Sion, Switzerland, 28 February 2023, 13h00 CET – H55 S.A. has appointed Martin Larose as Chief Executive Officer, assuming responsibilities as of 1 March 2023. The nomination of Martin Larose will enable H55 to respond to a fast-growing market demand for its products and solutions. With the size of the company doubling every year, certification and commercialization of its full electric propulsion system foreseen by the end of 2024, a customer service organization currently being put in place, and the setting up of automated production facilities in Switzerland and Canada, Martin’s experience in aviation and electric mobility will play a key role in the next chapter of the company’s growth, further acceleratingH55’s position as the leading enabler in clean aviation.
H55 develops certified electric propulsion and battery systems, currently being used in a wide variety of aviation applications. The company’s strengths and competencies lie in developing propulsion and energy solutions which are modular, lightweight, and certifiable. The team has a proven ability in designing, producing, integrating, and flight-testing electric propulsion systems, including Solar Impulse, the first solar-powered electric airplane to fly around the world.
The Canadian born Martin Larose is a recognized leader, known for driving change and delivering results in mobility related industries. With a successful track record in various positions in the aviation and automotive sectors, Martin stands out as a manager who can oversee large and diverse teams, continuously improving market share growth and profitability. Coming from Nova Bus, the subsidiary of the Volvo Group whereby he was division President, Martin was directly responsible for managing all aspects of the business from sales to product development, through to operations.
Prior to joining Volvo, Martin held various senior management roles in the aviation industry, rising to the position of Director of Aircraft Operations for Bombardier whereby he managed teams in aircraft operations, flights, final product delivery, and customer projects. Here his notable achievement was in production rate improvements, through the implementation of lean concepts.
Commenting on Martin’s joining H55, Andre Borschberg explains “from day one we always knew that we would need to have a CEO on board once the company reaches a significant size. Now the time has come to bring the company to its next level and Martin fits perfectly well with the profile we are looking for, an experienced manager with in-depth technical and engineering knowledge and a demonstrated track record in growing and managing businesses in the aviation and automotive industry. We are excited about Martin joining the company and look forward to working with him in consolidating H55’sposition as a leading player in clean aviation”.
André Borschberg (Co-Founder), who has held both the role of CEO and Executive Chairman since the company’s creation in 2017, will now focus on his Chairmanship functions, which include overall strategy, key customer and supplier stakeholder relationships, investor relations and external affairs. H55’s other 2 Co-Founders, Sébastien Demont and Gregory Blatt will continue with their current roles as CTO and CMO respectively.