Ian Collier is a Chartered Chemical Engineer and has responsibility to support the aviation sector reduce carbon emissions through the use of carbon dioxide removal. With over 15 years experience as a strategic and analytical business leader, Ian excels at joining the dots, with experience as the central figure throughout the development lifecycle. Passionate in pursuit of sustainable solutions, he lead the spearhead project for the world’s largest green hydrogen facility and was Head of Business and strategic development at Protium, cultivating strong partnerships and securing opportunities for government funding. Ian also supports the UK government’s Jet Zero Task Force as part of the Greenhouse Gas Removals group.
As Head of Propulsion and Systems at VAERIDION, Douglas Costa leads the development of the Microliner’s electric propulsion system and oversees all major aircraft systems, including mechanical, electrical, and avionics. His career spans key roles at Embraer, Dornier Seawings, and Mitsubishi Aircraft, where he contributed to complex propulsion integration across diverse platforms. With deep roots in propulsion and a broad systems perspective, Douglas is helping shape the next generation of sustainable regional aviation through the development of clean, electric flight solutions.
Nichola Bates joined Boeing following a decade-long career working with early stage and scaling startups, where she championed the role of the SME to government, particularly in the security and resilience sector. Nichola brings extensive experience of international business development and fundraising for growth, from strategy through to execution; with a wide network across governments and industry. Having also gained experience of working inside one of the world’s largest corporations, she has become even more passionate about the benefits of collaboration between startups and corporates. In her role as Managing Partner for Aerospace Xelerated, Nichola invests in and supports startups using innovative technologies to the benefit of the aerospace sector and related industries.
Neil Titchener is a Senior Manager at Boeing, leading the team developing the Cascade Climate Impact Model-a data modeling and visualization tool supporting aviation’s decarbonization efforts. With a strong foundation in experimental aerodynamics and propulsion research, Neil brings over 15 years of experience spanning roles at Boeing, Aurora Flight Sciences, MIT, and the University of Cambridge. He has held key engineering and research leadership positions, including work on next-generation aircraft concepts and climate modeling tools. Neil holds a Ph.D. in Experimental Aerodynamics and a Master’s in Aerospace Engineering, both from the University of Cambridge.