Newington, Connecticut, United States, December 2025 – Matthew Brush has been appointed as Chief People Officer at Applied Aerospace & Defense, marking a pivotal step in the company’s post-merger leadership structure. This new role has been created following the integration of PCX Aerosystems and Applied Aerospace, two industry leaders in mission-critical flight and defense hardware. As Chief People Officer, Matthew will focus on integrating people systems, driving cultural alignment, and scaling talent practices to support growth across the enterprise.
Prior to his new appointment, Matthew Brush served for nearly eight years as Chief Human Resources Officer at PCX Aerosystems, where he was instrumental in leading HR through eight strategic acquisitions in under two years. He championed lean HR operations, strengthened leadership across sites, and reimagined people delivery models to match an EBITDA-driven, high-growth environment.
Previously, Matthew was the Global HR Leader at Harris CapRock Communications, where he led HR operations across the Americas, EMEA, and APAC. He supported a $700M business division and steered initiatives in M&A, executive coaching, and organizational effectiveness.
Matthew also held the position of CHRO at Genesee & Wyoming Inc., a global freight rail operator. He scaled the HR function to support rapid revenue and headcount growth and successfully led post-merger integrations of multiple international operations across the U.S., Australia, and Europe.
His earlier career includes impactful HR leadership roles at Corning Inc., Pizza Hut/PepsiCo, and The Pillsbury Company, as well as co-founding and managing a start-up venture in online recruiting. He is known for combining strategic foresight with operational agility in complex, high-change environments.
About Applied Aerospace & Defense
Applied Aerospace & Defense is the result of the merger between Applied Aerospace and PCX Aerosystems, forming one of the largest U.S.-owned providers of flight-critical systems and structures. The combined company boasts over 1,300 employees, 1.3 million square feet of manufacturing space, and operations across nine locations in five states. Its portfolio includes advanced composite, metallic, and polymer products for space, air, land, and sea missions.
Applied Aerospace has built a 70-year legacy in aerospace engineering, earning repeated recognition for excellence from top clients like NASA, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon. PCX Aerosystems brings additional strength in rotorcraft assemblies, power transmission systems, and defense-grade tank systems. United under one brand, the company aims to deliver next-generation hardware and mission-ready solutions with unmatched precision and scale.
