Wisk CEO to lead Boeing Commercial Airplanes product development
Wisk Aero CEO Brian Yutko is to step aside from his leadership role in the wholly-owned Boeing subsidiary, moving to a new position as head of product development within Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
After leading the advanced air mobility company since February 2023, Yutko will now transition within Boeing to a new role as vice president of product development at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, although will continue to provide strategic oversight and support to Wisk. He will be succeeded by Wisk’s senior vice president of engineering and programmes Sebastien Vigneron, effective immediately.
Vigneron states he has been “deeply involved in [Wisk’s] journey over the last four years,” having driven the development of the latest aircraft iteration (including autonomy and airspace integration technologies). He also overseen the hardware and software engineering, simulation, systems test, flight test, and programme management teams. He has also held technical and leadership roles at Bombardier and Dassault Aviation.
Wisk’s upcoming ‘sixth-generation’ flying prototype was first formally unveiled in December, images showing the bright yellow eVTOL under construction. Set to make its first flight later this year, Wisk’s four-seat eVTOL employs lift-and-cruise configuration, with 12 electrically-driven propellers mounted atop high wings. With a cruising speed of between 110-120kts, the craft is projected to fly at between 2,500-4,000 feet above ground level, capable of 90 miles of range (with reserves). Unlike the entirety of its Western competitors, Wisk’s eVTOL will be remotely-piloted, albeit with human oversight.
“This is the best time ever to be an engineer, especially in the aviation industry,” concluded Yutko. “Rapid advances in technology are creating the opportunity to transform every aspect of our products, how they operate, and how we work on them.”
