Peter Costello
Peter Costello is the Senior Director and International Business Development Leader for Honeywell Defense and Space. He is responsible for leading Strategic Growth for the International business with an annual revenue target over $1B. This business serves international military, government, OEM and commercial helicopter customers in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, India, Latin America and the Asia Pacific region. Previously he was the director of Air Force Programs in Honeywell International’s Government Relations office. He was the primary interface for $38B global corporation to Air Force customers, prime defense contractors, and Congressional staffs for military aircraft and space programs. He joined Honeywell in 2008 following a successful career in the United States Air Force.
Pete was raised in Staten Island, New York. He received a bachelor’s degree in military history and a USAF commission from the United States Air Force Academy. He also holds masters degrees in international relations from Troy University and in airpower arts and sciences from USAF’s School of Advanced Airpower Studies. Pete was also a national security fellow at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. Upon entering the Air Force, he attended pilot training and earned his pilot’s wings.
Prior to joining Honeywell International, Pete was the chief of the Combat Forces Division, Headquarters U.S. Air Force. As division chief, he was responsible for a $28 billion annual portfolio encompassing all Air Force fighter and bomber aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, nuclear and non-nuclear munitions, and training ranges. This included aircraft procurement, modernization upgrades, operations and maintenance, manpower, research and development, basing and military construction. Prior to his Air Staff position, he was the commander of Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. At Maxwell, he commanded 2,200 personnel in the operations, medical, logistical, and facility support of two installations and an airfield to support to Air University, the Air Force’s professional education center. Pete was also the chief of planning and integration on the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He provided direct support to the Joint Requirements Oversight Council and the Director, Force Structure, Resources, and Assessment Directorate. He developed and coordinated the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff’s annual guidance to the services and joint experimentation guidance to Joint Forces Command to further strategic priorities. He also prepared the Chairman’s Program Assessment and Program Recommendations on the services’ budgets submissions. He was also Special Assistant to NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander, Atlantic and Commander-in-Chief, United States Atlantic where he assisted the commander by providing the air perspective on operational requirements.
Pete is an experienced fighter instructor pilot with over 3,300 flight hours, predominantly in the F-16, A-10, and T-38. He was the vice commander of the 56th Fighter Wing at Luke Air Force Base, Arizona, the largest fighter wing in the world, comprised of 188 F-16 aircraft, including Taiwanese and Singaporean Air Force squadrons. He was also a flight commander at the EuroNATO Joint Jet Pilot Training where he earned instructor pilot of the year honors. Pete Costello and his wife; Katarina Wegar PhD of Ekenäs, Finland; reside in Virginia with their daughter. He also has an adult son. Peter is conversant in Swedish, Russian, Spanish and English and is Six Sigma Green Belt Certified.