Patrick Imperato

About Patrick Imperato

I build operational software and AI systems where reliability matters.My background combines operational experience with technical product leadership. I translate real user needs into systems that engineers can build and operators trust.I have led product decisions in high accountability environments where tradeoffs are real, constraints are fixed, and execution quality matters.My work has included:1. AI enabled software systems2. complex operational platforms3. distributed training and simulation products4. workflow heavy systems used in real world environmentsBefore product leadership, I served as a U S Navy F/A-18 fighter pilot. That experience shaped how I approach product work today: clear decisions, disciplined tradeoffs, and systems that must perform under real constraints.Most of the highest impact systems I have worked on cannot be shared publicly because they sit inside regulated and secure environments.For public work samples, see my GitHub portfolio:github.com/PatrickImperatoThere I share case studies and repositories that demonstrate how I think about product strategy, AI systems, workflow design, and complex software delivery.

Experience

1. Product Manager Mission-critical Training Simulators (F-16 Mtt)

   SAIC

   Jan 2022 — Present · Seattle, WA, US

   Owned the product roadmap for the F-16 Mission Tactics Trainer, prioritizing capabilities (e.g, radar and weapons systems) based on pilot training impact, engineering effort, and delivery risk.Led the F-16 Simulator to full concurrency with the operational aircraft, aligning simulator software delivery with production system evolutionResolved competing customer priorities between new trainees and operational squadrons by sequencing features (advanced radar vs. basic emergency procedures) and allocating engineering resources to deliver both without delaying higher-risk capabilities.Transitioned the product from annual, waterfall releases to an agile delivery model, reducing feature lead time by ~80% and enabling usable releases every 2–3 weeks.Expanded the F-16 training simulator product budget from ~$7.5M to ~$32M annually by demonstrating product value, delivery velocity, and training impact to senior government stakeholders.Acted as the translation layer between pilots, engineers, and stakeholders, converting operational training needs into clear, testable requirements and preventing over-engineering or unnecessary scope growth.Established a predictable delivery cadence of 3–5 production features every three weeks, enabling faster user feedback and quicker iteration across multiple training sites.Increased delivery throughput by aligning work to engineer skill sets and access constraints (e.g, security requirements), allowing advanced features and lower-risk updates to progress in parallel.Built a structured pilot feedback process into each release cycle, directly shaping feature prioritization and improving adoption across both training and operational units.

Education

• Northwestern University - Kellogg School of Management

  Master of Business Administration (MBA), Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies

  2016 — 2018

• De Vinci Executive Education

  International Business

  2006 — 2006

• Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

  B.S. Aeronautics

  2005 — 2009