2020 Confirmed Speakers

Richard Aboulafia, Vice President Analysis, The Teal Group

Richard is Vice President of Analysis at Teal Group. He manages consulting projects in the commercial and military aircraft field and analyzes broader defense and aerospace trends. He has advised numerous aerospace companies, including most prime and many second and third-tier contractors in the US, Europe and Asia. Richard also advises numerous financial institutions on aerospace market conditions.

Richard writes and edits Teal Group's World Military and Civil Aircraft Briefing, a forecasting tool covering over 135 aircraft programs and markets. He also writes publicly about aviation and defense, with regular columns in Aviation Week and Space Technology, AIAA's Aerospace America, and at Forbes.com. His articles have also appeared in the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, Professional Pilot, and other publications. 

Ronald J. Epstein, Managing Director, Aerospace & Defense, Bank of America Global Research, Bank of America Securities, Inc.

Ronald J. Epstein joined Merrill Lynch in 2001 as an industry analyst in the Aerospace and Defense sector. He is currently a Managing Director at the firm and is the senior Aerospace and Defense Analyst for the Americas. In 2008 and 2009, he was placed among the top three analysts in the Greenwich Equity Survey. In the 2008 Institutional Investor Survey he was identified as a “Best Up-and-Comer” and in 2009 he ranked third for his coverage of Aerospace and Defense. He placed second in the 2005 Institutional Investor Latin America Research team survey for his coverage of the Latin America Aerospace and Transport sector. 

Prior to joining BofA, Mr. Epstein was a research scientist working in the Applied Aerodynamics Technology Group at the Boeing Phantom Works. During that time, he was also an adjunct faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis, where he taught courses on Fluid Dynamics and Control Systems. Mr. Epstein completed his MBA degree with honors from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He also holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Duke University and a Bachelor's degree with highest honors from Skidmore College.

Kevin Michaels, President, Aerodynamic Advisory

Kevin Michaels is President of AeroDynamic Advisory, a consulting firm focused on the global aerospace and aviation industries. Dr. Michaels has 30 years of aviation experience, including hundreds of consulting engagements for leading aviation and aerospace companies across the globe.

Kevin is a globally recognized expert in the aerospace manufacturing and MRO sectors, and also has significant expertise in business-to-business marketing, customer satisfaction, M&A advisory, technology assessment, cluster development, and strategic planning. His experience spans all major market segments, including air transport, business & general aviation, and military.  He is a contributing columnist to Aviation Week & Space Technology and serves on the advisory board of the University of Michigan’s Aerospace Engineering Department.