Vertical Aerospace confirmed on October 5, 2026 that Clyde M. Woltman, former CEO of Leonardo Helicopters US, has joined its board of directors effective immediately. The British eVTOL developer is positioning the hire as a cornerstone of its push to take the Valo aircraft through certification and into commercial and defence service.

Woltman ran Leonardo Helicopters US from January 2022 to February 2026. Vertical cited his record as "leading a $1 billion business spanning sales, engineering, certification, production, customer support and R&D across the Americas, alongside U.S. Government and Foreign Military Sales programmes globally."

That scope — full P&L accountability across certification, production and aftermarket on a rotorcraft platform — is the closest civilian analogue to what Vertical must build around Valo.

Before Leonardo, Woltman held senior roles at Aerojet Rocketdyne — now part of L3Harris Technologies — and at Pratt & Whitney, where his remit covered advanced defence and aerospace programmes.

That career arc gives Vertical a board director who has sat inside two of the Western propulsion industry's most consequential primes at a moment when hybrid-electric architectures are forcing eVTOL developers to make propulsion choices that lock in cost, weight and certification risk for a decade.

For a company publicly working a hybrid-electric, autonomous and defence strategy in parallel with its commercial Valo effort, that mix of civil certification discipline and Foreign Military Sales channels is the most directly relevant precedent available.

The FMS exposure in particular matters: it gives Woltman a working knowledge of how US Government and allied procurement cycles reward or delay new air vehicle entrants.

What does Woltman bring to Vertical's board?

• Leadership of a $1bn rotorcraft business with US Government and Foreign Military Sales exposure across the Americas
• Prior senior leadership at Aerojet Rocketdyne — now part of L3Harris Technologies — and at Pratt & Whitney
• Direct oversight of advanced defence and aerospace programmes at Pratt & Whitney, including the F135 propulsion system for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter
• A retired US Marine Corps Colonel commission, with programme-delivery and military-aviation operations insight

Why now?

Vertical is steering its Valo programme through a stage the company describes as certification-led commercialisation, with parallel work on hybrid-electric, autonomous and defence variants. Simpson said the hire is meant to sharpen execution across that multi-track plan.

Simpson, Vertical's CEO, tied the appointment to that effort. "As we progress Valo towards certification and commercialisation, we are focused on disciplined execution, expanding our platform across hybrid-electric, autonomous and defence applications," Simpson said.

"Clyde brings an exceptional combination of aerospace leadership, industrial execution and direct experience with U.S. defence and international government communities at a pivotal stage in Vertical's development," Simpson said.

Woltman framed his move in strategic terms. "Vertical has the technology, team and strategic momentum to build a leading next-generation aerospace company," Woltman said. "I am delighted to join the Board at a time when the Company is expanding its commercial opportunities while exploring the significant potential for its technology across government and defence applications."

What else is changing on the board?

The Woltman appointment is the second senior board change at Vertical in a matter of weeks. Former Airbus Commercial Aircraft CEO Fabrice Brégier recently took the chair role, installing one of the most senior commercial-aircraft OEM alumni in the Western industry at the top of the table.

Two sitting directors, Carsten Stendevad and James Keith Brown, gave notice of their intention to resign effective October 5, 2026 — the same day Woltman's appointment took effect.

What to watch next

The shape of Vertical's near-term milestones will determine the value of the overhaul: a concrete Valo certification step, a launch-customer order conversion, or a US or allied defence solicitation win. Without one of those, the board reshuffle remains a personnel story rather than a commercial one.