ZeroAvia appoints ex-NASA chief technology officer to board

ZeroAvia has appointed Deborah Diaz, former NASA chief technology officer, as a on-executive director. 

Diaz is currently CEO of Catalyst ADV, a technology and strategic growth advisory firm. She also served as NASA’s CTO and deputy chief information officer where she managed areas like global system infrastructure, technology innovation, and financial and regulatory stewardship. Diaz also has experience as a board director with Archer and Primis Financial and as advisory board director of IT giants Intel and Dell.

Diaz said: “The importance of ZeroAvia’s mission, the rapid development of the technology and the energy of this specialised team are all factors in making me want to be part of this journey. As the global transition to net zero intensifies, I see tremendous opportunity ahead with ZeroAvia’s solid path of hydrogen-electric engines flying passengers and cargo with zero emissions within a few short years.”

ZeroAvia has now got more than 1,800 provisional powertrain orders and recently announced its first definitive purchase agreement.

Val Miftakhov, founder and CEO, ZeroAvia, added: “We are highly fortunate to have Deborah joining the board and offering her diverse experience and technical expertise to further enhance the capabilities of our board and push the company forward. Her experience in overseeing complex IT infrastructure at NASA, and work with many high-growth companies as a board director, give us a strong guiding hand to help us maximise the opportunities in front of us.”