Appoints non-executive Director to widen strategy in rapidly growing UAV market
Strat Aero plc, an international aerospace company focused on the rapidly emerging Unmanned Aerial Vehicle sector, has appointmented Mr. Paul Ryan to the Board as a non-executive Director focused on strategy. Mr Ryan has 20 years of transactional, commercial and regulatory experience in the telecommunications and ICT sectors with international blue chip entities, during which he has been involved in transactions with a value in excess of US$10 billion. He will be responsible for business development and the implementation of a more expansive strategy focussed on building a vertically integrated UAV offering, covering all aspects of the value chain, including the provision of innovative software platforms, hardware and pilot training services, both military and commercial.
Mr Ryan has been working with the Company for the past few months to broaden Strat Aero’s established presence in the UAV sector and provide a fully integrated service offering. The Board has recognised that the opportunity in the sector is continuously widening and as a result is looking to further strengthen its management team with similar high calibre professionals with international blue chip commercial experience. Additionally, in line with an expanding strategy, it is assessing a number of potential partnership and acquisition opportunities which would transform the Company’s activities and offering.
Mr Ryan has over 20 years’ experience at board level in the telecoms and ICT sectors. From 2002 to 2013, he held a variety of board positions with leading mobile operator Vodafone and its operating subsidiaries, including Head of Strategy, Regulatory and Political Affairs in Brussels and Director of Strategy and External Affairs for Vodafone Ireland and Vodafone Ghana. Prior to this, he worked as a management consultant in the European telecoms sector, served as a strategic adviser at Ofcom, the UK’s communications industry regulator, and was a solicitor at leading international City law firm Ashurst. Mr Ryan is Managing Director Europe and Africa for CMAS Holdings LLC, an innovative cellular messaging alert company, where his responsibilities include high value infrastructure sales to the public sector. He acts as an adviser, primarily on strategy and public policy, to a range of clients including FTSE100 and Fortune 500 companies largely in the ICT space. Mr Ryan is a qualified solicitor in the UK and graduated from Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
Mr Paul Ryan said: “The UAV space offers an incredible opportunity for a vertically integrated offering covering all elements of the value chain, including software and hardware. Strat Aero, as a listed vehicle with a recognised presence in the UAV arena, represents an ideal platform on which to capitalise on what I believe to be a potential revolution in business practises. I am extremely excited to utilise my international experience and network to generate new business, further strengthen our team and facilitate the widening of the UAV strategy.”
Capt. Russell Peck, CEO of Strat Aero, said: “The UAV is a fast evolving technology that is opening up huge opportunities across multiple sectors. Combined with the right software platform, UAVs offer enhanced functionality and significant time and cost savings. We are focused on capturing as much of the margins available in this fast developing sector by building a fully integrated offering including highly innovative software platforms. Paul’s proven expertise and track record in developing strategies that maximise commercial opportunities, and his skill in fostering strong relationships with all stakeholders including regulatory bodies and customers, will prove invaluable as we position Strat Aero as the go to provider of UAV enabled solutions to both military and commercial customers.”