Executive Bios

Joe Rosenkrantz

Founder & President, Airborne Biometrics Group, Inc.

A pioneer in Internetworking and online security, Joe Rosenkrantz brings an extensive background in computer technology and engineering to ABG, serving as system architect and security advisor in addition to his leadership role. As a serial entrepreneur combining extraordinary technical and business savvy, he has a track record of successfully raising capital, commercializing products and orchestrating financially rewarding sales and acquisitions.

An alum of the University of Southern California, Mr. Rosenkrantz co-founded Pacific Netcom, Inc. in 1994. After six years of constant growth and profitability, the computer network integration and security firm was merged into SoftAware Networks in Marina Del Rey where Mr. Rosenkrantz served as Chief Technology Officer.

SoftAware subsequently was sold for $460 million in stock and cash to Digital Island where Mr. Rosenkrantz stayed on as Vice President of System Architecture. Throughout a series of mergers and acquisitions, he managed large teams of engineers in the design and implementation of global networks and product offerings.

Gifford Hesketh

Vice President of Engineering, Airborne Biometrics Group, Inc.

Gifford Hesketh has been building and optimizing software and distributed systems for over 30 years, including ten years as Principal Architect for the world’s first planetary-scale Content Delivery Network. As a veteran of many successful corporate mergers and acquisitions, he also has a strong focus on creating and monetizing corporate value.

Mr. Hesketh holds a B.A. in Linguistics from the University of California at Berkeley. He started his career working for Arthur Andersen & Co. in Tokyo, while also learning conversational Japanese. After returning to the United States, he led software integration teams working for a number of the world's top corporations, investment banks, and law firms, championing the cloud-services model for enterprises. Sandpiper Networks recruited Mr. Hesketh to continue innovating cloud-computing technology for massively-distributed services in 1998, and he stayed as a Director and Principal Architect as the company transformed into Digital Island, Cable & Wireless, Exodus, Savvis and Level 3 Communications.

In addition to diverse technical expertise including programming languages, database systems, middleware, video compression, and Internet protocols, Mr. Hesketh also has a long history studying martial arts and wears a black belt accredited by the World Taekwondo Federation.

Peter Wollons

Chairman of the Board, Airborne Biometrics Group

CEO, Airborne Technologies, Inc.

Mr. Wollons is a graduate of Woodbury College in Glendale California with a degree in Accounting and is the C.E.O. of Airborne Technologies Inc. He began his long career in the aerospace industry in 1973, as founder of Flight Products, Inc., in southern California. Rapid growth led to overseas offices in Paris, Singapore, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, and Tokyo. In 1980, after a buyout of a previous partner, Peter Wollons and Gary Ferris founded Airborne Technologies, Inc. (ATI). In 1990 ATI moved to its current Camarillo, California Facilities. With ATI’s vast knowledge of manufacturing complex structural parts and assemblies, ATI has become a major Certified Parts Licensee of Lockheed Martin and a supplier of aircraft components to the U.S. government and to countries throughout the free world flying U.S. made Military Aircraft.

Gary Ferris

Executive Vice President, Airborne Biometrics Group

President, Airborne Technologies, Inc.

Mr. Ferris is a graduate of California State University, Northridge with a degree in Business / Marketing. In 1973 while completing his college education, he joined Flight Products and in a short time became extremely knowledgeable of the aerospace industry. Mr. Ferris and Mr. Wollons co-founded Airborne Technologies, Inc., (ATI) in 1980. As President of ATI, Mr. Ferris oversees all daily operations of the company. Mr. Ferris was instrumental in establishing ATI as the first manufacturing Licensee of Lockheed Martin’s C-130 Hercules Program. ATI is one of Lockheed Martin’s largest suppliers sustaining their government C-130 support and licenses program.

Along with Mr. Wollons, Mr. Ferris was a major shareholder and board member of USA Information Systems in Virginia Beach Virginia. This very successful software development company specialized in database integration and searchable database products for the U.S. Government and military-related companies. The Company was sold to Information Handling Systems in Denver Colorado in 2004.