Dak HardwickVice President, International Affairs

Dak Hardwick currently serves as the Vice President of International Affairs at the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA). In this role, he oversees AIA’s international policy and advocacy program, representing the U.S. aerospace and defense industry on issues such as defense and commercial trade, industrial cooperation, technology security, and global supply chains to stakeholders worldwide.

Before joining AIA, Hardwick worked at Harris Corporation, an international communications and information technology company. At Harris, he served as the primary liaison with the U.S. government for communication programs, including airspace modernization, intelligence, and meteorological ground system programs. He was also responsible for coordinating with U.S. government and international officials to ensure the export of Harris radio communications products to U.S.-allied and partner nations.

A former Presidential Management Fellow, Hardwick began his career at Headquarters, Marine Corps, as an appropriations budget analyst. He later transitioned to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, where he helped establish the Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense after September 11, 2001. Hardwick also held various national security positions, including country director for Georgia and the Republic of Moldova and director for peacekeeping operations.

Hardwick holds a Bachelor of Science in Public Affairs from Indiana University in Bloomington, IN, and a Master of Public Administration from West Virginia University in Morgantown, WV.