Today, electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle (eVTOL) company, Overair, announced that Dr. Valerie Manning will join the Overair leadership team as its Chief Commercial Officer, transitioning from her current role as Senior Vice President of Training & Flight Operation Services at Airbus.
Dr. Manning's diverse, global experience in aerospace and commercial aviation will help guide the organization's commercial and operational launch as it prepares to fly its all-electric prototype in the second half of 2023.
Dr. Manning will lead Overair's commercial strategy, business development, marketing, sales, support, and in-service operations infrastructure as the company finalizes its full-scale prototype vehicle and prepares for commercial launch. She will take charge of Overair's business model, to create customer and company value and to enable business growth through Overair's products and services.
"I am immensely proud that Valerie is joining us. Having known Valerie for years, I have a deep appreciation for her capabilities and character, and I know that her addition will be a game changer for us, accelerating our path toward commercialization," said Overair CEO Ben Tigner. "Valerie's unique combination of corporate, military, and aviation experience, on top of her world-class technical capabilities, will help us convert Overair's technology and product advantages into real-world value for communities and Overair's stakeholders. As an accomplished pilot, Valerie also understands the benefits eVTOL will bring to urban areas, and she will be key to unlocking our success."
Prior to joining Overair, Dr. Manning served as a senior executive at Airbus, based in Toulouse, France, where she has led worldwide training and flight operations services, customer support and aircraft modification services. Throughout her Airbus career, she has worked with the company's customers, partners, and suppliers worldwide on a wide range of commercial and operational topics related to their aircraft and associated services. A retired United States Air Force Officer, Dr. Manning holds a doctoral degree in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University. She is also an EASA flight instructor and jet-rated commercial pilot.
"I'm so excited to join the Overair team and to address the challenge of building the company and bringing its business ambitions to fruition," said Dr. Manning. "I chose Overair due to its state-of-the-art technology, innovative and inclusive spirit, and deep commitment to advancing sustainable aviation through eVTOL. I'm motivated by the idea of bringing my experience to a new industry sector, so when this fantastic opportunity presented itself, I accepted with pleasure!"
The transition will take place on September 1st of this year.
Overair is positioned to be a global leader in advanced air mobility. Spun out of Karem Aircraft in 2020, the Santa Ana, CA based company announced the design of its vehicle, Butterfly, in 2021. Butterfly is a breakthrough electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Butterfly's proprietary technologies, derived from the Overair team's decades of aerospace experience, create critical power reserves using today's commercially available battery cells, which translate into advances in safety and a superior experience for riders and communities. With eVTOL adoption revolutionizing urban mobility, Butterfly is positioned to set the bar on real-world dependability, with best-in-class payload, sound emissions and weather capability. Overair has operating partnerships with companies such as Hanwha Systems and Bristow Group, and the team completed its full-scale propulsion testing in the first quarter of 2022.