29.01.2021 | Press release

American Rheinmetall Vehicles (ARV) has made three new additions to its Board of Directors. LTG (Ret.) Stephen M. Speakes, Thomas J. Langer, and LTG (Ret.) William C. Mayville, Jr. join the Board of American Rheinmetall Vehicles as Outside Directors, and provide leadership and industry insight to Rheinmetall’s U.S. based vehicle business.

“We are pleased to have Steve, Tom and Bill join our team in the United States and provide guidance as Outside Directors to American Rheinmetall Vehicles.” said John Abunassar, Head of Rheinmetall’s Vehicle Systems Division. “They bring a breadth of experience that is greatly valued and respected by Rheinmetall.”

Stephen Speakes has been the CEO of The Independent Rough Terrain Center in Cibolo, Texas since 2013, the President of the Association of the United States Army’s San Antonio Chapter, and a board member for Returning Heroes Home at the San Antonio Military Medical Center.

Commissioned into the U.S. Army’s Armor Corps in 1974 as a second lieutenant, Steve served in all levels of command and staff including brigade command in the U.S., Germany, and the Middle East before 9/11. Following 9/11 and promotion into the general officer ranks, he served as the Assistant Division Commander of the 4th Infantry Division in Iraq and as the Deputy Commanding General of the 3d Army in Kuwait. He completed his 35-year career as a Lieutenant General and the U.S. Army’s Deputy Chief of Staff, G8 responsible for the planning, developing, and resourcing of programs supporting the Army by balancing current force needs with future force capabilities.

A graduate of West Point, Steve also received a Master’s in Government from Georgetown University, and conducted his Senior Service College Fellowship at the Harvard Business School.

Thomas Langer, a Principal at Atlantic Security Advisors since 2019, consults on the broad spectrum of industrial security, risk mitigation and leadership development. Tom served as a member of the Board of Directors and President of the American Society for Industrial Security (ASIS) International and was previously chairperson of the Aerospace Industries Association’s Industrial Security Committee and a member of the National Industrial Security Program Policy Advisory Committee of the Information Security Oversight Office within the National Archives. Tom was one of four panel members of Secretary Gate’s 2008 Defense Security Service Future Study Group that recommended modernization to the structure of the agency and their mission.

Tom began his career in security as a police officer in Manchester, New Hampshire before entering corporate security with Lockheed Sanders in 1980, eventually becoming their Directory for Security. BAE Systems acquired Lockheed Sanders in 2000, which led Tom to serve as the Director of Security for BAE Inc.’s Information and Electronic Warfare Systems business unit in Nashua, New Hampshire until 2001. From 2001 until his retirement from BAE in 2019, Tom served as the Vice President of Security for BAE Systems, Inc., headquartered in Arlington, Virginia. During Tom’s tenure, BAE Systems sites were the recipients of twenty-one James S. Cogswell Awards for Industrial Security Excellence from the Defense Security Service, now Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA).

Tom received his Bachelor of Science degree in Criminal Justice from St. Anselm College in Manchester, New Hampshire, and his Certified Protection Professional from ASIS International.

Bill Mayville is a senior advisor to several publicly traded companies and private businesses, advising on defense related matters, leadership and executive coaching, technology and cyber security operations. He is a frequent guest lecturer and participates as a public speaker and panel expert for national security issues with prominent think tanks.

Bill served in the U.S. Army for thirty-six years retiring as a Lieutenant General. He commanded forces at multi-levels, served in numerous key positions in the Pentagon, and was the Vice Commander for U.S. Cyber Command. As Director of Operations and Director of the Joint Staff for the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, he managed the global disposition of U.S. military forces and supervised the National Military Command Center, which directs all U.S. special operations, conventional, nuclear, and strategic reconnaissance operations worldwide. As Vice Commander, U.S. Cyber Command, he supervised the expansion of the nation’s newest combatant command, the growth of its cyber security workforce, and research and acquisition enterprise.

Lieutenant General (ret) Mayville has multiple combat tours in numerous units to include the 75th Ranger Regiment, the 173rd Airborne Brigade, the 1st Infantry Division (The Big Red One), 3rd Infantry Division, and the 82nd Airborne Division. He led the Airborne assault into northern Iraq in 2003 and later commanded the 1st Infantry Division in Afghanistan. He graduated from the United States Military Academy and has master’s degrees from Georgia Tech and the Naval War College.

“Steve, Tom, and Bill have all dedicated their careers to serving America’s national security interests, both in service and in industry. Combined, they have incredible experience to assist ARV with meeting our customers’ needs and providing compelling vehicle capabilities to our men and women in uniform,” said Matt Warnick, Managing Director of American Rheinmetall Vehicles. “I am grateful they took the opportunity to join our team, and I look forward to working with them as we continue to grow ARV.”

American Rheinmetall Vehicles specializes in the development of combat vehicle platforms that provide next-generation capabilities to the U.S. Department of Defense and Federal and State Law Enforcement agencies. American Rheinmetall Vehicles offers both tracked and wheeled combat vehicle platforms, and brings with it the global portfolio of Rheinmetall vehicles to the U.S. market.