International Advisory Council

Birgit Otto has a wide experience in Aviation and the logistics world. After her studies at Wageningen (propedeuse environmental sciences) and Groningen ( Business & Management), she started in 1989 as a management trainee at Royal Nedlloyd, a worldwide logistics service provider. In this company she gathered experience in commercial and general management positions in various Nedlloyd companies in the Netherlands and abroad.
In 2001 she joined the Royal Schiphol Group. She was Director of various business units (Airport Operations, Assetmanagement and Design&Review) and the last 8 years at Schiphol she was the Vice President & COO. In this last position she was also in the Executive Board of ACI Europe and she was chair of various industry platforms like Safety Review Board and Security Board. Besides this she was a member of the Next Generation Infrastructure Board, Holland International Distribution Country Board and Dutch Digital Logistics Strategy Board.
At this moment Birgit is a Supervisory Board member of Transavia, Royal IHC, Handelsveem BV/Steinweg, Royal Flora Holland, Kika and FBO.

Bart Biebuyck is CEO and founding member of the Green Energy Park Krk, a unique midstream facility on the island of Krk in the North Adriatic Sea. Under his leadership, it aims to handle 10 million tons of renewable ammonia shipped from several places in the world. An investment of over 0.5 billion Euros is expected and the ambition is to start operations from July 2027.
Before that, Bart Biebuyck was at the Fuel Cell department of Toyota Motor Europe where he held the position of Technical Senior Manager. His expertise in the automotive industry includes extensive knowledge related to the deployment of new technologies in the European market. It is as part of the Clean Energy Partnership (CEP) programme in Berlin that Bart worked at reinforcing European trials for the Toyota Fuel Cell Vehicle. He also had the opportunity to develop and expand his expertise in Japan, where he worked for two years.
In addition to his industrial experience, Bart has been politically active in his local town since 2006. In 2013 he became the vice president of the City Council, responsible, among others, for the local economy and education.
In 2016, he was appointed as the Executive director of the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking, now called the Clean Hydrogen Partnership – a public-private partnership between the European Commission, the industry and the research community. It aims at facilitating the deployment of fuel cells and hydrogen technologies in Europe. During his seven-year term, a strong emphasis on cooperation with cities and regions led to the creation of the European Hydrogen Valleys Partnership with around 40 European regions. Dissemination of project results, building technology awareness and enhanced basic research became his key focus points. He is the creator of the Hydrogen Valleys concept, the European Hydrogen Week and the European Hydrogen Bank. He successfully negotiated the 2.0 billion Euro European “Clean Hydrogen Partnership” which was launched by the President of the European Commission in November 2021.

Alain Leroy graduated as French aeronautical engineer and pilot in 1986. He first joined the French Ministry of Defense where he was in charge of research and development programs for the Air force training fleet including the first experiments of stall and spin resistant light airplane concepts. He then moved to various assignments in the French Direction Générale de l’Aviation Civile before staying nine years with the Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA), where he played an important role in developing the first European “joint certification system” with the JAA member states.
After one year in Sofréavia, a French aeronautical consulting company, where he was heading the airworthiness and Operational branch supporting African and Southeast Asian aviation authorities, he joined the European Aviation Safety Agency in 2004 as head of the Product Certification Department responsible for aviation product airworthiness and environmental certification. He was then nominated Head of the Large Airplane Department before becoming Deputy Certification Director, and since January 2021 Chief Engineer advising the EASA Executive Director, and leading Innovation in EASA as well as the expert’s technical line.
In parallel, Mr Leroy has also been very active in flying, he joined the French Aerobatic Team in the early 90’s and participated in the first three world aerobatic gliders championships. He still owns a Pitts S2B aerobatic airplane.

Gioia started her carrier back in 2000 at FINMECCANICA (today LEONARDO) headquarters in Rome as project manager for international affairs. She then joined the aeronautics-focused consulting company CEIS (todays Forward Global) where she held the position of deputy director for business development, dealing with business intelligence and comparative economic analysis. The next move was towards EADS (today AIRBUS) at the international directorate where she was senior manager for Europe and Africa for large risk-sharing programs (A400M) and general secretary of the EuroMALE (UAV platform) Steering Committee. After four years in this position, Gioia transitioned into the space sector to join ARIANESPACE (today part of ARIANEGROUP) as sale director for governmental and commercial sales in Europe and Africa for the three operational launchers (Ariane 5/Vega/Soyuz) at the time. In 2012, she is appointed senior vice president for Europe, Russia, CIS, Turkey and sub-Saharan Africa at SAFRAN headquarters within its international directorate to support large commercial campaigns and run the foreign Safran offices in her perimeter. Since 2017, she is holding the position of Director for European R&T programs and R&T international cooperation at SAFRAN’s directorate for strategy, R&T and innovation (DSTI). She is notably in charge of the SAFRAN participation to the Clean Aviation EU research program since its inception and is actively involved in the Governing Board and Technical Committee of Clean Aviation.
Gioia is member of the European Aeronautics Science Network (EASN) advisory board and speaks English, Italian, French and Spanish. She excels in multilateral, multidisciplinary international negotiations with a clear aim to implement policies, strategies, programs and funding.
Gioia is also member of the Elles Bougent association, promoting the place of young women in technical sectors and belongs to the civilian reserve of the French Gendarmerie Nationale.
Gioia graduated, among others, from Ecole Nationale d’Administration (ENA -Paris, France) and Sciences Po Paris (Institut d’Etudes Politiques of Paris, France). She holds a specialized Master degree in International Management and a Master in Public Administration (MPA). She underwent a PhD level training in sociology of usage applied to artificial intelligence at university Paris-Dauphine (PSL –Paris, France).
Gioia is married, mother of twins and a painter in her spare time.

Professor Simon Weeks, CEO, Simon Weeks Consultancy Limited
Professor Simon Weeks provides NED and technology consultancy services from his own business. He is a member of the Innovate UK Council and the DfT College of Experts. He is a Non-Executive Director of the Offshore Wind Growth Partnership. Previously, he was the Chief Technology Officer for the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), accountable for technical direction of the UK’s national aerospace technology strategy and £5Bn+ programme. Before that, Simon held senior engineering & technology roles with Rolls-Royce, including Global Head of Aerospace Research & Technology, Director of Engineering Operations for Aero Engine Controls and Technical Director for Eurojet, where he led the development of the EJ200 engine for the Eurofighter Typhoon. Simon is a Visiting Professor in Engineering Science at Oxford University and In Sustainability Technology at Loughborough University. He is a chartered engineer and a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership.