Dr. Vivek Lall is the Chief Executive of General Atomics Global Corporation, a leading aerospace and defense technology company. He has served as CEO of General Atomics Global Corporation since 2020. Lall traces his passion for airplanes to his childhood in Vienna, Austria, where “as early as 5 or 6, I was fascinated to look up in the sky and see an airplane.” His educational journey is extensive: he earned his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Carleton University in Canada and his master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida. He also holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering from Wichita State University in Kansas and an MBA from City University in Seattle.

Early in his career, he worked with NASA Ames Research Center where he was part of a project undertaking research work and conducted research on single-engine blades for Canada’s National Aeronautical Establishment. His industry experience includes key positions at Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon. He previously headed Boeing (Defense and Space) operations in India from 2007 through April 2011. Lall is a Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Stanford University’s Hoover Institution and in 2018, he was appointed in a key advisory role to the US Secretary of Transportation. He serves on the boards of the U.S.-India Business Council and the U.S.-Japan Business Council. He was conferred the President’s Lifetime Achievement Award in September 2022 and Cambridge (UK) has listed him as one of only 2000 Outstanding Scientists of the Twentieth Century.

In April 2025, he joined the Space Policy Institute as a non‑resident scholar to advise on space governance and security. He’s directing the rollout of 31 MQ‑9B Predator/Guardian drones to India—including complete local assembly—with delivery beginning in 2029. He also champions real‑time data‑sharing mechanisms within Quad nations for Indo‑Pacific security.  Recognized with the 2024 Golden Peacock for Innovative Business Leadership, he advises NATO STO, the Quad Investors Network, ASME, and multiple bilateral business councils. Vivek Lall was featured on the cover of Forbes 2025. Indiaspora is proud to have Vivek Lall on our Business Leaders 2.0 List.