Wisk Aero, a pioneer in autonomous electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and a fully owned subsidiary of Boeing, has appointed Sebastien Vigneron as Chief Executive Officer.
Vigneron succeeds Brian Yutko, who will transition to a senior leadership role at Boeing Commercial Airplanes (BCA) as Vice President of Product Development.
The leadership change comes at a pivotal moment in Wisk’s journey toward certification and commercialization of its sixth-generation autonomous passenger aircraft. Vigneron, who most recently served as Wisk’s Senior Vice President of Engineering and Programs, brings extensive experience in advanced aircraft development and a deep understanding of Wisk’s mission, technology stack, and strategic roadmap.
Sebastien Vigneron has played a central role in Wisk’s development of the Generation 6 autonomous eVTOL, the company’s most advanced aircraft to date. His work has included oversight of key areas such as autonomy architecture, airspace integration, systems and flight testing, and overall program management. Under his technical leadership, Wisk has made significant progress toward its certification goals and continues to position itself at the forefront of safe, scalable autonomous flight.
Sebastien Vigneron said, “Having been deeply involved in our journey over the last four years, I’m incredibly honored to lead Wisk into this next chapter as we bring our Gen 6 aircraft to market. This is a truly exciting time for the company and AAM as a whole. I look forward to guiding our talented team through this critical stage and leveraging the enhanced collaboration with Boeing to bring safe, autonomous flight to everyday life.”
Brian Yutko added, “Leading Wisk as CEO and being a part of the incredible progress our team has made on our Gen 6 product has been a true privilege. I’m honored to join the storied Product Development team at Boeing at this important time in history, and to connect the pioneering technologies and bold spirit of innovation we’ve cultivated at Wisk. Sebastien is an incredible leader, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with him and the Wisk team as we fly Gen 6, progress our certification program, and enter service.”
As Wisk accelerates toward the first flight of the Gen 6 aircraft and moves through the FAA certification process, Vigneron’s deep technical background and familiarity with regulatory pathways will be critical to maintaining program momentum and achieving operational readiness.
Vigneron brings over two decades of experience in advanced transportation systems and aircraft development. Prior to joining Wisk in 2021, he served as Vice President of Product Development Engineering and Chief Engineer at Virgin Hyperloop, where he led the end-to-end development of the Hyperloop system from concept through full-scale testing.
Earlier in his career, Vigneron held engineering and leadership roles at Bombardier and Dassault Aviation, where he contributed to the development and certification of several new aircraft platforms. He holds a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from École Polytechnique in France and a Master’s in Aeronautics and Astronautics from Stanford University.
While Brian Yutko transitions to Boeing Commercial Airplanes, he will remain involved with Wisk in a strategic capacity, helping ensure alignment between the two organizations. Wisk will continue to operate independently as a Boeing subsidiary, with a clear focus on delivering the first autonomous, passenger-carrying eVTOL for commercial operations in the United States.
