The leadership team of Merlin, an aviation technology business dedicated to creating the most proficient pilot in the world for automated flying, has welcomed three C-level executives. As Merlin’s Chief Operating Officer, Soo Cho, a former Palantir executive with more than ten years of experience in people management and employment law, will oversee internal business operations and people for the company, including continuous flight test campaigns. Furthermore, Merlin named Grant Crenfeldt, its former Director of Operational Compliance and Safety, as Chief Executive Officer of Merlin New Zealand, and Patrick DePriest, its former Vice President of Finance, as Chief Financial Officer.
Merlin’s leadership team is being elevated in the wake of recent certification and commercialization successes. These include obtaining a Part 135 Air Operators Certificate to support future operational freight routes in New Zealand and entering into an agreement with the United States Air Force (USAF) to design, integrate, test, and demonstrate aspects of the Merlin Pilot on the KC-135 Stratotanker for the first time. These achievements highlight the hard work Merlin is doing into safely certifying and commercializing the Merlin Pilot and highlight the value of a strong leadership team and superior operational experience.
Merlin is developing quickly to build a more robust and safe air network, but in order to achieve this goal, we need exceptional leaders. As our purpose is defined by our people, Matt George, CEO and creator of Merlin, remarked, We are incredibly excited about the leaders we are adding to our team.
Merlin is a forward-thinking business that is innovating quickly and sensibly to change the face of air travel. As he is aware of the benefits that automated processes and state-of-the-art technology can provide to the public and private spheres, especially for government applications, Cho said he was thrilled to be joining the Merlin team with committed aviation specialists.
The unmatched expertise on Merlin’s team is fostering the next stage of aviation technology adoption. DePriest expressed his excitement in leading the company’s financial operations and looked forward to building on the company’s momentum as a technological leader.
We’ve progressed sophisticated automation systems significantly through certification and technology advancements since founding our test facility in New Zealand. Crenfeldt expressed his excitement about spearheading the current and upcoming testing efforts to guarantee that our technologies can securely and successfully shape aviation’s future as the country’s new CEO.
Founded in 2018, Merlin is constructing the ultimate autonomous system for everything that flies. Its headquarters are in Boston, and it also has offices in Denver, Kerikeri (New Zealand), and Mojave.
