Groen Brothers Aviation Names Robin H. H. Wilson, Leading Aviation Industry Executive, Chief Financial Officer and Head of Business Development.Business Editors SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 22, 2001 Wilson Joins Board, Increasing its Size to Four Directors Groen Brothers Aviation, Inc., (OTCBB OTCBB See OTC Bulletin Board (OTCBB). : GNBA), the world's leading developer of commercially viable gyroplanes, announced today that Robin H. H. Wilson, a leading aviation industry executive with an extraordinary career in airline management, has joined the company as chief financial officer (CFO See Chief Financial Officer. ) and head of business development. He will also join the board of directors, increasing its size to four members. As CFO, Wilson will be responsible for the financial management of the company. He will oversee and administer the company's financial management team and report on financial matters to the board of directors. Also, he will represent the company to Wall Street and the public and private investment communities. As head of business development, he will play a major role in introducing the aviation industry to Groen Brothers Aviation new products, as the company expands its product line beyond the Hawk 4 gyroplane gyroplane: see autogiro. . Wilson brings to Groen Brothers an exceptional wealth of aviation industry experience. Among his leadership positions, Wilson served as president, chief operating officer Chief Operating Officer (COO) The officer of a firm responsible for day-to-day management, usually the president or an executive vice-president. and board member of Western Airlines, Inc., president, CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. and director of Burlington Air Express; and chief technical officer of Guinness Peak Aviation (GPA GPA abbr. grade point average Noun 1. GPA - a measure of a student's academic achievement at a college or university; calculated by dividing the total number of grade points received by the total number attempted ) then the world's largest aircraft leasing company. Following TWA entering Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in 1992, he was asked to return to the airline to serve as co-chief executive. After TWA's emergence from Chapter 11, he was appointed vice chairman with responsibility for the principal operating functions of the airline, resigning that position after the appointment of a new CEO. Most recently, he was partner and board member of SH&E, the international aviation consultants. President and CEO David Groen of Groen Brothers Aviation said, "We are pleased to have an executive with Robin Wilson's management skills and industry knowledge join the Groen Brothers Aviation team. His long and successful career within the world's aviation community brings us international experience in business development and financial management. As a member of our board, Robin can provide invaluable advice to GBA's management team as we grow this company into a world class aircraft manufacturer." James P. Mayfield, vice president and chief operating officer of Groen Brothers Aviation, said, "With Federal Aviation Administration Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), component of the U.S. Department of Transportation that sets standards for the air-worthiness of all civilian aircraft, inspects and licenses them, and regulates civilian and military air traffic through its air traffic control certification of the Hawk 4 gyroplane expected before the end of next year, and deliveries of the aircraft scheduled to begin shortly thereafter, Mr. Wilson's many established relationships in the aviation community will be of great value to the company." Robin Wilson said, "I am excited to be associated with the Hawk 4 and the company that is going to bring to the world, a new form of safe, convenient transportation. The near vertical take off and landing capability and unprecedented safety of the Hawk 4 will ensure full realization of the commercial potential of this extraordinary rotorcraft ro·tor·craft n. An aircraft, especially a helicopter, that is kept partially or completely airborne by airfoils rotating around a vertical axis. ." A native of Dublin, Ireland, Wilson received a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors in Mechanical Sciences from Cambridge University in 1958. He also has an honorary Doctor of Laws Noun 1. Doctor of Laws - an honorary law degree LLD honorary degree, honoris causa - a degree conferred to honor the recipient from Adelphi University, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of . He began his aviation career as an engineer in the aeroengine division of Rolls-Royce in England. After having received an MBA MBA abbr. Master of Business Administration Noun 1. MBA - a master's degree in business Master in Business, Master in Business Administration in Finance from the Harvard Business School Harvard Business School, officially named the Harvard Business School: George F. Baker Foundation, and also known as HBS, is one of the graduate schools of Harvard University. , where he was a Baker Scholar and was graduated with high distinction, he started a 17 year career with Trans World Airlines Trans World Airlines, commonly known as TWA, was a major American airline company that was acquired by American Airlines in April 2001. For many years it was headquartered at the Kansas City Downtown Airport, as well as midtown Manhattan in New York City. (TWA) as a financial analyst. At TWA, Wilson rose to senior vice-president-operations responsible for: flight operations, in-flight service, engineering, maintenance, and purchasing, including the purchase of airliners from Boeing. In l981, Mr. Wilson became president and general manager of the Long Island Rail Road, the nation's largest commuter railroad, in which position he served for 3-l/2 years. The State of New York Legislature The New York Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of New York. It is a bicameral legislature, consisting of the lower house New York State Assembly and the upper house New York Senate. The legislature is seated at the New York State Capitol in Albany. adopted a resolution commending his "outstanding service," and he was inducted into the Long Island Hall of Fame in 1985. At the same time he was also a director of the start-up airline, Air Atlanta. Groen Brothers continues to experience rapid growth. Employees now number 130, up from 70 two years ago. It has awarded 11 North American dealerships and two international dealerships, which have provided deposits on 145 aircraft. Wilson becomes the fourth member of what the Company expects soon to be a seven member board. About Groen Brothers Aviation Groen Brothers Aviation has developed the first modern, commercially viable gyroplane, a hybrid aircraft with the low operating cost of an airplane and the off-runway operating capability of a helicopter. The Company's Hawk 4 is nearing the final stages of certification with the FAA. Information about Groen Brothers Aviation, its products, and individual members of "GBA GBA Game Boy Advance (Nintendo 32-Bit Game Boy) GBA Gran Buenos Aires (Argentina) GBA God Bless America GBA Gundam Battle Assault (video game) GBA Alderney Team Hawk" are available on the company's web site at: www.gbagyros.com. Safe Harbor Statement/Forward-looking Information Disclaimer Certain statements in this news release are forward-looking within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking information is subject to risk and uncertainty. Certain statements in this Press Release may contain "forward-looking" information that involves risk and uncertainty, including projections for deliveries, sales, and other trend projections. Actual future results and trends may differ materially depending on a variety of factors, including the Company's successful execution of internal performance plans; product performance; risks associated with regulatory certifications of the Company's commercial aircraft by U.S. and foreign governments; other regulatory uncertainties; collective bargaining labor disputes; performance issues with key suppliers and subcontractors; governmental export and import policies; and the ability to adequately finance operations to the date of FAA certification and manufacturing. |
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