’s proprietary program management system, PROLaunch, and the company’s proprietary Project Management Information System (PMIS) ProPM. He also supported Eaton’s acquisition integration teams with training on Eaton’s Acquisition Integration Framework (AIF) for the following acquisitions: Soriau Sunbank, Cobham Mission Systems, Tripp Lite and several more. Lastly, Dan supported the aerospace division’s Strategic Program Manager as the deputy program manager for Eaton’s offerings on the Advanced Aircraft Development Activity, the B-21 Raider, and Bell’s Future Long Range Assault Aircraft (FLRAA), the V280.

Dan has a Bachelor of Arts in Computer Science from Boston University. A Master of Business Administration from the University of West Florida, focusing on international marketing. He recently completed his Executive Masters in Global Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management with honors. Additionally, he is a certified FAA Commercial and instrument Pilot rated in both airplanes and helicopters. He also is type rated in the Sikorsky S-76 helicopter.

After a 15-year corporate career, Dan decided to focus full-time on entrepreneurship. Dan founded Optiphase Drive Systems, Inc. (ODS) along with his friend and inventor Dr. Siavash Sadeghi. ODS is developing a multiphase drive system to supplant and obsolete the current electric motor drive industry. The goal is to accelerate the adoption of electric motor drives systems in industry.

He is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) and certified project management trainer from the Project Management Institute. He completed his Lean Six Sigma Black Belt (LSSBB) training at Villanova University. He is looking for time to finish the last three classes of his Master’s in Cybersecurity from the University of Dallas.

Dan’s favorite subjects are history, anthropology, and economics. His study focuses on solid-state electric drive systems, additive manufacturing,