ZeroAvia, Inc. has appointed Christine Ourmières-Widener as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately, marking a new phase in the company’s development as it moves closer to the certification, commercialisation and wider market adoption of its hydrogen-electric propulsion technologies.
Ourmières-Widener will lead the company’s next stage of growth across both civil and defence aerospace markets while retaining her position as Chair of the Board.
She has served as Executive Chair of ZeroAvia’s Board since November 2025, after joining the Board as a Director in February 2021.
With more than 30 years of experience in aviation, Ourmières-Widener brings extensive technical knowledge alongside a strong record in airline transformation and operational performance. Before joining ZeroAvia’s leadership team, she served as Chief Executive Officer of TAP Air Portugal, Flybe and CityJet. She also held several senior management positions within the Air France-KLM Group and was a member of the IATA Board of Governors.
A trained aeronautical engineer, Ourmières-Widener began her professional career at Air France, where she worked on the Concorde programme. She subsequently moved into senior commercial and executive positions across the aviation industry. Her contribution to engineering and aviation leadership has also been recognised through her fellowships of the Royal Academy of Engineering and the Royal Aeronautical Society.
Geoff Eisenberg, Board Director and Investor at Ecosystem Integrity Fund, said the Board considered Ourmières-Widener to have the necessary experience, leadership and industry understanding to guide ZeroAvia through its next phase.
“Since assuming operational leadership of the business, she has strengthened the company’s strategic focus and secured key partnerships, while bringing valuable insight from a distinguished career leading airlines,” he said.
For Ourmières-Widener, the appointment comes at a pivotal moment for both ZeroAvia and the wider aviation industry.
“I am honoured to be appointed Chief Executive Officer of ZeroAvia at such an important moment for the company and the aviation industry,” said the new CEO and Chair.
She added that understanding customers’ priorities would be central to the company’s next phase, while highlighting the potential to create value across civil and defence aerospace markets. Her objective will be to lead ZeroAvia as it commercialises its products and continues to advance its hydrogen-electric propulsion technology.
The company remains focused on accelerating the development and certification of hydrogen-electric propulsion systems designed for aviation.
Ourmières-Widener also underlined the broader potential of the technology for aerospace and defence applications, stressing the importance of collaboration in bringing the transition forward.
“Hydrogen-electric propulsion has the potential to transform aerospace and defense applications, and collaboration is essential to accelerating that transition,” she said.
She specifically pointed to ZeroAvia’s work with Safran, noting that the partnership is helping advance technologies considered critical to creating a cleaner and more sustainable future for flight.
