Keynote Session

Tuesday, 21 May 2018 – 09:00-10:00

Palexpo, Congress Centre, Room B

This session will inspire you and set the tone for an innovative forward-thinking show. Join EBAA Secretary General Athar Husain Khan and NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen, who will discuss the importance of business aviation in Europe and around the world, at the EBACE2019 Keynote. Hear from keynote speaker Florian Reuter, founder and CEO of Volocopter, which is among the pioneering companies leading a revolution in electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing transportation, the Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP, UK Parliament, Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation, the largest APPG in the current Parliament, and from the CEO of Genève Aéroport, André Schneider. Afterwards, experience the EBACE2019 Ribbon Cutting as we officially open the show.

Seating for the Opening Keynote is available on a first-come, first-served basis. If you require additional assistance, please contact Edward Bagsic at [email protected].

 

Florian Reuter
Florian Reuter
CEO // Managing Director
Volocopter GmbH

As the CEO of Volocopter GmbH, Florian is responsible for turning the Company’s vision of mobility for all into a reality. Florian studied Industrial Engineering at the Technical University of Karlsruhe as well as the Universitat de Barcelona. After graduating, he spent several years as a management consultant in various countries. In his role as venture manager at Siemens AG in Munich, he was responsible for the creation and oversight of technology startups. Having joined Volocopter in 2015, with a team of four, Florian has overseen its growth to a team of over 120, set the market, product and certification strategy from scratch and raised over 35 Million in investments from companies such as Daimler and Intel Capital. His international experience in the industry provides him with the necessary vision to put finances, technology and innovative ideas on the right track. Having gained the world’s first permit to fly in 2016, Volocopter is the undisputed global leader in electric urban air mobility.

 

Grant Schapps
The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP
Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary
Group on General Aviation
House of Commons, United Kingdom

The Rt Hon Grant Shapps MP is the Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation (APPG-GA), the largest APPG in the current Parliament. Grant was a member of the Public Administration Select Committee between May 2005 and Spring 2007. In December 2005, he was appointed as a Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party, with responsibility for campaigning. In July 2007 Grant was promoted to Shadow Housing Minister attending Shadow Cabinet. After the May 2010 election Grant Shapps became Minister of State for Housing & Local Government in the Coalition Government. In June 2010 Grant was made a Privy Counsellor by the Queen, meaning that he may use the title The Right Honourable before his name. In September 2012 Grant was appointed as Chairman of the Conservative Party and Minister without Portfolio in the Cabinet. He remained as Chairman through to the 2015 election and helped pioneer the unexpected 2015 Conservative outright majority.

In May 2015 Grant was appointed Minister of State for International Development, shortly thereafter he was also appointed as Minister of State at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office; becoming the first Minister of State to hold both posts simultaneously.

Since leaving ministerial office, Grant has built and chaired the British Infrastructure Group of MPs (BIG) which brings together cross-party Members of Parliament dedicated to promoting better infrastructure across the United Kingdom. The core purpose of BIG is to ensure that every opportunity for growth is seized, with bold and thoughtful recommendations, backed by authoritative research and evidence. Each report released focuses on a different area of current or future infrastructure need, identifying shortcomings and setting out measures for improvement.

Grant says that his experience of creating and running his own business was very helpful in providing the necessary skills to be a Government Minister and in winning the 2015 general election. He has also found the skills he picked up in business have been invaluable in representing the concerns of his constituents.

 

André Schneider
André Schneider
CEO
Genève Aéroport

André Schneider, after having been a professional musician in major classical orchestras, developed his first experiences when IBM decided to go into services and asked him to create an IT consulting practice in Geneva, working throughout Europe; he then expanded his experience joining the World Economic Forum and was instrumental during his 12 years in creating the world’s leading global multi-stakeholder platform and finally globalizing this concept by expanding it around the world, with special emphasis on China and the Middle East. With his advisory, André has been quickly developing projects and thought leadership in many important issues around sustainable development, like renewable energies, sustainable competitiveness, sustainable mobility, sustainable infrastructure grading and financing and social banking. After this, André has joined EPFL, as Vice-President for Resources and Infrastructures, for three years. On September 1, 2016, André has joined Genève Aéroport as its new CEO. André is also the chairman of World Climate Ltd, the world’s leading media and events platform to accelerate the development of the global green economy; Chairman of equal-salary, providing a certification of equal compensation for women and men; and Vice-Chairman of Global Infrastructure Basel, the sustainable infrastructure forum and summit.

 

Serge Dal Busco
Serge Dal Busco
State Councilor
Republic & Canton, Geneva