By Staff Correspondent
United States President Joe Biden has conferred General Atomics Global Corporation Chief Executive Dr Vivek Lall with the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award. The Citation was given to him ‘With Grateful Recognition’ by the AmeriCorps and the Office of the President and was personally signed by the President of the United States. AmeriCorps is a part of the US Government. The organisation aims to foster activities that bring Americans closer together to “serve communities.” It also extensively supports individuals in various fields, such as education and research.
Dr Lall is an industry leader and scientific community titan. His current role as Chief Executive at General Atomics sees him dealing with and spearheading several landmark projects worldwide. The company is a global leader in the specialised fields of nuclear technology and has developed state-of-the-art Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) like the Predator, Reaper and Guardian drones. These platforms have proven themselves in many military operational environments across battlefields and conflicts, carrying out operations ranging from precision strikes to Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR). The US Military and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) have extensively deployed General Atomics’s UAV offerings during its Global War on Terror (GWOT).
He was one of the handfuls of individuals with Indian origins to have been invited to meet India’s head of state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the past year during his Washington visit. Before his leadership position in General Atomics, Dr Lall worked at other leading organisations like NASA, Raytheon, Boeing and Lockheed Martin; his experience and accolades have been considered unparalleled by many in the scientific community and by long-term industry watchers alike.
Dr Lall is serving as a US Technical Team Member to the Noth Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) Science and Technology (STO) with the Pentagon. He was appointed in a critical advisory role to the US Cabinet Secretary heading the Department of Transportation, encompassing entities like the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in 2018.
Among his other significant highlights is his tenure as a special advisor to the United Nations (UN) in New York. During this role, Dr Lall led the multi-nation body frame policy and its implementation in broadband and associated cyber security issues.
Dr Lall is the son of an Indian diplomat. He completed his Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering degree in Canada from Carleton University. He went on to do his Masters’s in Aeronautical Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida. His stellar academic credentials are his PhD in Aerospace Engineering from Wichita State University in Kansas and his MBA from City University in Seattle. He has completed several coveted management and executive courses at the American Management Association, located in Washington, DC. According to Cambridge, Dr Lall is among the top 2000 scientists in the world.
