Swami B. Iyer

As chief executive officer, Swami Iyer leads CIRI’s overall direction and long‑term strategy. He brings 25 years of leadership experience across multi‑billion‑dollar international and domestic companies and complex programs.

Prior to CIRI, Swami served as president for Virgin Galactic’s Aerospace Systems division, where he led manufacturing, engineering and program management teams, as well as the processes and facilities supporting the design and production of current and future vehicle fleets. Previously, he successfully led GKN Advanced Defense Systems, overseeing all of GKN Aerospace’s classified U.S. subsidiaries. In that role, he completed $500 million in mergers and integration involving three highly classified aerospace and defense companies; established a global supply chain and production ecosystem valued at more than $1 billion; and spearheaded $6 billion in new aviation sales with the U.S. Department of State and the Department of Defense.

A proud U.S. Air Force veteran, Swami retired after a distinguished career, most recently serving as South Asia and Oceania Chief for the U.S. Air Force under the Deputy Under Secretary for International Affairs. During his service, he oversaw a $25 billion Foreign Military Sales portfolio across 21 countries and led the capture and management of the $7 billion U.S.–India defense trade portfolio.

An accomplished test pilot, Swami logged more than 3,500 flight hours during his military career, including over 100 combat hours, and earned multiple aerial, combat and humanitarian service medals. He holds three degrees: a bachelor’s degree in aerospace engineering and a master’s degree in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan, as well as a master’s degree in Flight Test Engineering from the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School. He was named CEO‑elect in October 2023 and began serving as CEO on Jan. 1, 2024.