Wisk Aero, a leading advanced air mobility (AAM) company and developer of the first all-electric, self-flying, four-seat air taxi in the U.S., announced that Gary Gysin will be retiring from his position as CEO and as a member of the board, effective Feb. 1, 2023. The company has selected Dr. Brian Yutko as the new CEO, effective Feb. 1, 2023.
“On behalf of Wisk’s board, employees, and the broader advanced air mobility industry, I want to thank Gary for his dedication, commitment, and leadership since Wisk’s founding in 2019,” said Brian Schettler, chairman of Wisk’s board. “Gary’s authenticity, execution, and vision have established Wisk as a leader in advanced air mobility, built trust among the broader public, and advanced the industry as a whole.”
Gysin shared his intention to retire with Wisk’s board and executive leadership team in mid-2022. As CEO, Gysin helped found the Wisk brand and transform the company into an industry leader. Gysin led the formation of the company’s leadership team and, under his direction, the company saw tremendous growth across all teams, including development, engineering, and business operations.
Gysin set the direction for the company’s long-term vision, strategy, and goals, while also strengthening the strategic partnership with Boeing, including an additional $450-million investment commitment in January 2022.
Most recently, Gysin oversaw the strategy for the launch and development of Wisk’s sixth-generation air taxi, the world’s most advanced air taxi. Thanks to Gysin’s leadership, Wisk has become a leader in the advanced air mobility industry and is globally recognized as a pioneer in autonomy and future mobility.
“After nearly four decades of a career at the forefront of technology and autonomy, I’ve made the difficult decision to retire,” Gysin said. “Leading Wisk has been one of the most rewarding roles of my career and I’m honored to have helped lay the foundation for both the company and the future of mobility. Wisk is an incredibly unique and rare place, with passionate and smart people at all levels and the resources to make it across the finish line. I’m very excited to continue watching Wisk succeed under the strong leadership of Brian Yutko.”
Schettler added, “We are excited to welcome Brian Yutko as Wisk’s new CEO. To date, Brian has already been instrumental to Wisk’s success — from helping to secure additional resources for Wisk from within Boeing, to championing the concept of operations developed by the two companies. Brian’s deep expertise in aviation and passion for autonomy, as well as his existing familiarity with Wisk, will enable a smooth transition and allow Wisk to maintain its development timelines and trajectory within the industry with minimal disruption.”
Following an executive search process, Yutko was selected to join Wisk as the new CEO based on his experience with eVTOL aircraft and autonomous technology and his passion for Wisk’s vision.
As a board member, Yutko has developed a deep familiarity with Wisk, the company’s strategy, the Generation 6 program, and the company’s long-term goals. Yutko’s relationships, respect, and trust within the industry will help Wisk fulfill its commitment to bringing the first self-flying, eVTOL air taxi to the U.S. Yutko was selected by a unanimous board vote.
Yutko currently serves as vice president and chief engineer of sustainability and future mobility at Boeing. Yutko has served multiple leadership roles at Boeing, including chief technologist for Boeing NeXt.
Prior to Boeing, Yutko was senior vice president of programs at Aurora Flight Sciences, where he held P&L responsibility, led research and development, and also served as a program manager and principal investigator for various rapid prototyping and autonomous technology development programs.
Yutko helped to lead Aurora through a period of substantial growth while the company pioneered cutting edge autonomous systems technologies and applications. He began his career at MIT and NASA. Yutko received his bachelors of science in aerospace engineering from Penn State University and his masters of science and PhD in astronautical engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
“I’ve spent my career pursuing the future of aviation and Wisk is the embodiment of that pursuit,” Yutko said. “I’m fortunate to have been part of Wisk’s effort over the past two years as a member of the board and I’m honored to take on the role as CEO. Under Gary’s leadership, Wisk has built an incredibly strong team with a track record of success. We have no plans of slowing down and I’m excited to lead this incredible team as we advance safe, everyday, autonomous flight.”
Yutko will resign his current position with Boeing and assume his role as CEO at Wisk, effective Feb. 1, 2023.
This press release was prepared and distributed by Wisk Aero.
