Our Team

Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria

Executive Chairman

Dr. Chirinjeev Kathuria, Chairman of AIRO Group, is an Indian-American entrepreneur, physician, and philanthropist who leads the company with a focus on helping clients, investors and partners pioneer new frontiers in aerospace and defense.

He is a co-founder of The AIRO Group and was the founding director of MirCorp, the first private company to launch manned space programs.

Dr. Kathuria has also co-founded leading digital healthcare and technology companies, including American Teleradiology NightHawks and The X-Stream Networks, both of which achieved significant public market success. Dr. Kathuria holds a B.S. and M.D. from Brown University and an MBA from Stanford University.

Joe Burns

cHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Joe Burns, a seasoned veteran of aerospace and defense boldly leads AIRO’s global business – building strong brands, faithful clients, collaborative partners, and forward thinking, problem-solving employees as the company’s Chief Executive Officer.

Joe draws on 35+ years of experience in aerospace, having founded and grown numerous companies such as AIRO Drone and Sensurion Aerospace. Joe is an AIRO Group Co-founder, a certified pilot and former United Airlines Captain who oversaw $250M in NextGen technology programs as their Director of Operations. His career also includes CEO roles at Xcelar and Inertia Technology as well as engineering leadership positions with Ericsson and Sprint. Burns holds patents in aeronautics and serves on NASA advisory boards. He earned an MBA and a B.S. in Aeronautics from Miami University.

John Uczekaj

PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

John Uczekaj has a history of running world-class businesses and is doing just that with The AIRO Group. As the President and COO, John’s 35 years of avionics and aerospace industry experience helps clients and partners go from good to great – pushing new frontiers of technology convergence, manufacturing processes and a truly global and dynamic supply-chain.

John began his career as an engineer with Boeing and has held numerous executive leadership roles at Honeywell. As CEO of Aspen Avionics for 20 years, he established the company as a leading general aviation avionics manufacturer. He previously served as President and COO of The NORDAM Group.

A Living Legends of Aviation honoree and honored as Entrepreneur of the Year, John sits on the General Aviation Manufacturers Association board of directors. He holds a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from Oregon State University, an MBA from City University, and is an instrument-rated pilot.

Dr. Mariya Pylypiv

chief financial officer

Mariya Pylypiv, PhD, is an accomplished financial executive with extensive experience in investment banking, corporate finance, and strategic advisory roles. Serving as the Chief Financial Officer at The AIRO Group, Mariya also holds the position of Director and President at Maven, which provides strategic CFO-level consulting for middle-market businesses. With a strong background as a Co-Founder and Board Member at UpHealth, Mariya has played critical roles in driving digital health solutions. Additional engagements include advisory roles at STS Capital Partners and SentryHealth, and previous leadership positions at Sikich and Acrospire Investment. Mariya’s academic credentials include a PhD in Behavioral Finance/Development Economics from Purdue University, an Executive MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management, and various degrees in International Economics and Accounting from esteemed institutions.

Martin Schousboe

Senior vice president and GM – AMEA & APAC / Chief Executive Officer, Sky-watch

Martin Schousboe, leads AIRO’s AMEA and APAC business from AIRO’s European Headquarters in Denmark. As the CEO of Sky-Watch, AIRO’s prominent drone brand, Martin brings extensive leadership experience across multiple industries to his global role.

Martin chairs the management board of Belmaflex Sp. O.O. and is a board member and former CEO of Belmaflex A/S Denmark, a manufacturer for the energy sector. Previously, he held senior sales and marketing roles at Samson Agro and co-founded Asetek, a high-tech startup for microprocessor cooling. Martin holds an MBA and a B.S. in Business Administration and Commercial Law from Copenhagen Business School and Aarhus School of Business. 

Dan Johnson

Senior vice president Investor Relations & Communications

Dan Johnson leads AIRO’s investor relations and corporate communications, helping connect retail and institutional investors with current, accurate and compliant information about AIRO.

Dan brings 30+ years of aerospace and defense industry experience to AIRO, having founded and grown a number of companies in the sector with fellow AIRO business partners. Dan’s career has been in leadership roles at both large and small aerospace and defense firms, and his focus has always been client, partner and investor-facing, seeking to bring clear and accurate information to decision makers in the aerospace ecosystem. Dan also leads AIRO’s North American Sales Operations, bringing the entire AIRO portfolio of products and services to market with a specialized team of sales, marketing, business development and communications experts. Dan has a B.S. in Aeronautical Sciences and Communication from the University of North Dakota and an MBA from the University of Minnesota, Carlson School of Business.

Isabella Limonta, Esq.

Associate General Counsel

Isabella serves AIRO as it’s in-house general counsel for all legal matters. Isabella has a B.A. in Public Relations, a Masters Certificate in Global Strategic Communications, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Florida, Fredric G. Levin College of Law

Chris Levy

Senior vice president & GM for Training

Christopher Levy brings his storied career in aerospace and defense to AIRO, leading both military and commercial training groups. Christopher Levy, a retired U.S. Air Force Colonel with 37 years of aviation experience, has served as an F-15C and MC-12 instructor, logging over 400 combat hours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has led aviation units of over 1,000 personnel in both peacetime and wartime and currently flies international routes on the Boeing 777. A commercial glider pilot with CFII, MEI, and ATP ratings, he also managed aircraft acquisition and training programs for the U.S. Air Force. Christopher holds degrees in Human Factors Engineering, Aeronautical Science, and Operations Research.

Martin Peryea

Senior vice president & GM for electric air mobility

Martin Peryea leads AIRO’s Electric Air Mobility division, with his 40+ years of aviation experience. Martin is an expert in aircraft design, development, and certification, including leading two clean-sheet designs to commercialization. He has held senior roles at Triumph Aerospace Structures and Bell Helicopter, managing multimillion-dollar budgets and cross-functional teams. Martin specializes in rotorcraft aerodynamics, handling qualities, and advanced aerospace systems for commercial and military applications. Martin has B.S. in Applied and Engineering Physics and a Masters Degree in Aerospace Engineering from Cornell University.

Brian Haynes

vice president for Uncrewed Air Systems / UAV / Drones

Brian brings his entrepreneurial spirit and over 40 years of aerospace and defense industry experience to AIRO’s Uncrewed Air Systems / UAV / Drones division. Brian has held senior leadership positions in a number of aerospace companies including Pan Am Systems, Sensurion Aerospace, Agile Defense, Honeywell and AIRO Drone, before co-founding The AIRO Group. Brian is an electrical and communications engineer and has led numerous FAA and NASA groups focused on the next-generation of aviation technologies, methodologies and CONOPS. Brian served as the Technology Operations Manager at United Airlines where he led groundbreaking initiatives for smart cockpit technologies.