Universal Hydrogen Kicks Off Flight Test Campaign for Its Hydrogen Regional Aircraft at the Mojave Air & Space Port

About the company

Founded in early 2020 by a group of experienced engineers and innovators, and backed by world-class investors, the company was built around a pragmatic, near-term approach to making hydrogen commercial flight a reality.

MISSION

We address aviation’s existential challenge – reducing carbon emissions while keeping flying affordable.

The mission of Universal Hydrogen is to decarbonize aviation and put the industry on a trajectory to meet Paris Agreement obligations.

Leadership Team

We are a world-class team with deep aviation and energy experience. We share a passion for green aviation and a desire to challenge the incremental pace of progress towards this goal.

  • Paul Eremenko
    Co-Founder and CEO

    Paul Eremenko

    Co-Founder and CEO

    Paul is a leading aviation pioneer, having served as CTO of both Airbus and United Technologies Corporation (UTC), leading both companies aggressively toward electrification. He is the founder of Acubed, Airbus’ Silicon Valley innovation center (as well as one in Shenzhen, China). Paul launched E-Fan X and Project 804 (Airbus’ and UTC’s hybrid-electric flight demonstrators, respectively), as well as Vahana and City Airbus (Airbus’ eVTOL demonstrators for urban air mobility). Earlier in his career, Paul led DARPA’s X-plane and large systems office, and also held senior positions at Google and Motorola. Paul studied aeronautics at MIT and Caltech, and law at Georgetown.
  • Mark Cousin
    President & Chief Technology Officer

    Mark Cousin

    President & Chief Technology Officer

    Mark spent the last 20 years at Airbus, where he was the Senior Vice President for Flight Demonstrators and before that the Technical Director of the Beluga XL program. Under Mark’s technical leadership, the Beluga XL, a major conversion of the A330, was completed on schedule and on budget with entry into service in under two years. He also led the team responsible for bringing the A380 program to entry into service and spent a decade doing flight and ground testing of the A340-600, A350, and A380. Most recently, he was the CEO of Acubed, the Airbus Silicon Valley innovation center. Mark is an aeronautics graduate of Southampton University before joining British Aerospace Regional Aircraft in the Future Projects department as his first job.
  • Jon Gordon
    Co-Founder, General Counsel, and Head of Partnerships and Government Affairs

    Jon Gordon

    Co-Founder, General Counsel, and Head of Partnerships and Government Affairs

    Jon was most recently Deputy GC for Technology at UTC. Prior to that he represented Airbus and Acubed in complex joint-development projects, and Berkshire Hathaway Energy in large-scale solar and wind projects. He has served as GC for several aviation start-ups and was a senior M&A attorney at Wachtell Lipton. He is a graduate of the University of Chicago.
  • Arnaud Namer
    Chief Operating Officer

    Arnaud Namer

    Chief Operating Officer

    Arnaud was most recently the head of strategy of Safran Passenger Solutions, which included the divisions of air management, water&waste, IFE & connectivity, and custom cabins. Prior to that he held various positions, including Vice President of Engineering and Director of Programs, in Safran and Zodiac Aerospace. He started his career at Airbus in overall aircraft design working on the A380, A350, and new narrowbody programs. Arnaud is an aeronautics graduate of École Polytechnique and ISAE-SUPAERO in France.
  • Rod Williams
    Chief Commercial Officer

    Rod Williams

    Chief Commercial Officer

    Rod is a 25-year veteran of Bombardier, where, among many other roles, he was Vice President of Marketing and Vice President of Regional Programs. Most recently, Rod served as Chief Marketing Officer of Wheels Up, as well as President of its Canadian subsidiary. Rod is an aerospace engineering graduate of the University of Toronto.
  • Pierre Farjounel
    General Manager Europe

    Pierre Farjounel

    General Manager Europe

    Pierre leads the Toulouse Engineering Design Center and is responsible for business development for the European region. Pierre comes to Universal Hydrogen from Airbus, where he most recently served as the Head of Digital Continuity & Information Systems for Airbus’ next generation of aircraft and Head of the Digital Design, Manufacturing, and Services (DDMS) program in France. Before that he was Head of Capability and Technology Strategy for the Airbus Flight Physics organization. He was also Chief of Staff to the Airbus CTO and before that to the CHRO. Pierre is an environmental engineer.
  • Strategic Advisory Board

    • Carl Burleson

      Carl Burleson

      Carl is the former Deputy Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). He retired in 2020 after three decades and numerous senior roles with the agency.
    • J.-P. Clarke

      J.-P. Clarke

      John-Paul (J.-P.) Clarke is an eminent academic and serial entrepreneur. In addition to serving as the CINO, he is a Professor of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics at the University of Texas at Austin, where he holds the Ernest Cockrell Jr. Memorial Chair in Engineering. Prior to joining the faculty at UT Austin, he was a College of Engineering Dean’s Professor at Georgia Tech, and previously on the faculty at MIT. He was Vice President of Strategic Technologies at UTC during an 18-month leave from Georgia Tech, an engineer at Boeing and NASA JPL, and co-founder of multiple startups. Prof. Clarke received his S.B., S.M., and Sc.D. degrees from MIT.
    • Tom Enders

      Tom Enders

      Tom is the former Chief Executive Officer of Airbus and today serves on the Board of Directors of Lufthansa, Linde, and Lilium.
    • Lourdes Maurice

      Lourdes Maurice

      Lourdes served as the US member to the ICAO Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection, the international body responsible for developing and coordinating environmental policy for the aviation industry. She was the FAA Chief Scientist for Environment and Energy and contributed to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) projects and reports that led to the body’s 2007 Nobel Peace Prize.
    • Patrick de Castelbajac

      Patrick de Castelbajac

      Patrick de Castelbajac was formerly CEO of Nordic Aviation Capital, the largest lessor of regional aircraft in the world. Patrick was also CEO of ATR, the leading maker of regional planes, as well as Chief Strategist for Airbus, in charge of the plane maker’s product and services policy.
    • Roei Ganzarski

      Roei Ganzarski

      Roei Ganzarski was previously CEO of MagniX, a leader in aircraft electrification, and the Executive Chairman of Eviation Aircraft, the developer of the world’s first all-electric middle-mile aircraft. Roei is a former Boeing executive, having held many roles including CCO of Boeing Flight Services.

    Backed by world-class investors

    Our investor team includes a collection of Silicon Valley heavyweights, deep-pocketed financials, and value-chain strategics.

    Financial Investors

    Strategic Investors