Matt Byrd

Matt Byrd serves as President & CEO of Hillwood Aviation, associated with The Perot Group of companies, focusing on real estate, investments and aviation related business opportunities. Byrd has held a variety of positions within The Perot Group Companies for the past 20 years, including seven as President & CEO of Gulf Alliance Company, A Perot Company, based in Abu Dhabi.

Public service is of the utmost importance to Byrd. Byrd served for 33 years in the United States Air Force, where he flew as an Air Demonstration Pilot with the Thunderbirds, an Instructor Pilot in the F-117A Stealth Fighter, the A-10 Thunderbolt II and T-38C Talon. Byrd served three tours in the Middle East, where he flew combat missions in the F-117 during Desert Storm.

Byrd received a Bachelor of Science from the United States Air Force Academy and Master of Science from Troy State University. He is a graduate of the Air Command and Staff College and the Armed Forces Staff College. He holds FAA ratings of Commercial Pilot, Airplane Single Engine/Multi-engine, Instrument and CFII.

Byrd is a member of The Dallas Committee on Foreign Relations, U.S.-U.A.E. Business Council and previously served as Chairman of AmCham Abu Dhabi and Chairman of AmCham MENA. Byrd serves as Vice President of The Falcon Foundation Board of Trustees (US Air Force Academy) and DynCorp International FZ, LLC. Byrd had the pleasure of working on the Air Force Memorial in Washington DC for six years.