Paul Kahn is a Co-founder and Non-Executive Director (NED) at SmartIR, bringing decades of global leadership experience across the aerospace, defence, space, and advanced technology sectors. A leading industrialist, Paul has held executive roles at some of the world’s most prominent engineering and defence companies, guiding multi-billion-dollar organisations through transformation, growth, and innovation.
Paul most recently served as President of Government Solutions International at KBR, Inc., where he led a $1.3 billion global business across the UK, Australia, the Middle East, and Asia, delivering critical services in defence, infrastructure, energy, and consulting. Prior to this, he was President of Communications & Connectivity at Cobham plc, a FTSE 250 aerospace and defence company, where he delivered a successful operational turnaround before its acquisition by Advent International.
From 2014 to 2017, Paul was President and CEO of Airbus Group UK, overseeing Airbus’s UK operations across satellites, civil aircraft, helicopters, cyber solutions, and defence systems. Under his leadership, Airbus UK became the largest employer in the UK space sector and secured major government contracts, including the introduction of the A400M military aircraft.
Earlier in his career, Paul held numerous senior positions at Thales SA, including CEO of Thales Canada and Global VP of Navigation and Airport Solutions, with roles spanning France, Italy, the UK, and Canada. He also served in leadership roles within the UK Ministry of Defence, building his expertise in procurement, systems architecture, and secure communications.
Paul is a Chartered Engineer and holds an MBA from London Business School. He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and the Institution of Engineering and Technology. In addition to his industrial roles, he has served as a UK Government Business Ambassador for Advanced Manufacturing and Aerospace, an HRH Prince of Wales Ambassador for Industrial Cadets, and a former President of ADS, the UK trade association for Aerospace, Defence, Security, and Space.
At SmartIR, Paul contributes strategic oversight, industry insight, and investor relations expertise, supporting the company’s mission to deliver revolutionary graphene-based thermal and signature management technologies for space and defence applications.