As it ramps up for the start of Airlander 10 production, Hybrid Air Vehicles (HAV) has appointed Tom Grundy as its new CEO. HAV says Grundy has been “instrumental in driving progress” in his six years with the company.
Grundy is a chartered engineer and fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society. He has held various senior engineering and programme leadership roles at BAE Systems, including serving as the head of business management for ATTAC, the Tornado availability support service.
“I am honoured and excited to be given the opportunity to lead HAV through its transition to a successful commercial business,” said Grundy. “This business is poised to deliver an aircraft that offers new choices to customers in a low-carbon, capable, flexible and cost-effective way. I look forward to working with the whole team to make our goals a reality.”
Stephen McGlennan, who has served as HAV’s CEO for six years, will step into a new role as senior board advisor and general counsel. HAV thanked McGlennan for his “enormous contribution” to the business in his time as CEO, and as COO and general counsel before that.
The company also has a new chief operating officer, Nick Allman, whose prior roles at HAV include executive director – aircraft delivery. Allman is credited with bringing the team from successfully securing the LEMV programme, through first flight, to being ready for production launch, and will now move forward with greater responsibility for the management of operations across the business.
HAV also confirmed that, as the time commitment demanded by the company’s rapid developments has proved more onerous than anticipated given his other activities, Kevin Taylor and HAV have, by mutual consent, agreed that Taylor step down as the chairman and a director of the company. Rod Sinclair, a long-standing director, has taken on the chairmanship.
