Partners and Programs:
Partners and Programs:

FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION HEADQUARTERS

701 N. Fairfax Street, Suite 250,
Alexandria, Virginia 22314

Phone: +1 703 739 6700 Fax: +1 703 739 6708

INTERNATIONAL AVIATION SAFETY SUMMIT

Venue: Paris Marriott Charles de Gaulle Airport Hotel

NOVEMBER 6-8, 2023

Main Menu
Speakers

IASS 2023 SPEAKERS

Participate in candid and interactive discussions with industry leaders and network with international peers at IASS 2023 in Paris.

DAY 1 KEYNOTE SPEAKER
 
Guillaume Faury
Chief Executive Officer
Airbus

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Guillaume Faury

Chief Executive Officer, Airbus 

Guillaume Faury was appointed Airbus Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in April 2019 and re-appointed in 2022. Guillaume leads the Company’s Executive Committee. He was previously President of Airbus’ commercial aircraft business, a role he had held since February 2018. 

Additionally, Guillaume is a member of the board of directors of AXA SA (since April 2021) and is the President of the Groupement des Industries Françaises de l’Aéronautique et du Spatial (GIFAS), the French aerospace industries association (since July 2021). He was appointed President of the Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) in June 2023.

Prior to this, Guillaume was Chief Executive Officer of Airbus Helicopters (2013-2018), where his achievements included restructuring its manufacturing system and introducing new technologies. Before that, he enjoyed a four-year spell in the car industry at Peugeot (2009-2013), the French automotive manufacturer, rising to become the Executive Vice-President for Research and Development and a member of the company’s management board. He presided over significant advances in Peugeot’s lower-emissions hybrid-engine technology and the overhaul of the company’s product range, among other accomplishments. 

Between 1998 and 2008, he held various leadership positions in engineering, programmes and flight testing in Airbus’ helicopter business, which at the time operated under the name of Eurocopter. He became Executive-Vice President for Programmes and a member of the Eurocopter Executive Committee, before being appointed as Executive Director for Research and Development. 

Guillaume began his career in 1992 as a flight-test engineer for the Eurocopter Tiger helicopter in the Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA), the French government agency responsible for the development and purchase of defence systems for the French armed forces. 

He graduated from the École polytechnique in Paris in 1990 and, subsequently, from the École nationale supérieure de l’aéronautique et de l’espace in Toulouse. 

Guillaume’s love of flying and aviation dates back to his childhood. He is a qualified light-aircraft pilot and helicopter flight-test engineer with 1,300 hours of flying experience. He was born in 1968 in Cherbourg, Normandy, and is married with three children.

Current Mandates:

  • Chief Executive Officer and Member of the Board of Directors of Airbus SE
  • Member of the Board of Directors of AXA SA
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DAY 3 KEYNOTE SPEAKER
 
Anne Rigail
Chief Executive Officer
Air France

KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Anne Rigail
 
Chief Executive Officer, Air France
 

A graduate of the Mines Paris Tech business school, Anne Rigail joined Air Inter in 1991. In 1996, she was appointed head of Air France Customer Services at Paris-Orly.

In 1999, she became head of Passenger and Baggage connections at Paris-CDG, and subsequently head of customer and baggage products for Ground Operations.

In 2005, she was promoted Head of Operations at the Paris-CDG hub and became VP Paris-CDG Hub in 2009.

She joined the Executive Committee in 2013 as Executive Vice President in-flight services, in charge of cabin crew.

In 2017, she was appointed EVP Customer Experience, in charge of supervising ground and in-flight products and services, including Air France airport lounge design, cabin layout and modernization, and roll-out of in-flight Wi-Fi.

Anne Rigail was appointed CEO on 12 December 2018.

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Alex Bristol

Chair, CANSO
CEO, Skyguide

IASS 2023 Speaker Bio

Alex Bristol

Chair, CANSO, and CEO, Skyguide

Alex was born and educated in the UK; he has a Swiss mother and British father. He obtained his private pilot’s licence in 1986 and flew for a number of years before deciding that the equation between currency and the risk of being the cause of an airspace infringement was no longer a comfortable one.

He studied French and German at Exeter University and graduated in 1991, becoming a teacher for a year before starting his training with UK NATS as an Air Traffic Controller in December 1992. He qualified as a Heathrow Approach controller in 1996 at the Centre in West Drayton (just north of Heathrow), becoming an instructor and supervisor before moving to Farnborough Airport as the Manager of Air Traffic Services in 2003.

After a successful Farnborough Airshow in 2004, he moved to Manchester in 2005 to take over as General Manager of Air Traffic Services for the airport and area control centre.

In late 2006, he was back at West Drayton as General Manager, in order to move the unit down to the Swanwick Area Control Centre in Hampshire. This was achieved in November 2007, on time and on budget, having moved 500 staff members and their families.

Alex then took over management of the Swanwick Centre (the largest Air Traffic Control Centre in Europe) and in 2009, he moved to the corporate headquarters to become Director Strategy and Investment and later also of International Affairs.

He then moved location and company in July 2011 to take up the role of Chief Operating Officer at Skyguide, simultaneously taking the opportunity to brush up on his French, Swiss-German and skiing.

He was appointed CEO of Skyguide from July 1st 2017, and since 2021, he chairs the Executive Committee of CANSO, the global trade association of Air Navigation Service Providers.

Alex is passionate about safety and finding ways to innovate in the ATM industry to improve the customer experience, as well as enhancing the inclusion and diversity in the industry to produce better results for the company.

He lives near Geneva, with his wife and 13-year-old son.

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Andrew Dunbeck

GM Flight Safety
Delta Airlines

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Andrew Dunbeck

GM Flight Safety, Delta Airlines

Since 2017, Andrew has supported Delta Air Lines as the GM of Flight Safety and has been actively working in the safety of flight space since 2010. As Delta’s GM of Flight Safety, Andrew maintains responsibility for the safety of flight data collected across the operations as well as the strategy for the evolution of these data sources and integration into SMS. Andrew has led the efforts to stand up a Data and Decision Science team and SMS integration team as well as champion the development of the FlightPulse product, Risk Assessment Matrix product, and the regular collaboration processes between Flight Safety and the operations. Previous to his time at Delta, Andrew held various roles at MITRE supporting the ASIAS and Partnership For Safety portfolios of work. Through his role at Delta, Andrew also supports the CAST JIMDAT, ASIAS IAT, and A4A Flight Safety Committee. Andrew holds a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Alabama and a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering from Georgia Tech’s Aerospace Systems Design Lab.

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Angus Mitchel

Chief Commissioner
Australian Transport Safety Bureau

IASS 2023 Speaker Bio

Angus Mitchel

Chief Commissioner, Australian Transport Safety Burea (ATSB)

Angus is the Chief Commissioner and CEO of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, Australia’s Statutory and Independent national transport safety investigator.

Angus graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Education before serving for almost two decades in the Royal Australian Navy in sea-going and land operational roles spanning the globe.

On leaving the Navy, Angus spent 10 years in the civilian maritime industry, including stints as Deputy Harbour Master for Sydney and Botany, head of NSW Maritime, and more recently General Manager of Maritime Safety Queensland.

Angus joined the ATSB in September 2021.

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IASS 2023 Speaker in Paris

Billy Nolen

Chief Safety Officer
Archer Aviation

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Billy Nolen

Chief Safety Officer, Archer Aviation

Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE: ACHR) has named Billy Nolen, former acting FAA Administrator, to its newly created Chief Safety Officer role. Nolen’s expertise in aviation safety and flight operations, along with his deep passion and excitement for advanced air mobility, will further strengthen Archer’s ability to successfully commercialize urban air mobility at scale. “Billy is an incredible leader and has long been a staunch supporter of the eVTOL aircraft industry, spearheading our country’s and the FAA’s global leadership role in this important area,” said Adam Goldstein, Archer’s founder and CEO. Together, we will shape the future of transportation and make sustainable, efficient air travel a reality.” While at the FAA, Nolen led the agency’s efforts to enable the safe entry of eVTOL aircraft into the national airspace. Nolen has been a strong advocate for the eVTOL aircraft industry and its role in changing the way the world moves. In his new position, Nolen will play a leadership role to help Archer more effectively collaborate with industry stakeholders and help ensure its safe entry into service as it prepares for planned commercialization in 2025. Prior to serving as FAA’s acting Administrator, Nolen headed up the FAA’s Office of Aviation Safety, where he led 7400 employees located in Washington headquarters, regional and directorate offices, and 125 field offices throughout the world. Billy has 34 years of experience as an executive leader in operations and corporate safety, regulatory affairs and flight operations. He served in the United States Army as an airplane and helicopter pilot and safety officer. And as a commercial pilot, he flew the 767, 757, and MD-80 aircraft with American Airlines. Billy has held numerous executive positions in the airline industry, including at Qantas Group, WestJet, Airlines for America, and American Airlines He is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Management. He has certificates in aviation safety from the US Naval Postgraduate School, the US Army Safety Center, and the University of Southern California.

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IASS 2023 Speaker in Paris

Bobbi Wells

Chair, Board of Governors
Flight Safety Foundation
Vice President Safety Systems, Efficiency & Compliance
American Airlines

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Dan Boedigheimer

CEO at Advanced Aircrew Academy

After finding a passion for teaching as a CFI, Dan built a solid instrument scan and gray hair flying a Beech 1900 for Great Lakes without an autopilot across the Midwest. The regional airline flying would routinely include 8 instrument approaches a day (uphill both ways in icing conditions to minimums). His business aviation flying experience spans 4 years in a small Part 91 flight department (1 aircraft / 2 pilots) and 13 years in a large Part 135 operation starting as a SIC and working his way up to managing their training and standards program.

With a philosophy of being a lifetime learner and a stubbornness to re-write a 300+ page dissertation for a 3rd time to free the reader from having to endure the “non-academic” word “it,” Dan holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Science. He gained membership to the Delta Mu Delta Academic Honor Society for finding 193 academic ways to rephrase “it.”

Inspiration for his Ph.D. dissertation came from Tony Kern and his vision for the Global War on Error. Dan’s FAA sponsored dissertation “Exploring Pilot Reliability Certification and Changing Attitudes on the Reduction of Errors” was published in the Journal of the Transportation Research Record with the data to prove the effectiveness of Convergent Performance’s Pilot Reliability Certification Program. Dan later joined the Convergent Performance team as a part-time lead human factors instructor while continuing to be a full-time pilot.  

Dan has served on the NBAA Safety Committee since 2014. First as a member of the Training Advisory Committee and today as the Vice Chairman. Dan also serves on the International Business Aviation Council’s IS-BAO Standards Board as the training subject matter expert and is a reviewer for the Embry Riddle Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research. Dan’s day job is leading an incredible training team as CEO and a founding partner of Advanced Aircrew Academy.

Dan lives in the mountains of Colorado. A good summer day is spent hiking and a good winter day is snowboarding in feet of new powder. Dan and his wife Jodie are empty nesters with their son Jason working as an Environmental Health Specialist (tree hugging + biology) for Grand County Colorado and daughter Keira a National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) Division 1 athlete at the University of Minnesota studying Exercise Science and Wellness. 

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Bonny Simi

Head of Air Operations and People
Joby Aviation

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Bonny Simi 

Head of Air Operations and People

Bonny Simi is Joby Aviation’s Head of Air Operations and People. Prior to joining the team at Joby, Bonny held several operational and strategic roles at JetBlue within Flight Operations, System Operations, People, Airports, and Customer Support. Most notably, she founded and led JetBlue Technology Ventures. As a pilot, Bonny has commanded Boeing, Airbus and Embraer aircraft at both United Airlines and JetBlue Airways. She is an Emmy-nominated sports reporter and a 3-time Olympian in the sport of Luge.

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Chris Devlin

Director Product Development
Aerion

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Chris Devlin

Director Product Development at Aerion

Bio coming soon

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IASS 2023 Speaker in Paris

Capt. Conor Nolan

Flight Safety Foundation Board of Governors

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Captain Dave Belastock 

President, Teterboro Users Group

Inspired by his airline pilot father and uncle, Dave Belastock began his own airline career in 1989 as a B727 Flight Engineer with the Trump Shuttle, which later merged with US Airways. After nearly 14 years flying the B-727 and A320, and active in ALPA safety, communications, representation and negotiation, Dave was furloughed in 2002 in the wake of September 11. Unwilling to give up on his flying dreams, Dave discovered the opportunities afforded by a career in business aviation. Flying charter for 3 years with Million Air Charter Teterboro (later Meridian), Dave joined Dassault Falcon Jet as a Demo Pilot in 2006, and advanced to the positions of Assistant Chief Pilot – Technical and later Director – Pilot Technical. In 2019, Dave joined BNTI Corp as a Falcon 8X and 900EXy Captain. Passionate about giving back to the business aviation community, Dave began volunteering with the Teterboro Users Group (TUG) in 2002, first as Secretary/Treasurer and currently as President. He’s also a member of the NBAA Access Committee’s ATC, Airspace and Flight Technologies Working Group. As a long-standing member of the Flight Safety Foundation Business Advisory Committee (BAC), Dave was elected Vice-Chairman in 2021. 

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Dan Freeman

VP Safety Management Systems (SMS) – Integrated Product Team
Boeing

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Bio coming soon!

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Deborah Kirkman

Director of Advanced Systems
Flight Safety Foundation

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Deborah Kirkman

Director of Advanced Systems at Flight Safety Foundation

Currently a director at the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), Deborah Kirkman has worked to enable innovation in aviation for nearly four decades. She is leading FSF’s work in advanced aviation systems and facilitates FSF’s Autonomous and Remotely Piloted Aviation Capabilities (ARPAC) advisory committee.  Her team recently published a research roadmap for introducing innovations associated with the In-Time Aviation Safety Management System (IASMS).

Deborah began her engineering career at Bell Laboratories and in 1984, began working at the MITRE corporation.  Her systems engineering work in air traffic management includes digital air-ground communications for ATC, National Airspace System performance metrics, the Free Flight program, and NextGen. While still there, she most recently managed MITRE’s portfolio of work in UAS integration. She has had several leadership roles in RTCA as well, including co-chairing the Business Case and Performance Metrics working group of RTCA’s NextGen Advisory Committee.  

An instrument-rated private pilot, Deborah’s original studies were in Electrical Engineering, including a BS from the University of Virginia and a masters degree from Stanford.

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Capt. Didier Nicolini

Vice President
Air France

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Capt. Didier Nicolini

Vice President, Air France

Bio coming soon

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Capt. Didier Moraine

Director, European Cockpit Association (ECA)

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Capt. Didier Moraine

Vice President, Air France

In addition to my duties as a B737 Captain for ASL Airlines Belgium, I am also involved in the development of the company's Fatigue Risk Management. I provide my expertise in the implementation of new regulations such as the EASA FTL, the Occurrence Reporting Regulation or the Peer Support Programme. I'm also co-chair of the company's Fatigue Safety Action Group (FSAG). I have contributed to the development of the ECA comments throughout the regulatory process of the EASA FTL regulations (2009-2014). I continue to develop my expertise in FTL and FRM and help promote best practice in Europe through my participation in the ECA WG, the EASA FS.TEC FTL/FRM subgroup and the IFALPA FRMS training course.

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Capt. Douglas Mikulicic

Sim Instructor B737/NACA Fatigue WG Member

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Dan Boedigheimer

CEO at Advanced Aircrew Academy

After finding a passion for teaching as a CFI, Dan built a solid instrument scan and gray hair flying a Beech 1900 for Great Lakes without an autopilot across the Midwest. The regional airline flying would routinely include 8 instrument approaches a day (uphill both ways in icing conditions to minimums). His business aviation flying experience spans 4 years in a small Part 91 flight department (1 aircraft / 2 pilots) and 13 years in a large Part 135 operation starting as a SIC and working his way up to managing their training and standards program.

With a philosophy of being a lifetime learner and a stubbornness to re-write a 300+ page dissertation for a 3rd time to free the reader from having to endure the “non-academic” word “it,” Dan holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Science. He gained membership to the Delta Mu Delta Academic Honor Society for finding 193 academic ways to rephrase “it.”

Inspiration for his Ph.D. dissertation came from Tony Kern and his vision for the Global War on Error. Dan’s FAA sponsored dissertation “Exploring Pilot Reliability Certification and Changing Attitudes on the Reduction of Errors” was published in the Journal of the Transportation Research Record with the data to prove the effectiveness of Convergent Performance’s Pilot Reliability Certification Program. Dan later joined the Convergent Performance team as a part-time lead human factors instructor while continuing to be a full-time pilot.  

Dan has served on the NBAA Safety Committee since 2014. First as a member of the Training Advisory Committee and today as the Vice Chairman. Dan also serves on the International Business Aviation Council’s IS-BAO Standards Board as the training subject matter expert and is a reviewer for the Embry Riddle Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research. Dan’s day job is leading an incredible training team as CEO and a founding partner of Advanced Aircrew Academy.

Dan lives in the mountains of Colorado. A good summer day is spent hiking and a good winter day is snowboarding in feet of new powder. Dan and his wife Jodie are empty nesters with their son Jason working as an Environmental Health Specialist (tree hugging + biology) for Grand County Colorado and daughter Keira a National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) Division 1 athlete at the University of Minnesota studying Exercise Science and Wellness. 

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Elizabeth Gnehm

Chief Safety Management Section
Air Navigation Bureau, ICAO

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Elizabeth Gnehm

Chief Safety Management Section at Air Navigation Bureau, ICAO

Ms. Elizabeth Gnehm has been at ICAO since 2002 and is currently the Chief of the Safety Management Section. Her duties include serving as the Secretary of the Safety Management Panel, which has developed proposals for the first and second editions of Annex 19 – Safety Management as well as supporting guidance material, the development of the ICAO Annual Safety Report, and leading a team to develop initiatives that support the implementation of State safety programmes (SSP) and safety management systems (SMS) worldwide. Ms. Gnehm also spent 9 years working in the ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) as Technical Coordinator, Team Leader and Airworthiness Auditor and has participated in over 50 ICAO USOAP missions. She has been a facilitator for the Safety Oversight Airworthiness Inspector’s Course at the Singapore Aviation Academy since 2010. Prior to joining ICAO in 2002, she worked for the US Federal Aviation Administration as the Airworthiness Advisor to the Spanish DGAC and in the Seattle Aircraft Certification Office in the Structures Unit. Ms. Gnehm has also worked for the Boeing Company as a structures and dynamic loads engineer under various airplane programmes and holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in Aerospace Engineering from Texas A&M University.

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Fabio Catani

Brazilian Commercial Aviation Safety Team (BCAST)

IASS 2023 Speaker Bio

Fabio Catani

Brazilian Commercial Aviation Safety Team (BCAST)

Fabio Catani is the Boeing Aviation Safety Manager for the Latin America and Caribbean region. In this role, he supports the Boeing Product & Services Safety organization as a technical liaison between Boeing safety teams and regional civil aviation agencies, regional customers and aviation industry to promote operational safety in the region, participating in industry trade associations working groups to advance safety activities, developing and executing communication strategies, and promoting safety collaboration between Boeing and all aviation safety stakeholders in the region. Before joining the Boeing team, Fabio worked for Embraer in many different safety roles. He joined Embraer in 1999 as an Aviation Safety Engineer and Investigator. In 2002, he was transferred to the Embraer office in Fort Lauderdale (USA) to interact with North American customers’ Flight Safety Officers and investigation authorities. In 2005, Fabio returned to Brazil and was appointed Safety Programs Manager, responsible for running accident prevention programs and interact with the Latin American customers’ Flight Safety Officers. In 2015, Fabio was appointed Safety Risk Manager, responsible for running Aviation Safety Committees all over Embraer’s business units. In January 2020, Fabio was named Director of Flight Safety, responsible for accidents and incidents investigations, safety risk management, as well as SMS implementation in all Embraer Commercial Aviation business units. In October 2020, Fabio was appointed Head of Safety Programs, responsible for structuring and running the SMS implementation master plan, including Embraer Design & Manufacturing Organizations, and Embraer owned MROs. Fabio started his aviation career in 1996 at VASP Brazilian Airlines as a Powerplant Engineer, responsible for the line maintenance and overhaul of the 737-300 and A300 engines. Fabio has a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering since 1994 from Maua Engineering School and a post-graduate certificate in Business Administration since 2001 from Fundacao Getulio Vargas (FGV) Business Administration School in Sao Paulo. Fabio has been married with Istela for 23 years and has a son, Pedro (20), and a daughter, Isabela (16). He enjoys spending time with his family, likes to play volleyball and ride motorcycles.

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Fabrice Kunzi

Chief Operating Officer
SkyGrid

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Fabrice Kunzi

Chief Operating Officer, SkyGrid

Fabrice Kunzi is the Chief Operating Officer of SkyGrid, a Boeing and SparkCognition Joint Venture. SkyGrid enables the operation of remotely piloted aircraft by the providing third party services needed to maintain the safety of a given flight. Prior to his role as COO, Fabrice served as the Chief Engineer for GA-ASI’s Detect and Avoid (DAA) system, leading the transition from prototype to product and operational fielding. Notably, Fabrice currently serves on RTCA, ICAO, EUROCAE and NATO industry committees, enabling the standardization of key systems required to operate remotely piloted aircraft. He earned his B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of North Dakota and holds both Master’s and Ph.D. degrees in Aeronautical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). He also holds an FAA Commercial Pilot’s License with an IFR and Multi-Engine Rating, as well as a Swiss Private Pilot’s License.

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Dr. Flavio Antonio Coimbra Mendonca

Assistant Professor of Aeronautical Science, Aeronautical Science Department
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

IASS 2023 Speaker Bio

Dr. Flavio Antonio Coimbra Mendonca

Assistant Professor of Aeronautical Science, Aeronautical Science Department at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

After finding a passion for teaching as a CFI, Dan built a solid instrument scan and gray hair flying a Beech 1900 for Great Lakes without an autopilot across the Midwest. The regional airline flying would routinely include 8 instrument approaches a day (uphill both ways in icing conditions to minimums). His business aviation flying experience spans 4 years in a small Part 91 flight department (1 aircraft / 2 pilots) and 13 years in a large Part 135 operation starting as a SIC and working his way up to managing their training and standards program.

With a philosophy of being a lifetime learner and a stubbornness to re-write a 300+ page dissertation for a 3rd time to free the reader from having to endure the “non-academic” word “it,” Dan holds a Ph.D. in Aerospace Science. He gained membership to the Delta Mu Delta Academic Honor Society for finding 193 academic ways to rephrase “it.”

Inspiration for his Ph.D. dissertation came from Tony Kern and his vision for the Global War on Error. Dan’s FAA sponsored dissertation “Exploring Pilot Reliability Certification and Changing Attitudes on the Reduction of Errors” was published in the Journal of the Transportation Research Record with the data to prove the effectiveness of Convergent Performance’s Pilot Reliability Certification Program. Dan later joined the Convergent Performance team as a part-time lead human factors instructor while continuing to be a full-time pilot.  

Dan has served on the NBAA Safety Committee since 2014. First as a member of the Training Advisory Committee and today as the Vice Chairman. Dan also serves on the International Business Aviation Council’s IS-BAO Standards Board as the training subject matter expert and is a reviewer for the Embry Riddle Journal of Aviation/Aerospace Education & Research. Dan’s day job is leading an incredible training team as CEO and a founding partner of Advanced Aircrew Academy.

Dan lives in the mountains of Colorado. A good summer day is spent hiking and a good winter day is snowboarding in feet of new powder. Dan and his wife Jodie are empty nesters with their son Jason working as an Environmental Health Specialist (tree hugging + biology) for Grand County Colorado and daughter Keira a National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) Division 1 athlete at the University of Minnesota studying Exercise Science and Wellness. 

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Dr. Hassan Shahidi

President and CEO
Flight Safety Foundation

IASS 2023 Speaker Bio

Dr. Hassan Shahidi

President and CEO at Flight Safety Foundation

Dr. Hassan Shahidi is the president and CEO of Flight Safety Foundation, where he leads a global campaign to improve aviation safety. He directs the Foundation’s mission across several locations around the world, including Melbourne, Australia; Brussels, Montreal, and Washington. Dr. Shahidi has led the Foundation’s initiatives to promote safety culture and proactive safety management around the world. He has launched initiatives to facilitate humanitarian use of uncrewed systems for delivery of vaccines and medicines. His other global priorities include addressing risks of runway excursions, loss of control and controlled flight into terrain.

 

Dr. Shahidi has over 40 years of experience in applying systems engineering and data analytics to advance air traffic control in the U.S. and around the world. He has led several air traffic modernization initiatives including performance-based navigation (PBN), airspace design analytics, traffic flow management, and terminal automation concepts. He holds a private pilot license. Dr. Shahidi is a recipient of various industry awards, including Aviation Week Commercial Aviation Safety Award and RTCA Outstanding Achievement Award. He holds a bachelor and master’s in international economic and studies, a master’s in systems engineering and operations research, and a doctorate in engineering management.

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Hector Hidalgo

Director of Operations at Aviation Quality Services
Lufthansa

IASS 2023 Speaker Bio

Hector Hidalgo

Director of Operations, Lufthansa

Mr. Hidalgo is a passionate, analytical, and driven safety professional and advisor. Mr. Hidalgo earned a degree in Aeronautical Engineering from Colombia's Los Libertadores University and furthered his education with a Master's degree in Business Administration from ISEAD in Spain, and with various professional certificates such as the program certificate in Aviation Safety and security from the University of southern California, Strategic decision and risk management from Stanford Center for professional Development and SMS implementation professional from IATA, as well as more that 40 industry courses in Safety, Risk, Quality and compliance management. With more than 20 years of experience within the Aviation industry, Including six years in high management positions in Safety, Quality and Risk management within Avianca Group in central and south America, and 10 years as a consultant for many organizations worldwide. He has gained a thorough understanding of frameworks, methodologies, and programs to manage and effectively implement safety Management Systems within complex organizations. He has spent the last four years contributing his expertise as a Safety Management System consultant in the autonomous vehicle industry in North America, supporting two major U.S. companies in integrating SMS frameworks and principles into their design and operations. Currently, Mr. Hidalgo serves as the Director of Operations at Aviation Quality Services, a subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group, where he manages the development of technical content and leads a team of over 60 freelancers worldwide to provide auditing, training, and consultancy services in safety, quality, and compliance to organizations worldwide.

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Capt. Helena Cunningham

Chairperson
IFALPA Safety Management

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Captain Helena Cunningham

Chairperson, IFALPA Safety Management

Captain Helena (Reidemar) Cunningham has held the position of Director SMS in the ALPA Air Safety Organization since March 2019, prior to that she held the position of Director of Human Factors for six years. She was appointed as IFALPA SM Working Group Chair in 2021 and in that capacity serves as an advisor to the ICAO SMP Annex 19. At present she is the Central Air Safety Chair for Delta ALPA. She is currently a Captain of the Boeing 767-400 at Delta Air Lines. Before that, she was a 717 Captain and previously a DC-9 First Officer instructor for 10 years. She has participated in human factors specific industry and academic research and has been published in numerous journals and books over the past 20+ years. She served as a CIRP coordinator for 5 years and Human Factors Subcommittee chair for nearly 20 years at Northwest Airlines and Delta Air Lines ALPA. Captain Cunningham earned a BS in aviation management from Southern Illinois University; dual specialization (safety & operations) MAS in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University–Daytona Beach; and a PhD ABD in safety engineering. Currently, she is an adjunct professor at the University of Memphis graduate human factors certificate program and has been teaching for over eight years at three universities. Co-chair of A Practical Guide for Effective Pilot Monitoring working group with deliverable document published by the Flight Safety Foundation in 2014. She was elected Fellow at the Royal Aeronautical Society in London in 2014. She received the 2014 Air Safety Award from the Air Line Pilots Association, International She served six years in the Illinois Army National Guard.

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Ian Holder

Managing Director
Baines Simmons

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Ian Holder

Managing Director at Baines Simmons

Ian is a safety management specialist, with over 30 years in the industry. He began in aviation serving as both a military and civil airline pilot, before joining Europe’s largest regional airline in 2009, where he held a number of senior positions, including Operations Safety Manager. He has a particular interest in the power of organisational safety cultures to drive enhanced performance, focussing on effective risk management, and has worked with numerous global brands, including national flag-carrying airlines. Ian joined Baines Simmons as a Principal Consultant in 2015 where his experience as a civil airline pilot and commercial aviation senior manager, combined with a prestigious military career, made him highly qualified to lead our flight operations and safety management expertise for 3 years within our Consulting Practice. In April 2018 Ian became Managing Director, leading the organisation through the Covid-19 era and implementing business changes that are now leading to considerable growth.

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Dr. Ilias Panagopoulos

Head of Air Safety Europe
Amazon

IASS 2023 Speaker Bio

Dr. Ilias Panagopoulos

Head of Air Safety Europe, Amazon

Dr Ilias Panagopoulos has extensive knowledge and more than 35 years of professional experience in the aviation industry from the diverse perspectives as command/fighter pilot officer, SMS senior trainer, facilitator, and regional safety manager. Ilias, holds a PhD on Air Transport Management and Safety from City University, London. He is also a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, ISO 9001 Lead Auditor and PRINCE2® Practitioner qualified. Currently, Ilias is responsible for the Flight and Ground operations safety of Amazon Air transport network and B738 fleet in Europe, at corporate level, and in accordance with the national and international aviation safety regulations and standards.

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Dr. Jan Smith

CEO
Healthy You

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Dr. Jan Smith

CEO, Healthy You

Dr Smith is a chartered psychologist, researcher, advisor, and author. She is the CEO of Healthy You Ltd and, for over ten years, has developed psychology services for individuals and families who have sustained psychological injuries while receiving patient care. Dr Smith is an expert witness on psychological trauma. She is part of the leadership team who founded the UK National Campaign, Make Birth Better, and has led the parliamentary working group for birth trauma. She conducts research projects, trains clinicians about psychological trauma, and supervises postgraduate research projects in this area. Dr Smith and her team have created and led national psychological programmes for NHS England, delivering to thousands of staff to support their mental health. NHS England has commissioned Healthy You Ltd to develop and facilitate leadership programmes for aspiring leaders. She has written articles, papers, and books on creating nurturing workplaces and systems for workforces. She provides executive coaching to leaders across the health, care, law, and aviation industries. For the past five years, Dr Smith has been instrumental in developing peer support services for pilots. She is one of the psychologists for the BA Flying with Confidence programme. In July ’22, Dr Smith and her team launched a digital platform called MindYourself, which combines people and AI so workers can access mental health support wherever they are and whenever they need it.

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Jennifer Homendy

Chair
U.S. National Transportation Safety Board

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Jennifer Homendy

Chair, U.S. National Transportation Safety Board

The Honorable Jennifer Homendy 15th Chair, National Transportation Safety Board Jennifer L. Homendy was sworn in as the 15th Chair of the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) on August 13, 2021, after being nominated President Biden and unanimously confirmed by the Senate. Chair Homendy began her tenure as the 44th Board Member of the NTSB when she took the oath of office on August 20, 2018. A tireless advocate for safety, Chair Homendy has spent over two decades supporting the critical safety mission of the NTSB, the independent federal agency that investigates crashes in all modes of transportation, determines the probable causes, and issues recommendations to improve the safety of transportation systems in the United States and around the world. From 2004 to 2018, she served as the Democratic Staff Director of the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials, which is under the jurisdiction of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. She previously held positions with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the Transportation Trades Department of the AFL-CIO, and the American Iron and Steel Institute.

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Jesús Romero-Hernandez

Safety Manager, Safety Data Analytics
ENAIRE

IASS 2023 Speaker Bio

Jesús Romero-Hernandez

Safety Manager, Safety Data Analytics, ENAIRE

Jesús Romero is Safety Manager in ENAIRE (Spanish main ANSP); he started 20 years ago his career in aviation, after being involved in Telco industry. Starting as a Support Engineer in the ACC Madrid operations room, later held roles in Satellite Air Navigation Department related to Quality and Safety Management System, joining Enaire Safety Department in 2007. Took part in the initial development of de SMS, led the Safety Assessment and Risk Management area, member of Safety Incident Investigation National Committee, leading Security and Cyber Management System as well, coordinating in different areas with the State Security Forces. It was appointed as Safety and Security Manager in 2013. Awarded with Police Merit Medal awarded by UDYCO (Unit of Drugs and Organized Crime-National Spain Police) (2017). As regards international activities, mention his CANSO Safety Global Achievement Award in 2022. Jesús is currently Chair of CANSO Group of Safety Directors in Europe and member of Safety Steering Group of CANSO Global.

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Dr. Julian Obaid

President
Transport Safety Board (Junta de Seguridada en el Transporte) of Argentine (JST)

IASS 2023 Speaker Bio

Dr. Julian Obaid

President, Transport Safety Board (Junta de Seguridad en el Transporte) of Argentina (JST)

Julián Obaid is a lawyer, graduated from Buenos Aires University with a commercial and business orientation. Julián has a long career in the transport sector. He has worked as an advisor on transport matters for more than 10 years, participating in consultancies with the National University of Technology, the National Executive Transport Consultancy, the National Undersecretariat of Road Transport and the National Secretariat of Transport. In 2013, Julián Obaid worked as an advisor and Director of Transport Planning for the Transport Agency of the province of Buenos Aires. As Director, he had the chance of advising about operations and the strategic plan of the agency and of improving the provincial transport system. In 2015, he was appointed as legal advisor in the Honourable House of Deputies of Argentina and became a mentor in transport matters. He participated in the writing process and sanction of Act 27.514, which creates the Transport Safety Board and declares transport safety a policy of State. Likewise, this Act was unanimously approved by all legislators of both houses. Currently, Julián Obaid is the first President of the Transport Safety Board, first multimodal investigation agency in Latin America. Julián also has a long academic career and is currently working as Head of Practical Assignments in Finance and Tax Law in the Law School of the Buenos Aires University.

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Capt. Kanfwon Bae

Director Corporate Safety
Korean Air

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Billy Nolen

Chief Safety Officer, Archer Aviation

Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE: ACHR) has named Billy Nolen, former acting FAA Administrator, to its newly created Chief Safety Officer role. Nolen’s expertise in aviation safety and flight operations, along with his deep passion and excitement for advanced air mobility, will further strengthen Archer’s ability to successfully commercialize urban air mobility at scale. “Billy is an incredible leader and has long been a staunch supporter of the eVTOL aircraft industry, spearheading our country’s and the FAA’s global leadership role in this important area,” said Adam Goldstein, Archer’s founder and CEO. Together, we will shape the future of transportation and make sustainable, efficient air travel a reality.” While at the FAA, Nolen led the agency’s efforts to enable the safe entry of eVTOL aircraft into the national airspace. Nolen has been a strong advocate for the eVTOL aircraft industry and its role in changing the way the world moves. In his new position, Nolen will play a leadership role to help Archer more effectively collaborate with industry stakeholders and help ensure its safe entry into service as it prepares for planned commercialization in 2025. Prior to serving as FAA’s acting Administrator, Nolen headed up the FAA’s Office of Aviation Safety, where he led 7400 employees located in Washington headquarters, regional and directorate offices, and 125 field offices throughout the world. Billy has 34 years of experience as an executive leader in operations and corporate safety, regulatory affairs and flight operations. He served in the United States Army as an airplane and helicopter pilot and safety officer. And as a commercial pilot, he flew the 767, 757, and MD-80 aircraft with American Airlines. Billy has held numerous executive positions in the airline industry, including at Qantas Group, WestJet, Airlines for America, and American Airlines He is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Aviation Management. He has certificates in aviation safety from the US Naval Postgraduate School, the US Army Safety Center, and the University of Southern California.

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Dr. Kathy Abbott

Chief Scientific and Technical Advisor
FAA

IASS 2023 Speaker Bio

Dr. Kathy Abbott

Chief Scientific 

The speaker is a highly accomplished and experienced aviation professional with a diverse skillset and a wealth of expertise in the industry As an A330 Captain with Korean Air, the speaker holds a position of great responsibility, commanding one of the most advanced commercial aircraft. As an Instructor Pilot and Line Check Pilot of various type A/C, the speaker has also played a crucial role in training and evaluating other pilots, passing on their extensive knowledge and skills to the next generation of aviation professionals. In addition to being a skilled pilot, the speaker has also held various leadership roles, including Head of Corporate Safety & Security Investigation and Flight Ops Quality Team Leader. These roles demonstrate the speaker's commitment to ensuring the safety and security of operations within Korean Air, and his expertise in investigating incidents and implementing quality measures. Furthermore, the speaker's academic achievements, including a Master's degree in Aviation & Space Law (L.L.M.), highlight his deep understanding of the legal and regulatory aspects of aviation. This expertise in aviation law further strengthens the speaker's ability to effectively manage safety, security, and quality aspects of Airline Safety Management.

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Kevan Reeves

Principal Advisor, Aviation and Mass Transport
RioTinto

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Christopher Rocheleau

Chief Operating Officer, National Business Aviation Association (NBAA)

Christopher J. Rocheleau serves as the association’s chief operating officer, overseeing NBAA’s activities relating to aircraft and flight department operations, as well as the administrative, financial and human resources functions. 

Prior to joining NBAA, Rocheleau has served the FAA with distinction for over 20 years in multiple roles including acting associate administrator for aviation safety, chief of staff, assistant administrator for policy, international affairs and environment, executive director for international affairs and director of the office of emergency operations and investigations. 

Before joining the agency, he served as an officer and special agent with the United States Air Force, retiring from the USAF Reserve in 2010 as a lieutenant colonel. He was also among the first leaders of the Transportation Security Administration. 

Rocheleau holds a bachelor’s degree from Central Connecticut State University and a Master of Public Administration from City University of Seattle. He also completed the Executive National Security Program at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government and USAF Air Command and Staff College. 

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Leopold Viroles

Data4Safety Program Manager
European Union Aviation Safety Agency

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Bio coming soon!

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Mark Searle

Global Director of Safety
IATA

IASS 2023 Speaker Bio

Mark Searle

Global Director of Safety, IATA

Mark Searle leads IATA work on all safety activities to support IATA members; those on the IOSA Registry; and the wider airline industry to deliver continuous improvement in aviation safety. Current work is focused on the IATA Safety Leadership Charter; the implementation of Risk-Based IOSA; compliance with ICAO Annex 13 accident investigations to ensure the delivery of quality accident reports; and the development of safety improvement programs through IATA Detailed Implementation Plans. Prior to IATA, Mark led the UK CAA Safety Strategy team responsible for the UK State Safety Program; preparing the regulator for the safe integration of new, and evolutionary, technologies; and advocating governmental and regulatory positions around the world. He has twenty years’ experience as a commercial airline pilot accumulating over 12,000 flying hours. Mark was Chair of the British Airline Pilots Association; and has held Board positions in financial services and insurance companies providing him with extensive corporate experience.

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Martha Romero

Director of Safety, Quality and Compliance
DRONAMICS

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Martha Romero

Director of Safety, Quality and Compliance, DRONAMICS

Martha has over 12 years of experience leading strategic safety management and compliance in commercial aviation, having worked with airlines such as Monarch Airlines and Norwegian Air, and most recently, with UAS innovators such as Dronamics. Through her consultancy, she has successfully supported small operators to improve their management systems. Whilst working for Dronamics she has overseen the process that granted Dronamics the first Light UAS Operator’s Certificate LUC within the EASA regulatory framework. She has established a strong relationship with regulators and government bodies, supporting Dronamics in reaching their strategic objectives for safety and compliance. Martha also has broad experience in Flight Data Monitoring and Human Factors investigations. She holds an Aeronautical Engineering degree and a master’s degree in Human Factors and Safety Assessments in Aeronautics from Cranfield University. Martha was a speaker at the 2019 IASS and aspires to establish Dronamics as an active member of the Flight Safety Foundation.

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Dr. Marty Smith

CEO
Presage Group

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Dr. Marty Smith

CEO, Presage Group

Dr. Martin Smith is the CEO and Co-founder of Presage Group Inc. After leaving his first career in the airlines (ramp rat, flight dispatcher, pilot), he eventually obtained his Ph.D. in Psychology from the Université du Québec à Montréal. Dr. Smith is an expert in Human Factors research and applied solutions within the Enterprise Risk Management paradigm. Over the last 20 years Dr. Smith has developed several software solutions designed specifically to target the psychology of non-compliance or human error within an employee workforce. Dr. Smith has been a noted conference speaker and consultant, IATA ICAO, TSB, NTSB, Eurocontrol, Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), Regional Airline Association (RAA), A4A, and the International Conference on Offshore Wind Energy (UK), to name a few. Moreover, as a subject matter expert in the psychology of human error Dr. Smith acted as the Senior Scientific Advisor for IATA’s IGOM/AHM projects, as well as more recently, FSF’s global initiative on improving Go-around compliance. Dr. Smith has published numerous scientific articles and White Papers on the subject of non-compliance in highly regulated and complex organizational systems.

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Michael Graham

Board Member
NTSB

IASS 2023 Speaker Bio

Michael Graham

Board Member, NTSB

Michael E. Graham Board Member Michael Graham took the oath of office as the 45th Member of the National Transportation Safety Board on January 3, 2020. Before coming to the NTSB, Member Graham was with Textron Aviation, Inc. (Cessna/Hawker/Beechcraft) from 1997 to 2019. Since 2012 he served as their Director of Flight Operations Safety, Security and Standardization and was responsible for the safe and secure operations of all domestic and international flights conducted in support of the company. The scope of his responsibility included managing the flight operation’s Safety Management System and its certification, administering the Emergency Response Plan, supervising Air Safety Investigations, and overseeing two company airports and a control tower. Mr. Graham joined Cessna as a Demonstration Pilot and held positions in Production Flight Test and Delivery. He was instrumental in the merging of Beechcraft flight operations with Cessna’s after its acquisition. Member Graham also started the company’s highly successful Aviation Safety Action Program which became the model program for Part 91 operators. Member Graham provided safety leadership to multiple industry and government advisory committees during his tenure at Textron Aviation. He served as Chairman of the Air Charter Safety Foundation and Board of Governors, led the Single Pilot Safety Working Group of the National Business Aviation Association’s Safety Committee and was a member of the General Aviation Information Analysis Team. Mr. Graham was presented with Flight Safety Foundation’s 2019 Business Aviation Meritorious Service Award for his work. Mr. Graham began his career in the U.S. Navy as a Naval Aviator flying A-7’s and F/A-18’s and completed two operational deployments including Combat Air Patrol missions over Iraq and Kuwait in support of Southern Watch. He served as a F/A-18 Flight Instructor, Evaluator and model manager for all Navy and Marine F/A-18’s. He was handpicked to develop the first ever F/A-18 Aircrew Coordination Training syllabus and facilitated the training of the first group of instructors. He received a Navy Achievement Medal for his development of an Occupational Safety and Health program and twice received the Top Eleven Award for best landing grades aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. From 1995-1997 he worked at Boeing/McDonnell Douglas as a F/A-18 aircrew instructor. Along with instructing, he developed courseware and served as an operational analyst and lead integration engineer receiving the Quality Achievement Award for his work. Member Graham earned his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of New Mexico. He is also a certified Airline Transport Pilot with over 10,000 flight hours and is type rated in six different Citation models.

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Capt. Mike Gillen, Vice Chair, FSF International Advisory Committee

Capt. Mike Gillen

Chair
FSF International Advisory Committee
Senior Manager Fleet Standards B737
United Airlines

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Bio coming soon!

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Nicolas Rallo

Regional Director, European and North Atlantic Office
International Civil Aviation Organization

IASS 2023 Speaker Bio

Nicolas Rallo

Regional Director, European and North Atlantic Office, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)

Mr. Nicolas Rallo Regional Director, European and North Atlantic (EUR/NAT) Office International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) Mr. Nicolas Rallo is the Regional Director for the ICAO “European and North Atlantic” (EUR/NAT) Office, located in Paris, France. This office serves 56 States spread across Europe, the North Atlantic and parts of Asia and North Africa, and supports the Organization’s strategic objectives and supporting strategies to help enhance aviation safety, air navigation capacity and efficiency, aviation security and facilitation, environmental protection and the sustainable development of air transport. Mr. Rallo has 30 years of progressively responsible experience in civil aviation. He joined ICAO in 2003 and held various positions at Headquarters, including as the chief for the “Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme” (USOAP). He also served in the European, South-East Asian and Pacific regions, providing implementation support to States at technical and strategic levels. In 2020, at the request of the ICAO Secretary General, Mr. Rallo coordinated the ICAO Secretariat’s activities in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Prior to joining ICAO, he worked as an aircraft accident and incident investigator as well as in aerodrome safety and environmental protection, in France and in Brazil. Mr. Rallo, a French and Italian national, holds a Master’s degree in Aeronautical Engineering and a Postgraduate degree in Human Factors for the Design of Aerospace Human-Machine Systems. He is fluent in English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese.

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Nicolas Ranque

HO Flight and Cabin Operations Architecture
AIRBUS

IASS 2023 Speaker Bio

Nicolas Ranque

HO Flight and Cabin Operations Architecture at Airbus

Nicolas Ranque is Head Of Flight Operations Architecture in the Senior Chief Engineer Organisation in Airbus. He’s working with his team on future operational concepts to enhance flight safety and efficiency and reduce their environmental impact. Before joining Airbus in 2019, Nicolas has worked for 8 years in the Flight Test Center of the Direction Générale de l’Armement (DGA) – A French government agency responsible for the development and purchase of defence systems for the armed forces. He has conducted flight testings on Mirage 2000 and Rafale fighter aircraft and was leading the Rafale flight test team. Nicolas has always had a passion for flying, hence his dual education as an engineer, graduated from École Polytechnique in Paris and ISAE in Toulouse, and as a pilot, with a fighter pilot license in the French Air Force and, more recently, an A320 Type Rating. He sets himself the personal challenge to use his combined knowledge of operations and engineering to design the safest and most efficient aircraft for operators.

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Paul Cullen

Researcher
Trinity College Dublin

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Paul Cullen

Researcher, Trinity College Dublin

Captain Paul Cullen is the founder and a researcher with the Lived Experience Wellbeing Project, based in the School of Psychology at Trinity College Dublin. For the past 7 years Paul and his colleagues have examined how psychosocial hazards and sources of work-related stress affect the wellbeing of pilots, and how this ultimately impacts human performance and flight safety. The scope of Paul's research has recently been extended to include other safety-critical aviation workers such as maintenance engineers, flight attendants and air traffic controllers. Paul is also an Airbus pilot with over 25 years of experience flying for a major Irish airline.

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Paul Reuter

Vice President, Professional Affairs Board Director
European Cockpit Association

IASS 2023 Speaker Bio

Paul Reuter

Vice President, Professional Affairs Board Director, European Cockpit Association 

Paul has been an airline pilot since 1995 is currently a Captain on the Boeing 737-700 and -800 for Luxair, which he joined in 1996. Until 2018Paul has been Director, Technical Affairs and is currently a Director, Professional Affairs for the European Cockpit Association as well as acting Vice-President. He is also the chairman of EPPSI, the European Pilot Peer Support Initiative, regrouping major European Peer Support stakeholders and promoting Peer Support best practices. He has been a member of the EASA Germanwings Task Force and has contributed to the Task Force’s Final Report and has been a member of the Steering Board of EASA’s Data4Safety initiative. Paul is also involved in the Just Culture aspects of Safety Management and he is an IFALPA Accredited Aviation Accident Investigator. He was also co-chair on the DG Move’s European Industry Just Culture Model Policy Working Group. In the past, he was the President of ALPL, Luxembourg’s Airline Pilot Association as well as a member of the Board of Directors for Luxair. Paul was elected a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society in 2021.

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Randy Kenagy

Manager, Engineering and Operations
Air Line Pilots Assocation, International

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Randy Kenagy

Manager, Engineering and Operations, Air Line Pilots Association, International (ALPA)

Randy is the staff Manager of Engineering and Operations in ALPA’s Engineering and Air Safety Department. He is responsible for overseeing staff technical support and coordination for ALPA’s involvement in the subject areas of airports, aircraft airworthiness, aircraft operations, ATC and airspace modernization. Randy represents ALPA on the Flight Safety Foundation’s International Advisory Committee, the FAA’s Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee, and the RTCA Advisory Committee. He supports ALPA’s participation in the NextGen Advisory Committee and the Advanced Aviation Advisory Committee. Randy came to ALPA from Raytheon Air Traffic Systems as the Director of Washington Operations, in support of Raytheon’s contracts with the FAA for air traffic control modernization. Prior to Raytheon, Randy served in Government Affairs at the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) for 13 years. A licensed Airline Transport Pilot and Certificated Flight Instructor, Randy holds a bachelor’s degree in Organizational Management from Eastern Mennonite University. Randy and his wife Wenda reside in Frederick, MD.

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Randy Webb

Manager, Airbus Fleet Line Training
United Airlines

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Randy Webb

Manager, Airbus Fleet Line Training

Bio coming soon

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Remi Jouty

Director
Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety, France

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Remi Jouty

Director, Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety, France

Rémi Jouty is the director of the BEA, french civil aviation safety investigation authority, since 2014. He has been the chairman of ENCASIA, European Network of Civil aviation authorities, from 2017 to 2022 and deputy chairman of the accident investigation group of experts of the European civil aviation conference from 2016 to 2021. From 1995, Rémi Jouty dedicated himself to aviation safety at the Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile (DGAC) where he first oversaw all activities related to certification and continuing airworthiness of French-designed or registered public transport aircraft. Then he organised the gradual transfer of type certification activities for transport aeroplanes and helicopters to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and implemented the new European regulation on aircraft maintenance, and on the issuing and continuation of individual airworthiness certificates. He also oversaw the process of risk evaluation and reduction in the framework of the French state safety program. Under his direction, the BEA has conducted more than one thousand safety investigations, among those the crash of the Airbus A320 operated by Germanwings in 2015 and the A380 Engine fan separation over Greenland in 2017.

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Dr. Richard J. Kennedy

Head of Learning Science & Human Performance
Civil Global Training Organization

IASS 2023 Speaker Bio

Dr. Richard J. Kennedy

Head of Learning Science & Human Performance, Civil Global Training Organization (CGTO)

Dr. Richard Kennedy joined CAE in December 2020 as Head of Learning Science and Human Performance within the Civil Global Training Organization (CGTO). In this role he champions Learning Science and Human Performance disciplines in order to assure the academic integrity of the products and services of Civil Aviation Training. Prior to CAE, Richard worked 18 years for The Boeing Company in Europe, collaborating with government and industry to enhance aviation system safety worldwide. He held a number of positions including Technical Manager – Systems Engineering and Assessment, Research & Technology Director - UK and BCA Aviation Safety Manager – Europe. In a 30+ year career working in Safety and Human Factors, Richard also has experience of working in Air Traffic Management, Railway, Offshore Oil and Gas and Nuclear industries. Richard was formerly a Technical Fellow with The Boeing Company, is currently a Chartered Professional Engineer (CEng) with Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), has a Master in Business Administration (MBA) and holds a Doctorate (PhD) in Risk Assessment. He has written 100+ externally published scientific papers and articles and has been invited to present work at both national and international forums.

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Rob Akron-Punselie

Head of Training
European Cockpit Association

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Rob Akron-Punselie

Head of Training, European Cockpit Association

Bio coming soon

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Robert Holiday

Safety Manager
L3Harris

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Robert Holiday

Safety Manager, L3Harris

Bio coming soon

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Sandy Lonsbury

Senior Advisor, Partner
Arthur J Gallagher & Co

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Sandy Lonsbury

Senior Advisor, Partner

Sandy Lonsbury joined Gallagher in April 2022 when she assumed responsibility for providing safety and risk management services to aviation clients around the world through the dedicated in-house Safety & Operational Aviation Risk Solutions (SOAR) operation.

Throughout her career, Sandy has worked in many different aspects of aviation. She began her career at Delta Air Lines where she spent 22 years working in operations, training, safety and compliance culminating in the position of General Manager Corporate Compliance & Quality. Sandy moved to London in 2007 with Marsh Limited as a Safety & Compliance consultant. She progressed from that position to become Head of Compliance and Deputy Group Safety Director for the Avincis Group (Babcock International) of twelve companies located around the world. Taking her many years of experience in safety and compliance management she became a full time consultant with Sirius Aviation. She has had many global projects with a focus on safety and risk management systems, compliance monitoring and management of change.

Former clients include flag carriers in Southeast Asia and South America, Mission Critical Services in Europe and the UK as well as start-up organisations in the USA. She has a passion for reading the culture of an organisation and understanding the best way to implement industry leading safety, risk and compliance solutions.

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Dr. Scott Trepinski

Senior VP Safety, Security & Environmental Safety
Envoy Air

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Bio coming soon!

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Sebastian Blech

Safety Manager Unmanned Aerial Systems
Deutsche Bahn (DB) AG

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Sebastian Blech

Safety Manager Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), Deutsche Bahn (DB) AG

Sebastian is the Aviation Safety Manager for the drone operations (UAS) of Deutsche Bahn AG. Sebastian majored from Technical University of Dresden in the field of aviation and logistics with a focus on safety. Prior joining DB AG for the establishment of their Light UAS Certificated (LUC) operations, Sebastian worked for Lufthansa Cargo and Amazon Air both in the areas of Ground Operations Safety Management. Sebastian has recently been involved in the Rule Making Task RMT.0728 for the development of requirements for groundhandling.

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Dr. Sonnie Bates

CEO
WYVERN Ltd.

IASS 2023 Speaker Bio

Dr. Sonnie Bates

CEO, WYVERN Ltd.

Sonnie Bates is CEO of WYVERN Ltd, the global leader in elevating safety and security for the aviation industry. He began his aviation career in the U.S. Air Force, where he served in various key leadership roles including Instructor Pilot, Flight Examiner, Flight Commander, Aircraft Maintenance Quality Assurance Evaluator, C-5 Galaxy Aircraft Commander, Boeing C-17 Safety Program Manager, and Director of Air Freight Operations. Sonnie’s experience in business aviation includes Chief Pilot, Safety Manager, Captain on various types of business jet aircraft, and CAE Falcon 7X Pilot Training Program Manager. He also served as IS-BAO Program Director for the International Business Aviation Council. Sonnie is a published researcher focusing on safety culture and emotional intelligence. He is an accredited aviation safety auditor, has a doctorate degree in management, and serves on Flight Safety Foundation’s Business Aviation Committee and Learning from All Operations Working Group.

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Capt. Steve Jangelis

Aviation Safety Chair
Air Line Pilots Association, International

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Capt. Steve Jangelis

Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS)

Captain Steve Jangelis Air Line Pilots Association International Captain Steve Jangelis is the Aviation Safety Chair for the Air Line Pilots Association, Int’l Air Safety Organization. The ALPA Air Safety Organization has over 435 line-pilot volunteer safety subject-matter experts and is the largest nongovernmental safety organization in the world. Captain Jangelis is responsible for safety matters representing over 74,000 pilots at 42 airlines in the United States and Canada. Captain Jangelis serves as the industry co-chair of the Federal Aviation Administration’s Aviation Safety Information Analysis and Sharing (ASIAS) system. He is also representing ALPA as a member of the FAA/Industry Commercial Aviation Safety Team (CAST) and served on several government and industry groups. These include his tenure as a member on the FAA REDAC subcommittee for Airports, Industry Co-Chair for the FAA’s Runway Safety Council and he has also served as a member on the FAA’s Airport Construction Advisory Council. Captain Jangelis has an abundance of safety and operational experience including passenger and all-cargo operations. Currently a Line Check/Flight Standards pilot on the Boeing 757/767 for Delta Air Lines, Captain Jangelis has previously flown the Airbus A320, Boeing 717, 727, and the McDonnell Douglas MD-80/90 series aircraft. Captain Jangelis has a diverse background in aviation gaining airport operations experience as an airfield operations and maintenance technician at a midwest U.S. airport and has been a guest speaker and panelist at many airport accreditation schools’ training seminars. Captain Jangelis has participated in safety risk management panels on runway construction, airspace modifications, and UAS and Commercial Space integration. Captain Jangelis also participated as a simulator operational testing pilot for Data-Comm taxi installations, Final Approach Runway Occupancy Signal (FAROS), and SMGCS evaluations. Captain Jangelis is a former simulator and Ground School instructor. Captain Jangelis is an ALPA Accident Investigator. He has served as the ALPA party coordinator and participated in Airports, Voice Recorder and Structures Groups in official US NTSB accident and incident investigations for the Delta Air Lines ALPA Master Executive Council and serves on ALPA’s Accident Investigation Board.

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Dr. Susan Northrup

Federal Air Surgeon
FAA

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Bio coming soon!

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Robert Palmer

Vice President Safety
Air Canada

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Bio coming soon!

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Thierry Allain

Director Innovation Program Manager
French DGAC/DSAC

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Thierry Allain

Director Innovation Program Manager, French DGAC/DSAC

Thierry Allain is an aeronautical engineer graduated from ENAC in 1983. After a short stint at Transport Canada, he spent his entire career at the DGAC in various positions. From 2009 to early 2017, he was Security Director at the Directorate of Civil Aviation Safety (DSAC) responsible of the organization at the national level the control of operators and personals implementing security measures in air transport (aerodrome operators, airlines, cargo, ...). Between 2017 and 2020, he is the CIO of the DGAC, responsible for a department of 120 people in charge of the development and maintenance in operational conditions of the Management Information Systems of the DGAC. Since 2021, he has been appointed Innovation program manager at the DSAC and, as such, focal point for VTOLs and airships. He coordinates the various DGAC actions required for the VTOL Paris 2024 experimentation project conducted by ADP and Volocopter.

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Thor Thormodsson

Chief, Accident Investigation Section
ICAO Annex 13

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Thor Thormodsson 

Chief, Accident Investigation Section, ICAO Annex 13

Thormodur Thormodsson was born and raised in Reykjavik, Iceland. He completed junior collage as well as Private Pilot license in 1987. Thormodur graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in 1993 with a BS in Aviation Maintenance Management. Also, at the same time, he finished Commercial Pilot license with Instrument Rating. When at Embry-Riddle, Thormodur received Technician Powerplant and Airframe license and later a EASA Part 66 Aircraft Maintenance Technician license. In 2021 Thormodur graduated from an MBA – Economics programme at Southern New Hampshire University. Thormodur worked as an airworthiness inspector at the Icelandic CAA from 1994 but joint the industry in 1996 and was the Quality Manager for Air Atlanta Icelandic. In 2001 Thormodur was appointed the Chairman and Chief Investigator of the Icelandic Aircraft Accident Investigation Board. Thormodur completed his accident investigation training at Cranfield University. In 2005 Thormodur joint the AIG section at ICAO as Technical Officer and later move to the Universal Safety Oversight Programme (USOAP) as the Continuous Monitoring Coordinator. With the USOAP Thormodur was a Team Leader and covered the technical areas of Airworthiness and Accident Investigation. He has performed over 70 USOAP activities throughout the world. Thormodur has been leading the AIG section at ICAO since 2022.

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Tom Anthony

Director, Aviation Safety and Security Program
Viterbi School of Engineering, University of Southern California

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Bio coming soon!

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Capt. Tom Becker

Researcher
City University of London

IASS 2023 Speaker Bio

Capt. Tom Becker

Researcher, City University of London

Capt. Tom Becker is an airline pilot and safety professional with more than twenty years of experience in the field of aviation safety and human factors. He has work experience as Safety Manager, Safety Pilot, Aviation Auditor, Type Rating Instructor and Human Factors Facilitator. Tom holds an MSc in Aviation Safety Management. Prof. Peter Ayton (Co-Author) is director of Leeds University’s Centre for Decision Research. His areas of expertise include judgement & decision-making, risk perception and the influence of emotions.

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Tom Kok

Director
AviAssist Foundation

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Tom Kok

Director, AviAssist Foundation

AviAssist provides deliberately different safety support to the African aviation industry since 1995. Having lived, worked and flown (PPL) in Africa for many years, Tom has gained unique expertise on African aviation safety issues. As a result, he is well-versed in the technical as well complex political, social and cultural issues that play an important role in improving aviation safety in Africa. He has facilitated countless safety trainings & workshops in Africa since 1997 and is a regular speaker at meetings in and on the continent. Tom founded the Aviassist Foundation in 2008 & started Africa’s only magazine dedicated to safety, SafetyFocus, in 2010. Tom is an LL.M graduate of Leiden University in the Netherlands with a specialisation in air and space law and has studied African studies at the same university.

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Tomas Klements

Head of Scheduling Safety
Boeing

IASS 2023 Speaker Bio

Tomas Klemets

Head of Scheduling Safety at Boeing

Tomas Klemets is a seasoned expert in airline crew management processes, with over 20 years of experience in the field. He currently serves as the Head of Scheduling Safety at Jeppesen, where he has consulted with over 100 airline operators worldwide. Tomas is responsible for the development of the Jeppesen fatigue risk management portfolio, which includes the pioneering R&D behind the Boeing Alertness Model. In his current role, Tomas leads a cross-functional DevOps team that is dedicated to bridging the gap between science, regulation, flight safety, and the integration of capabilities into the construction process for crew rosters. His focus is on reducing risk and improving crew wellbeing. Tomas is a frequent speaker at international conferences and has an impressive number of publications and news postings to his name. He is widely recognised for his expertise in the field and is a sought-after speaking partner for airlines seeking to improve their crew management processes.

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Tony Licu

Head of Operational Safety, SQS, and Integrated Risk Management
EUROCONTROL

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Tony Licu

Head of Operational Safety, SQS, and Integrated Risk Managment, EUROCONTROL

Tony is cumulating Head of Digital Transformation Office and Head of Operational Safety, SQS and Integrated Risk management Safety (NMD/SAF) Unit within Network Manager Directorate of EUROCONTROL (European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation).

 

He leads the deployment of safety management and human factors programmes of EUROCONTROL.  He has extensive Air Traffic Control operational and engineering background (master degree in avionics). 

 

Tony’s role as head of DTO – Digital Transformation Office (the organisational vehicle driving the Digital Transformation of EUROCONTROL Network Manager) is to manage technology, innovation and Digital Transformation for iNM (integrated Network Manager Programme) in close cooperation with EUROCONTROL organisational entities and the industrial partners.

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Virginio Agusto Corrieri De Castro

Director of Safety and Operations
Latin America & Caribbean Air Transport Association

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Bio coming soon!

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Yannick Malinge

SVP, Chief Product Safety Officer
Airbus

AP-SAS 2023 Speaker Bio

Bio coming soon!

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The 76th International Aviation Safety Summit is Organized BY Flight Safety Foundation and Hosted by Airbus.