Gary Noel

Defense & International Business Development | MENA Policy

Washington DC-Baltimore Area

About

I'm a field geographer by training and a defense BD professional by practice, and the two are more connected than they look. I won the Sir Richard Burton Award for Field Geography at the University of Arkansas for international fieldwork that took me to Cairo, Morocco, and Belfast. In Morocco I wrote my thesis comparing the Western Sahara conflict to the Troubles in Northern Ireland, two "intractable" conflicts, one that de-escalated and one that didn't. I've worked with Arabic speakers across the Levant and North Africa, spent years developing a real understanding of MENA communities and conflict dynamics, and seen the world the way a photographer does: through geometry, light, and the small details that tell the bigger story. That background is what makes me a different kind of BD professional in the defense space. I don't just know how the acquisition process works. I know what the people running these systems actually face in the field. I can have a substantive conversation with an O-6 or SES civilian. I've spent my career building relationships that convert into contracts, across defense technology, government affairs, and strategic advisory work. Open to: Director-level BD roles, Strategic Growth, Government Relations. Active in the Washington, DC area.

Experience

  • Expert Advisor at GLG
    Jun 2025 - Present · 1 yr 2 mos

    Retained as on-demand subject matter expert for institutional and defense industry research engagements. Provides strategic analysis on defense acquisition and foreign policy trends. Applies deep capture management expertise and program office relationships across client engagements.

  • Family Caregiver at Self-directed
    Apr 2024 - Jun 2026 · 2 yrs 3 mos

    Provided dedicated care for aging family members during a personal relocation to Pittsburgh. Maintained an active professional network and continued advisory engagements throughout this period.

  • Lockheed Martin (8 yrs 1 mo)
    • Business Development Manager
      Jun 2019 - Jun 2024 · 5 yrs 1 mo

      Led growth initiatives across U.S. and allied markets, aligning services with customer priorities and building sustained pipeline value across the defense portfolio. Built multiyear pipelines and capture plans for defense, logistics, and infrastructure, supporting contracts at a range of program scales. Developed relationships with DoD and agencies, translating requirements into solutions that secured multiple major program awards. Directed cross-functional teams through the full business development lifecycle, maintaining a strong win rate on qualified pursuits. Represented the company at policy forums in DC and abroad, expanding visibility and generating new opportunities across key markets.

    • Program Manager, International Government Affairs
      Sep 2019 - Mar 2024 · 4 yrs 7 mos

    • Chief of Staff, International Business Development
      Jun 2016 - Sep 2019 · 3 yrs 4 mos

  • Civil Servant at UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Washington, DC
    Jun 2013 - Jun 2016 · 3 yrs 1 mo

    Produced policy analyses on U.S. federal impacts, informing joint programs in defense and energy. Coordinated senior dialogues on technology transfer and infrastructure, aligning multiple interagency projects. Facilitated alignments at government-infrastructure intersections, advancing capacity-building initiatives.

  • Political Section, Congressional Affairs at Embassy of the United Arab Emirates - Washington, DC
    Feb 2013 - May 2016 · 3 yrs 4 mos