Deepak Kamath is an accomplished aerospace executive, engineering leader, and regulatory expert whose career spans nearly five decades of innovation across aviation, propulsion, aircraft certification, safety, and power generation. From the development of advanced turbine and engine-control technologies to shaping certification policy for emerging electric and powered-lift aircraft, he has built his career at the intersection of engineering excellence, regulatory rigor, and practical business leadership. His experience encompasses commercial and military aviation, marine and industrial propulsion, turbofans, turboprops, gas turbines, electric and hybrid propulsion, and eVTOL technologies. Throughout his career in the industry and at the FAA, he has been focused on solving complex problems, strengthening organizations, and contributing to technologies and standards that advance the safety, reliability, performance and affordability of aerospace systems.

For board and advisory service, Kamath offers a broad combination of technical depth, regulatory insight, business judgment, and organizational leadership. His strongest areas of contribution include product strategy, aircraft certification and safety, business development and optimization, propulsion and power generation, airline and aircraft technologies, and the emerging electric, hybrid, and eVTOL ecosystem. He is particularly well positioned to help organizations evaluate technical risk, navigate certification pathways, strengthen product-development strategies, improve operational performance, and aligning engineering decisions with regulatory, commercial, and customer requirements. His career has involved collaboration across Europe, Mexico, Canada, Brazil, Japan, and other international markets, including engagement with regulatory authorities and global aerospace partners.

Rather than being motivated by company size, he is drawn to opportunities where his experience can make a meaningful contribution to the mission and long-term success of an organization.

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Kamath began his professional journey in power generation before moving into aircraft propulsion and controls, organizational leadership, program management, certification, and strategy. At GE Aviation, he contributed to the development of electronic engine control systems for GE90, GEnx, CFM56, Leap, CF6, CF34, HF120, CT7 engine families for Boeing, Airbus, Embraer, Bombardier, Lockheed, Hondajet aircraft and Sikorsky helicopters over 25+ years.  He contributed to aircraft power management, fault tolerance strategies, performance and dispatch optimization, low emission combustion control and advanced adaptive-cycle propulsion technologies, related fuel and electrical systems. His work included patented soft-fault detection technology introduced on the CFM56 powered Boeing 737 fleet and later applied broadly across GE/CFM engine programs on various commercial and military aircraft.

As a Six Sigma Black Belt and Master Black Belt, he led engineering globalization efforts for a department of ~ 400 people and helped launch an engineering operation in Querétaro, Mexico, that grew to more than 200 engineers.  He identified and implemented engine cost-reduction opportunities producing approximately $20 million in annual savings on commercial and military programs, and contributed to supply chain management, merger and acquisition initiatives involving synergies, regulatory approvals, and acquisition integration.

He was an executive leader in commercial, marine, and industrial control systems for 10+ years, overseeing technologies associated with aircraft engines as well as gas turbines used in power generation, naval propulsion, and oil, gas, and LNG applications; with programs with annual budget exceeding $100 million. This was a valuable leadership experience in disciplined execution, technical integrity, continuous improvement, and the development of people.  In this he modernized systems and software development practices, strengthened requirements and configuration-management processes, and helped formalize design templates and engineering practices. His responsibilities included export compliance and international coordination, interaction with U.S. government agencies, global aerospace partners on export regulation reform.  

He served as an FAA-GE ODA Unit Member and EASA CVE for 4 years and co-authored certification discipline guidance for engine control systems, software, and control components. 

An important part of Kamath’s career is his service with the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration’s Aircraft Certification Service, Policy & Standards division from 2020 through 2025. There, he brought decades of industry experience into the regulatory environment, contributing to policy statements, advisory circulars, special conditions, airworthiness criteria, issue papers, and other certification initiatives. His work addressed transport aircraft and engines, general aviation airplanes and helicopters, electric propulsion, powered-lift and eVTOL aircraft, powerplant controls, health monitoring, and cybersecurity. He contributed to education and training for FAA engineers in aircraft propulsion and powerplant control systems.

Through Fairfield Aerospace Consulting, he remains engaged with SAE and ASTM standards activities for electrified propulsion, electronic propulsion controls, aircraft integration, performance, system safety, health management, and airworthiness certification. He has contributed to numerous SAE and ASTM standards using lessons from certification programs, operational events, NTSB data, adjacent military and automotive technologies. He continues to promote collaboration among manufacturers, regulators, standards organizations, suppliers, operators, and emerging technology companies.

Kamath’s earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai; an M.S. in Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering from Syracuse University and an MBA from Xavier University. He completed graduate coursework in Electrical & Computer Engineering at the University of Cincinnati, and pursued executive education through Harvard Kennedy School. In addition to English, he speaks Hindi and Marathi.

Character:
Deepak Kamath demonstrates character through a career grounded in technical integrity, public safety, professional responsibility, and meaningful contribution to the organizations and teams he has served. His approach combines humility about past accomplishments with a continuing commitment to applying his experience where it can create lasting value.

Knowledge:
He possesses exceptional depth across aircraft propulsion, engine controls, certification, safety, power generation, systems integration, electric and hybrid propulsion, and emerging powered-lift technologies. His experience spanning industry, government, standards organizations, and academia enables him to understand complex aerospace challenges from technical, regulatory, operational, and commercial perspectives.

Strategic:
Kamath consistently connects engineering decisions with broader organizational and business outcomes, demonstrated through large-scale program leadership, globalization initiatives, multimillion-dollar cost reductions, certification strategy, and technology development. He brings a systems-level perspective that helps organizations identify risk, evaluate opportunities, optimize operations, and translate sophisticated technologies into sustainable products and programs.

Communication:
Spending decades communicating across engineering organizations, executive teams, customers, suppliers, government agencies, regulators, and international partners. His experience teaching FAA engineers, developing technical guidance, contributing to industry standards, and participating in cross-functional and international programs demonstrates an ability to make complex technical and regulatory subjects understandable, actionable, and relevant.