A new year and a new injection of fresh talent has been introduced at Vertical Aerospace as the electric vehicle and takeoff (eVTOL) aircraft developer starts 2026 with two full-scale VX4 prototypes.
On January 8, 2026, Vertical Aerospace announced that it was strengthening its leadership team with three additional appointees in various parts of the company.
Juan Carlos Sacristan is joining as Vertical’s Chief Data & Information Officer (CDIO), Ollie Roberts as Chief People Officer (CPO) and Richard Moore as Vice President, Powertrain.
Sacristan will lead Vertical’s long-term data, digital and AI strategy, connecting information across design, procurement, testing, production and manufacturing.
According to Vertical, “his remit includes building the digital backbone, advanced simulation and analysis required to enable [the company] to scale efficiently into service”.
Still reflecting on an incredible night.
— Vertical Aerospace (@VerticalAero) December 12, 2025
To the skies. pic.twitter.com/aAV23REd1T
Moore is an aeronautics engineer and an experienced global battery expert with more than 35 years of experience in the industry.
Previously, he led the engineering of all sports cars at Lotus, including the Evija electric hypercar, and was chief engineer at Jaguar Land Rover.
There he led electrification engineering for propulsion systems across the Jaguar Land Rover, including the Jaguar I-Pace, the company’s first all-electric vehicle.
Roberts will lead Vertical’s people strategy, which includes the incredibly important task of attracting new talent and development.
Commenting on the new faces, Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace, said: “Vertical has reached an important inflection point. As we move at pace toward certification, manufacturing and commercialization, strengthening leadership across technology, core engineering disciplines and people position us to scale effectively and deliver on our long-term ambitions.”
He added: “I’m delighted to kick off this transformational year with these top tier appointments.”
Valo goes stateside
News of the leadership changes comes as Vertical Aerospace prepares to take its full scale Valo model aircraft to the US and introduce the design to an American audience.
As part of Valo’s US tour, the model aircraft will first visit New York at the Classic Car Club, Manhattan, where members of the public are invited to visit.
In December 2025, the Valo model was unveiled at an exclusive high-profile event in London’s Canary Wharf.
Valo is a much sleeker and sharper unit compared to Vertical’s VX4 prototype and has been shaped by extensive insights from the company’s piloted test program and direct feedback from airline and operator customers.
You can see Valo in Manhattan on January 23, 2026, between 09:00 and 17:00, local time.