Parry Labs names chief growth officer

Alexandria-based defense tech company Parry Labs announced Thursday that Amber Walker has been appointed chief growth officer.

In the role, she will lead enterprise growth across all defense sectors, drive market expansion and form strategic partnerships. She will report directly to CEO JD Parkes.

“The future of defense depends on rapid, reliable and integrated capabilities,” said Walker in a statement. “Parry Labs is delivering the digital infrastructure our warfighters need — and I’m honored to help lead that mission at scale.”

Walker was most recently the company’s senior vice president of ground, maritime and C2 systems. Parry Labs says she helped deliver strong business performance across multiple portfolios and positioned the company for accelerated growth in 2026.

“Amber has been a force behind some of Parry’s most important momentum this year,” said JD Parkes, CEO of Parry Labs. “Her vision, discipline, and mission-first mindset make her the ideal leader to drive Parry’s next chapter of growth.”

Walker has held several government and industry roles in the defense sector, focusing on advanced technology development and business growth. She previously was a senior technical director at Anduril Industries and a deputy business unit lead at Raytheon. She also led autonomy efforts at Raytheon BBN. Before Raytheon, Walker was a program manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Tactical Technology Office.

Walker currently serves as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Army Reserves and is an active member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. She has a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from the United States Military Academy at West Point and a Ph.D. in aerospace, aeronautical and astronautical engineering from the University of Oklahoma.

Parry Labs was co-founded in 2015 by Parkes, a defense sector veteran-turned-entrepreneur who previously worked as airborne mission lead in the Department of Defense‘s Office of Strategic Capabilities.

The company’s software and digital systems infrastructure aid the government and defense organizations in adapting to modern warfare.

Last year, the defense contracting startup raised $80 million in its first institutional funding round, led by Capitol Meridian Partners.