BRISTOL, United Kingdom,
Oct. 5, 2021 /PRNewswire/
-- Vertical Aerospace ("Vertical"), the aerospace and
technology company that is pioneering electric
aviation, announces the appointment of Harry Holt as
Chief Operating Officer. The announcement further strengthens
Vertical's senior leadership team which is well-balanced and draws
from industry leaders in the aviation, energy, engineering and
technology sectors. Vertical has already received conditional
pre-orders for a total of up to 1,350 aircraft from American
Airlines, Avolon, Bristow and Iberojet, which includes pre-order
options from Virgin Atlantic and Marubeni, and in doing so, is
creating multiple potential near term and actionable routes to
market. In June 2021, Vertical
announced a SPAC merger with Broadstone Acquisition Corp (NYSE:
BSN).
Harry is joining Vertical from his current role
as Chief People Officer at Rolls-Royce, one of the world's
leading industrial technology companies and which has decades of
experience in powering the global aviation sector. Harry served as
a member of the Rolls-Royce executive team managing its people
strategy and with responsibility for over 50,000
employees globally. Previously, he led Rolls-Royce's Nuclear
Business in support of the Royal Navy's Submarine Programme and the
Civil Nuclear power markets worldwide, as well as previously being
Group Operations Strategy Director. Harry began his
career in the British Army, fulfilling some of the most demanding
roles both as a commander on combat operations and as a strategic
planner in the UK Ministry of Defence.
As COO, Harry will focus on implementing Vertical's
operational and manufacturing strategy, establishing its
governance, control, and
assurance framework, and leading the business'
government relations efforts. This will be a crucial role
as Vertical continues to deliver on key operational milestones in
the production of the VA-X4, Vertical's market leading, zero
operating emissions eVTOL.
Rolls-Royce is a strategic partner for Vertical and is supplying
the electrical technology that will power the VA-X4. The
announcement today strengthens the relationship between the two
companies and highlights their coordination and sharing of
world-class expertise as they develop industry-leading technologies
that will pioneer electric aviation.
Stephen Fitzpatrick
said, "Harry brings extensive expertise
of managing organisations operating at scale and speed,
and is an outstanding addition to our team as we enter the
next phase of growth. We are delighted to add Harry to our
experienced team which we have carefully assembled to commercialise
the VA-X4, the eVTOL that will transform travel in the coming
decade."
Harry Holt said,
"It is an exciting time to join the high calibre
team that Vertical has assembled. It is clear that the
VA-X4 is going to revolutionise short-haul air travel. I am proud
have the opportunity to play a part in transforming aviation while
also delivering on our objective to achieve a net zero
economy."
About Vertical Aerospace
Vertical Aerospace is
pioneering electric aviation. The company was founded in 2016 by
Stephen Fitzpatrick, an established
entrepreneur best known as the founder of the Ovo Group, a leading
energy group and Europe's largest
independent energy retailer. Over the past five years, Vertical has
focused on building the most experienced and senior team in the
eVTOL industry, who have over 1,700 combined years of experience,
and have certified and supported over 30 different civil and
military aircraft and propulsion systems.
Vertical's unrivalled top-tier partner ecosystem is expected to
de-risk operational execution and its pathway to certification,
allow for a lean cost structure and enable production at scale.
Vertical has received conditional pre-orders for a total of up to
1,350 aircraft from American Airlines, Avolon, Bristow and
Iberojet, which includes pre-order options from Virgin Atlantic and
Marubeni, and in doing so, is creating multiple potential near term
and actionable routes to market. In June
2021, Vertical announced a SPAC merger with Broadstone
Acquisition Corp (NYSE: BSN).
About VA-X4 eVTOL Aircraft
The four passenger, one
pilot VA-X4 is projected to have speeds up to 200mph, a range over
100 miles, near silent when in flight, zero operating emissions and
low cost per passenger mile. The VA-X4 is expected to open up
advanced air mobility to a whole new range of passengers and
transform how we travel. Find out more:
www.vertical-aerospace.com
About Broadstone Acquisition Corp.
Broadstone
Acquisition Corp. (NYSE: BSN) was set up by serial entrepreneurs,
operators and investors, Hugh
Osmond, Edward Hawkes and
Marc Jonas. It was established to
combine with a UK/European business with a strong management team,
significant growth prospects, and the opportunity to become a
market leader in its sector. Broadstone's executive team has an
extensive track record in value creation. The combination of a
strong internal team, a network of external resources and the
experience of the management team enables us to support rapid,
substantial, and lasting growth.
For more information
Vertical Aerospace – UK/Europe - Nepean
Gavin Davis
- gdavis@nepean.co.uk
Samuel Emden
- semden@nepean.co.uk / +447816 459 904
Vertical Aerospace – USA -
FTI
Hamm Hooper & Kayt Pitts –
verticalaerospace@fticonsulting.com / +1 773 786 7286
Broadstone - Edelman
Iain Dey - Broadstone@Edelman.com / +44 7976
295906
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SOURCE Vertical Aerospace