With nearly two decades leading the design, certification, industrialisation and manufacture of advanced aircraft, David Alexander Bausek brings rare experience spanning the complete journey from aircraft concept to certified serial production.

Alongside his role as Chief Technology Officer at Volocopter, David is Chief Executive Officer of Qingdao Wanfeng Diamond Aircraft Manufacturer Co. Ltd., giving him a unique perspective across established aircraft manufacturing and next-generation Advanced Air Mobility.

Previously, David spent more than 17 years at Diamond Aircraft, holding senior engineering, programme and manufacturing positions and leading aircraft programmes from design through certification and production. His expertise spans aircraft engineering, advanced composites, certification, digitalisation, industrialisation and global manufacturing.

As Conference Chair of The EVTOL SHOW EUROPE 27, David will lead a technical programme bringing together OEMs, regulators, suppliers, operators and technology leaders to address the engineering, certification, manufacturing and operational challenges determining whether eVTOL can progress from aircraft development to scalable commercial aviation.

Few organisations will have a greater influence on the successful development of Europe’s eVTOL industry than the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) — and Dr Lionel Tauszig has been directly involved in building the certification framework that will help make it possible.

As Senior Project Certification Manager for eVTOL at EASA, Lionel coordinated the development of EASA’s Special Condition for VTOL (SC-VTOL), a foundational building block for the certification of a new generation of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft in Europe.

His work sits at the critical intersection between aircraft innovation and commercial operation. Europe may develop world-leading eVTOL technology, but creating a viable new aviation sector ultimately depends upon manufacturers demonstrating that these radically different aircraft can meet the safety and certification standards required to enter service.

Before joining EASA, Lionel worked across rotorcraft design, flight testing and certification. He holds a PhD and MS in Aerospace Engineering from Pennsylvania State University and is both an airplane and helicopter pilot.

At The EVTOL SHOW EUROPE 2027, Lionel brings an exceptionally important perspective: how Europe moves from developing eVTOL aircraft to certifying, operating and ultimately scaling them into a new commercial aviation ecosystem.

For eVTOL aircraft, battery performance directly determines range, payload, aircraft mass, thermal architecture, safety and ultimately commercial viability. André Gronke brings more than 15 years of engineering and systems expertise to this critical challenge.

As Head of Global Engineering for Farasis Energy’s Overseas Business Group, André works at the intersection of advanced battery technology and complex system engineering, with particular expertise in safety, reliability, quality and regulatory requirements. His career includes senior engineering experience with Farasis Energy, A123 Systems and Dt. ACCUmotive, a Daimler company.

His experience is particularly relevant as eVTOL manufacturers confront one of aviation’s hardest engineering trade-offs: increasing usable energy per kilogram while controlling thermal propagation and achieving aircraft-level safety. Farasis has demonstrated non-propagation concepts using high-energy Ni-rich pouch cells reaching 315 Wh/kg at cell level.

André brings a critical battery-engineering perspective to the pathway towards safe, certifiable electric aircraft.

As we move from aircraft development towards real-world commercial deployment, Jose Ignacio “Nacho” Rexach Vega is helping lead EHang’s expansion of autonomous Advanced Air Mobility across Europe.

Nacho works across the ecosystem required to make eVTOL operations commercially possible — bringing together aircraft, regulators, infrastructure, airspace, public authorities, strategic partners and future customers.

That experience is increasingly grounded in real European operations. EHang has conducted EH216-S autonomous passenger eVTOL demonstration flights in Switzerland and an unmanned eVTOL flight in an urban environment in Benidorm, Spain, under EASA regulations.

With two decades of aerospace experience, Nacho brings an important perspective: what must happen beyond the aircraft itself to progress from successful demonstrations to repeatable, scalable commercial eVTOL operations across Europe.

As the eVTOL industry works to increase range, payload and commercial utility, Michal Illich is pursuing a different engineering proposition: combine vertical flight with a hybrid powertrain to dramatically extend the missions VTOL aircraft can perform.

Michal is Founder & CEO of Zuri, the Prague-based aircraft developer he established in 2017. Zuri’s hybrid VTOL architecture is being developed around the fundamental trade-off between vertical-flight capability, energy consumption and long-range wing-borne efficiency.

Rather than attempting to electrify conventional aviation, Michal argues that hybrid propulsion can be particularly powerful when applied to VTOL — where new aircraft can compete directly with helicopters on operating cost, range, emissions and noise.

Zuri is now developing an uncrewed cargo VTOL designed to carry 100+ kg over 679 km, while its full-scale Technology Demonstrator 2.0 is scheduled to fly in 2027.

Michal brings an important alternative perspective to the industry’s propulsion debate.

For eVTOL and next-generation VTOL aircraft, designing something that flies is only the beginning. The harder challenge is creating an aircraft, organisation and development system capable of achieving certification, production and commercial scale.

Oliver Reinhardt brings 30 years of aircraft design, testing and certification experience to that challenge, including nine aircraft certification programmes and extensive work with EASA and international aviation authorities.

Today, Oliver leads the establishment of Odys Aviation’s EASA Part 21 Design Organisation, including its design assurance, quality, safety and information-security systems and coordination with authorities on aircraft certification.

Previously, he led certification and risk management at Volocopter, defining the certification programme for VoloCity and working directly with EASA and international regulators on eVTOL certification.

Does every Advanced Air Mobility mission really need a battery-only eVTOL?
Lucas Marchesini has become a strong advocate for challenging some of the assumptions shaping the emerging AAM industry — particularly around range, aircraft complexity, infrastructure dependency and the economics of Urban Air Mobility.

As Co-Founder, CEO & CTO of MANTA Aircraft, Lucas has led the development of a hybrid-electric VTOL architecture designed to combine vertical take-off capability with the range and efficiency required for regional missions. His work spans aircraft technology, operations, certification, infrastructure and the commercial realities determining where AAM can genuinely create value.

A returning EVTOL SHOW speaker, Lucas previously challenged the industry to consider whether simpler aircraft architectures and hybrid propulsion could reduce certification complexity, operating cost and infrastructure dependency.

Lucas returns to continue that debate as the industry moves from ambitious concepts towards commercially sustainable aircraft.

With nearly two decades leading the design, certification, industrialisation and manufacture of advanced aircraft, David Alexander Bausek brings rare experience spanning the complete journey from aircraft concept to certified serial production.

Alongside his role as Chief Technology Officer at Volocopter, David is Chief Executive Officer of Qingdao Wanfeng Diamond Aircraft Manufacturer Co. Ltd., giving him a unique perspective across established aircraft manufacturing and next-generation Advanced Air Mobility.

Previously, David spent more than 17 years at Diamond Aircraft, holding senior engineering, programme and manufacturing positions and leading aircraft programmes from design through certification and production. His expertise spans aircraft engineering, advanced composites, certification, digitalisation, industrialisation and global manufacturing.

As Conference Chair of The EVTOL SHOW EUROPE 27, David will lead a technical programme bringing together OEMs, regulators, suppliers, operators and technology leaders to address the engineering, certification, manufacturing and operational challenges determining whether eVTOL can progress from aircraft development to scalable commercial aviation.

Jared W. Perdue, P.E. is a transportation leader and licensed professional engineer guiding one of the nation’s most forward-looking mobility agencies as Secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). With extensive experience in transportation planning, infrastructure delivery, and public policy, Jared is leading Florida’s efforts to integrate emerging mobility technologies—including advanced air mobility (AAM) and eVTOL operations—into the state’s transportation network.

As Secretary of FDOT, Jared oversees one of the largest transportation systems in the United States, directing strategic investments across highways, aviation, rail, ports, and intelligent transportation infrastructure. Under his leadership, FDOT is advancing initiatives that support the development of vertiports, multimodal connectivity, and the policies needed to safely integrate electric aircraft into Florida’s rapidly growing mobility ecosystem.

Throughout his career at FDOT, Jared has held numerous engineering and executive leadership roles, building expertise in infrastructure planning, project delivery, and interagency collaboration. His practical understanding of both engineering and public administration has positioned Florida as a national leader in preparing for the commercial deployment of advanced air mobility.

With decades of experience in engineering, operations, and large-scale transportation program delivery, Will oversees the execution of statewide initiatives that enhance connectivity, safety, and readiness for emerging technologies such as advanced air mobility (AAM).

As COO and Assistant Secretary, Will is responsible for coordinating FDOT’s operational strategy across Florida’s extensive multimodal transportation network, including highways, aviation, rail, ports, and transit systems. His leadership supports the integration of innovative infrastructure, intelligent transportation systems, and planning initiatives that will enable the safe and scalable deployment of eVTOL aircraft and vertiport networks.

A licensed Professional Engineer, Will has built his career within FDOT, holding senior leadership positions across engineering, construction, and transportation operations. His expertise in infrastructure delivery, stakeholder collaboration, and strategic planning has helped position Florida as a national leader in embracing next-generation transportation solutions.

Jason is responsible for driving Horizon's operational strategy, commercial execution, and organizational growth as it advances the development and certification of its hybrid-electric eVTOL platform. He plays a central role in scaling the business, aligning engineering, manufacturing, certification, and commercial activities to support Horizon's transition from development to market entry.

Jason brings extensive executive leadership experience managing complex technology programmes across highly regulated industries, including aerospace, healthcare, and smart city infrastructure. His background spans corporate strategy, capital raising, mergers and acquisitions, operational transformation, and business development, with a proven track record of delivering large-scale initiatives requiring close coordination between technology, regulatory, and commercial stakeholders.

Combining strategic leadership with operational execution, Jason is helping position Horizon Aircraft for commercial growth by building the organisational capability, partnerships, and governance required to successfully deliver next-generation regional air mobility solutions.