Whayne brings over 25 years of financial leadership in investment banking and tech start-ups
SANTA ANA, Calif., March 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Overair, an emerging global leader in advanced air mobility and developer of all-electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL), today announced the appointment of Tom Whayne as chief financial officer (CFO), effective immediately. As CFO, Whayne will oversee all financial operations and provide strategic guidance to the company as it continues its path toward commercialization.
Previously, Whayne was chief financial officer of OneWeb, where he led the raise of more than $3 billion of capital to fund the company’s development of a global broadband communications constellation in Low Earth Orbit. Most recently, he was senior vice president and chief strategy officer of Maxar Technologies, an Earth intelligence and space infrastructure company.
“We are immensely proud to welcome Tom to the team,” said Ben Tigner, co-founder and CEO of Overair. “His finance and operating background in orbital platform companies positions him perfectly to help Overair prepare for rapid scaling. Tom’s appointment comes at a pivotal time in our company as we build our full-scale Butterfly prototype.”
“I am thrilled to join such an illustrious team with such a storied heritage,” Whayne said. “Overair’s commitment to revolutionizing transportation and creating sustainable solutions for urban mobility is truly inspiring. It is an incredibly exciting time to be part of the advanced air mobility movement.”
In addition to Whayne’s tenure at OneWeb and Maxar, he brings over 20 years of experience as an investment banker. Whayne was a managing director at Credit Suisse First Boston, Morgan Stanley, and Rothschild. He has a bachelor’s degree in economics from Harvard College and a J.D. degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Adding Whayne to the team solidifies the strength of Overair’s C-suite and continues its strong momentum. The company has made significant progress in the development of its Butterfly aircraft, with full-scale propulsion testing completed in the second quarter of 2022 and current execution of its full-scale prototype program in 2023. Butterfly will be the quietest, most robust and largest-capacity production-eVTOL vehicle, with seating for five passengers and a pilot plus a separate large cargo compartment.
About Overair
Overair is positioned to be a global leader in advanced air mobility. Spun out of Karem Aircraft in 2020, the Santa Ana, California-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 set to revolutionize 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 second quarter of 2022.
For more information, please visit Overair’s website at www.overair.com.
Media inquiries
Kim Jennett
Head of Marketing and Communications
Overair
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SOURCE Overair
