FALLS CHURCH, Va., Oct. 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- General Dynamics (NYSE: GD) announced today that Leda M. L. Chong will become senior vice president, Asia-Pacific Region, of the company's Aerospace group on November 1, with an initial focus on the People's Republic of China. Chong will report to Joseph T. Lombardo, executive vice president of the General Dynamics Aerospace Group, which comprises Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation and Jet Aviation. Chong will be based in Beijing.
In this new position, Chong will be responsible for coordinating and facilitating activities among Gulfstream Aerospace and Jet Aviation representatives as they support existing customers, identify opportunities for partnering with Chinese companies, and coordinate with Chinese aviation authorities in expanding the companies' offerings in the Asia-Pacific region. Chong will work closely with Lombardo, the presidents of Gulfstream Aerospace and Jet Aviation, and the companies' sales, MRO, product-support and aircraft-management and charter professionals located throughout the region.
Chong has been a staff vice president of government relations for General Dynamics since November 2009. In that role she has coordinated advocacy efforts on behalf of business units that support customers in the federal, civilian and intelligence communities.
In announcing Chong's appointment, Lombardo said, "As the business-aviation industry grows in the Asia-Pacific region, it is increasingly important that General Dynamics have a permanent presence in Beijing. Leda Chong will be the enduring representative of the Aerospace group in that essential market, providing a primary executive who can interact with customers, partners and government representatives in facilitating mutual accomplishments and strengthening our relationships with these key stakeholders."
Chong is a native of Hong Kong and fluent in Chinese. She attended secondary school and completed bachelor's and master's degrees in the United States. She served for 20 years in the U.S. Navy, achieving the rank of commander before retiring in January 2007. Her last two duty assignments were in Washington, D.C., in the Navy's congressional and budget liaison offices. She joined General Dynamics in February 2007 as a director of government relations.
The General Dynamics Aerospace group is one of the corporation's four business groups. In 2010 the Aerospace group had revenues of $5.3 billion, derived primarily from the manufacturing, outfitting and servicing of business-jet aircraft. Approximately 60 percent of that business was with customers outside North America, and the Asia-Pacific region was one of the world's most active business-aviation markets.
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., which is based in Savannah, Georgia, designs, develops, manufactures, markets, services and supports the world's most technologically advanced business-jet aircraft. Gulfstream has produced more than 2,000 aircraft for customers around the world since 1958. Gulfstream offers customers a comprehensive fleet of aircraft, comprising the wide-cabin, high-speed Gulfstream G150®; the new large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G280®; the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G350®; the large-cabin, long-range Gulfstream G450®; the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G500®; the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G550®; and the ultra-large-cabin, ultra-long-range G650®. More information about Gulfstream is available on line at www.gulfstream.com.
Jet Aviation, based in Zurich, Switzerland, was founded in 1967 and is one of the leading business-aviation services companies in the world. Close to 5,100 employees cater to client needs from 26 airport facilities throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North and South America. The company provides maintenance, completions and refurbishment, engineering, fixed base operations, along with aircraft management, charter services, aircraft sales and personnel services. Jet Aviation's aircraft management and charter divisions jointly operate a fleet of more than 200 aircraft. More information about Jet Aviation is available online at www.jetaviation.com.
More information about General Dynamics is available at www.generaldynamics.com.
SOURCE General Dynamics
