2019 Global CEO Excellence Awards

26 CEO MONTHLY / GLOBAL CEO EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2019 , Jun19008 Driving change in the aerospace market, Flion is committed to leading the market to zero emission air travel. We invited CEO Leon Abrecht to talk us through his role in propelling the firmand aerospace market towards greater innovation and efficiency. Rising Star in Aerospace Business Leadership 2019 Led by CEO Leon Abrecht, an Engineer and Brand Management expert, Flion is aiming to revolutionise the air transport and create a more user-friendly experience. Leon talks us through his vision for the firm and the work he is undertaking to achieve it. “At Flion, we are eager to establish a whole new air travel system that is more time and space efficient and will allow door-to-door flights for maximum travel comfort. As part of this drive, we are designing a hydrogen-electric supersonic business jet that is able to take off and land vertically. At the same time, we develop the infrastructure for our system: the landing pads are only about half the size of a football field and they are equipped with autonomous refuelling systems. In the future, travellers will be able get one for their home to take-off literally from their own backyard. Our international airports will have five independent take-off and landing pads for maximum efficiency at minimum cost and space. So even if travellers don’t have their own landing pad, the nearest airport will be just around the corner, in their neighbourhood. Landing pads and airports will be installed all over the world. All kinds of places can be equipped with them: homes, communities, companies, hotels, restaurants – you name it. We will connect them all to establish direct and fast connections to almost any place on earth so that you will be able to reach your destination two times faster than you do today.” “By building the aircraft, landing pads and airports, we will create a whole new air travel system to replace the existing model offering unique features including supersonic speed, door-to-door flights and zero emission. As our products and services are very high tech, they need a lot of research and development before entering the market. Therefore, our main focus right now is to design and develop the core products of our system, and this is my constant drive as CEO.” Such an ambitious vision requires an energetic and experienced leader, and Leon draws on his extensive industry experience to ensure he is exactly that, as he highlights. “Leading Flion to success is an exciting challenge, and one which I am more than qualified to undertake. As a mechanical engineer I focused on electric and hybrid propulsion to find sustainable solutions for 21st century transportation. “Previously, I was working on the research and development of hybrid and electric vehicles for Mercedes-Benz. I was also working for Porsche on the marketing strategy for the new all-electric Porsche Taycan, that will be released later this year. “Today, my management and leadership skills as a Brand Manager allow me to strategically plan, design and run companies and brands. Paired with my knowledge in engineering and design, this is a perfect match for managing and leading a technology company like Flion. I am also the founder of Flion and my vison became the DNA of the company.” As a leader, Leon constantly aims to tailor his support to meet the needs of any given project and ensure that it is a success. He outlines how he works to drive his teams towards the common goal whilst at the same time using their personal skills and experience to the company’s collective benefit. “Being the CEO of Flion means adapting to any given scenario I find myself faced with. Each person, each situation and each project calls for a different leadership style, because no two people, situations or projects are alike. I like to lead by example and work with passion and enthusiasm because I believe that we are all allowed to have fun working. To reinforce my company’s vision in everyone’s mind, we use a good exercise where we imagine as if we are already using the products and services and enjoy the associated amenities. I like to ask my team what they would want from the end solution. My goal is to use everyone’s time more efficiently and to help people to develop their skills and decision-making abilities for their personal and the company’s growth.” As he looks ahead, Leon is excited for the developments that both Flion and the aerospace will undergo over the years to come, as he proudly concludes. “Ultimately, in the future, air travel will be supersonic, ultra- convenient and it will have zero emission. Therefore, aircraft design and propulsion will face huge changes. Unless we force these changes, the aviation industry isn’t willing to develop an entirely new aircraft. There just a few aircraft manufacturers offering very similar models so there is almost no competition for technology. “As such, at Flion our goal is to lead the way to zero emission air travel and inspire other aircraft manufacturers to follow our example. And this is not about the environment, because the environment doesn’t care if we humans survive, it’s about how we keep earth a habitable planet for ourselves. A tax on kerosene, which is long overdue, could really help to accelerate the transition to a new era of air travel. Our drive towards better air travel that benefits everyone will be the company’s ongoing focus throughout the coming years.”