JetZero Welcomes Safety and Operations Expert Steve Dickson to Board of Advisors

News provided by

Sep 30, 2024, 10:00 ET

Former FAA Administrator will join pioneering aerospace experts on advisory board and provide safety and regulatory expertise
Dickson's appointment complements recent strategic hiring in key leadership positions

LONG BEACH, Calif., Sept. 30, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- JetZero today announced Steve Dickson will join its Board of Advisors. Administrator Dickson, a tireless safety advocate, most recently served as the 18^th administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) where he led the agency's turnaround, ensuring the FAA regained the public's trust and its stature as the premier aviation authority in the world. Dickson presided over the recertification of the 737 MAX - flying the airplane himself to validate that it was safe to resume commercial passenger service. During his tenure at the FAA, he ensured the continued availability, and the safe and efficient operation of the U.S. air traffic control system during the COVID-19 pandemic, and directed the policy evolution of the commercial space, drone and advanced air mobility sectors.

"Steve's extensive experience in safety, training and certification will bring valuable knowledge to the Advisor team as we prepare for our full-scale demonstrator to fly in 2027," said Tom O'Leary, co-founder and chief executive officer of JetZero. "The merits of a new airplane shape with an already-established Part 25 certification process and Part 121 operations are clear and will enable us to improve upon every aspect of flight. We are thrilled to welcome Steve to the team as we work through testing and set our sights on demonstration and certification."

Prior to the FAA, Dickson was the senior vice president – Flight Operations for Delta Air Lines, where he was responsible for the safety and operational performance of Delta's global flight operations, in addition to pilot training, pilot standards, operational quality assurance and regulatory compliance. He flew as a line pilot in the Captain's chair on the Airbus A320 family, the Boeing 767, 757, and 737. Early in his Delta career he served as a first officer and second officer on the 727 aircraft.

A former United States Air Force Officer and F-15 fighter pilot, Dickson spent his career advocating for Safety Management Systems and improvements to the operational performance of the National Airspace System. This included serving as chairman of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Operations Committee, and as a member of the Air Traffic Management Advisory Committee and NextGen Implementation Task Force.

"I am excited to work with the great team at JetZero to help bring this innovative design to reality for both commercial operations and military applications," said Dickson. "The blended wing-body (BWB) design has the potential for unprecedented improvements in efficiency and performance. It will be a game-changer for the commercial aviation sector."

Dickson joins Advisory Board members:

Brian Barents, former CEO, Learjet
Barry Eccleston, former CEO, Airbus USA
Pres Henne, former SVP – Programs, Engineering & Test, Gulfstream
Mary Ellen Jones, former VP Sales, Pratt & Whitney
Nina Jonsson, former head of Fleet Strategy, AirFrance KLM
Bryan Moss, former president, Gulfstream
Warren Willits, CEO, JetStar Partners

In addition to Dickson, JetZero has recently welcomed other key leaders to the team, including:

Dan Da Silva – Dan joined JetZero in November 2023 and serves as chief operating officer. Da Silva most recently served as vice president at Boeing and his time there included roles in customer support, sales & marketing, program management for modifications & upgrades, and aircraft finance strategy and policy. He has a storied career of more than 35 years with time served at Embraer and McDonnell Douglas, in addition to Boeing.
Sergey Kulyagin – Kulyagin serves as the chief financial officer overseeing finance, strategy and investor relations. He joined JetZero in June 2023 after more than two decades in finance, commercial and strategy roles throughout the aerospace industry at Airbus Commercial, global airlines, Seabury Aviation, International Lease Finance Corp., AerCap and Wisk Aero. Sergey led sell-side investment strategy in many industry-shaping strategic transactions throughout his career, including aircraft fleet purchases, acquisition of ILFC by AerCap, transfer of Bombardier's CSeries to Airbus, and Boeing's strategic investment in Wisk Aero.
Tim Berry – Berry joined the company in January 2024 and leads the manufacturing and quality organizations and is responsible for all production and development activities. Berry most recently led the Dragon 2 Crew/Cargo Integration team at SpaceX and prior to that oversaw the Falcon 9 State 2 team where he achieved the fastest ever production rate for an orbital class rocket. Berry is an expert in additive manufacturing and factory production, having established the largest additive factory in the world. During his time at SpaceX, he was responsible for quality, manufacturing, supply chain and various other engineering disciplines.
Michel Merluzeau – In September 2024 Merluzeau joined the JetZero team and will lead market development. He is an established industry analyst and strategist with more than two decades of industry research experience. Previously, he held various leadership roles in the aerospace and defense sectors, most recently as research director for AIR Strategic Advisory. Prior to that he served as vice president of Commercial Aerospace for Frost & Sullivan Aerospace & Defense and as managing director of market analysis firm G2 Solutions.
Chris Singley – Singley formally joined the organization in September 2024 and will lead all public relations, communications and events for JetZero. Most recently Chris lead media relations strategy, planning and issues management for Boeing. Prior to that, she served more than fifteen years at American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. In that time, she oversaw Corporate Communications, Global Engagement, Corporate Giving and Employee Recognition, as well as Operations, CEO and Marketing Communications.