Flight automation company SkyRyse has appointed Justin Ryan as chief operating officer and Stephen Koo as its first chief financial officer. Both leaders will be based out of SkyRyse's headquarters in El Segundo, California.

"Our skies are ready to welcome more people and more packages if we can make flying safer and more intuitive, and welcoming these two new leaders brings us another step closer to that," says founder and CEO Dr Mark Groden. "Justin knows firsthand the challenges of piloting and the challenges of this industry, and his extensive aviation work with civilian and military organisations will make our FlightOS system even stronger."

Ryan will serve as chief operating officer, overseeing SkyRyse's operations across all functions of business development, engineering, operations, product and marketing. He started his career as a Navy jet pilot and then worked at McKinsey for several years before focusing on the aerospace industry. Notably, he was the vice president of Honeywell's Airbus business segment where he led the company's initiative to develop more than 200 pieces of equipment for the A350. He has since founded manufacturing and aerospace equipment companies and also serves on the board of Tamarack Aerospace Group. He flies frequently in his Beechcraft Baron.

"As an aerospace veteran, I was sceptical about another technology startup trying to revolutionise air mobility, but I was quickly proven wrong with SkyRyse," says Ryan. "SkyRyse's FlightOS system will change outcomes when lives are at stake, tackle the pilot shortage we're facing and finally bring commercial aviation-level safety to general aviation. Fly-by wire has delivered proven safety benefits in air transport aircraft, and now we're taking that technology to general aviation, coupled with revolutionary, easy to use flight controls and flight deck. The industry is ready for simpler, safer systems so we can always fly like the most experienced pilots on their best days."

"With his diverse financial experience across public and private companies, Stephen will help SkyRyse pioneer new business models for the transportation industry," continues Groden.

Koo previously served as the CFO of NEOGOV, a provider of HR and policy management SaaS solutions for the public sector, as well as the CFO of gaming technology supplier INNOVA Gaming Group. Earlier in his career, he worked as an investment banker at Morgan Stanley and Credit Suisse, advising technology, media and telecommunication clients on a variety of strategic and capital raising activities.

"At this point in my career, what drives me is a powerful mission and team," says Koo. "The more I got to know Mark and everyone at SkyRyse, the more I appreciated what a rare opportunity this is to be part of something revolutionary. I truly believe this company can execute on its mission to make flying safer, and I am excited to build the internal infrastructure to help SkyRyse reach those heights."

SkyRyse introduced its FlightOS automation flight operating system in 2020, a retrofittable system that enables anyone to safely fly any aircraft like an experienced pilot. FlightOS leverages full flight automation so pilots can focus on critical tasks and worry less about flight and mission management. It allows them to focus on where they want to go and what they want to do, while onboard systems handle the aircraft.

The company has tripled its headcount over the past year and now has partnerships with five of the world's largest fixed wing and rotorcraft original equipment manufacturers, which collectively produce over half of the world's new general aviation aircraft. The company also recently signed a partnership with Air Methods, one of the nation's largest EMS helicopter operators, to retrofit its fleet with FlightOS.