Steven A. Pepper has served Advanced Concepts Enterprises, Inc. as Chief Executive Officer since June 18, 2025 after earlier roles as Chief Operations Officer and Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Pepper has nearly two decades of combined experience in both Industry and Department of Defense acquisition, including expertise in quality management, program management, contracting, and finance.
Mr. Pepper’s certifications in Six Sigma quality management and Lean Manufacturing allowed him to design and implement ACE’s registrar-certified ISO 9001 and ISO 14001 quality and environmental management systems in 2010. After initially departing ACEs in 2015, he became a Government-recognized SME in DoD acquisition (DAWAI Certification), completing the Air Force’s Copper Cap program and working for AFMC contracting at Eglin AFB on major weapon systems. During his time as a DoD contracting civilian (1102), he participated as an award-winning cost analyst, buyer, and negotiator for a number of programs, including the AMRAAM missile and Massive Ordnance Penetrator direct attack munition programs.
Mr. Pepper received a Master’s in Business Administration from the University of West Florida, where he also authored and published research papers and statistical models in academic journals in the field of Management and Decision Sciences. He lives in Niceville, Florida with his wife and two school-age children, with whom he enjoys playing board games such as chess.