Lilium makes a series of key hires from Airbus 
 and Audi

Lilium, the disruptive aviation startup developing a revolutionary on-demand air mobility service, has announced today a series of key appointments. Mirko Reuter, formerly Head of Automated Driving at Audi AG, is joining the team as Head of Autonomous Flight at Lilium. Jakob Waeschenbach, formerly Head Of Equipment Installation at Airbus, is joining the team as Head of Aircraft Assembly, and, Rochus Moenter, former Vice President Finance & Lease at Airbus, is joining as General Counsel & Head of Legal at Lilium.

To enable the vision of air mobility for everyone, the company is designing, manufacturing and will soon operate the Lilium Jet, the first all-electric vertical take-off and landing jet (eVTOL) of its kind. Co-founded in 2015 by Daniel Wiegand, Sebastian Born, Patrick Nathen and Matthias Meiner, the company is based near Munich, Germany’s internationally renowned high-tech hub for mobility. The founding team shared a common vision of creating an air mobility solution that’s never been done before. They created a revolutionary concept using the world’s smartest technology in order to change the way we travel and commute in urban spaces.

Joining as Head of Autonomous Flight at Lilium, Mirko Reuter will lead and further develop all necessary and critical key competencies in regards to the technology, process and validation covering the challenges of autonomous aircraft systems. Prior to his recent appointment, Reuter held the position of Head of Automated Driving at Audi. Before this, he oversaw concept definition and series development of all automated driving functions and property definition, application of ADAS functions, as well as the development of vehicle platforms technologies and future vehicle concepts. After graduating with a Diplom Ingenieur focused in Mechatronics, Robotics, and Automation Engineering from Fachhochschule Aachen, Mirko was a research engineer at Ford Motors, before his successful years at Audi.

Mirko Reuter says “I am delighted to join the vibrant and growing team at Lilium. I am deeply committed to our mission of creating a revolutionary service that enables effective and affordable transportation that is widely used among all sectors of society. At Lilium, we are building a new and revolutionary way of transport, and I am very excited to be a part of it.”

As Head of Aircraft Assembly, Jakob Wäschenbach will lead the convergence between aircraft and automotive production to further establish a streamlined progression of this innovative industry into reality. Wäschenbach will guarantee robust industrialisation and introduce a state- of-the-art production factory. Formerly Head Of Equipment Installation at Airbus, Wäschenbach established a new & certified production line of the Single Aisle Family (A319neo, A320neo, A321neo). Beyond that, he was dedicated to the thriving development of the Airbus Single Aisle Programme Ramp-Up. Wäschenbach lead his team to ensure the highest quality in manufacturing, engineering, logistics, supply chain & finance. He started his early career as Aircraft Mechanic and subsequently moved up to the role of Change Manager, implementing Lean Principles (Six Sigma Tools & Methods). After graduating from the FOM University of Applied Sciences, he held the position of Head of Production Station, where his team oversaw electrical & mechanical equipment installation.

Jakob Waeschenbach says “Joining Lilium means for me being part of a revolutionary mission and creating a ground-breaking product while working with passionate people. I am thrilled to shape the early stages of merging automotive and aircraft production to finally change travelling and commuting in urban spaces. Catching onto this unique momentum is incredibly exciting”.

As General Counsel & Head of Legal at Lilium, Rochus Moenter will shape the legal structure and further establish the legal department of the Company. Moenter joins Lilium from Airbus, where, as VP Finance & Lease, he oversaw the sourcing, structuring, set-up and operation of strategic projects in Airbus strategic core markets. Prior to Airbus, Moenter was the General Counsel and Managing Director of Bavaria International Aircraft Leasing, a leading independentaircraft leasing company, offering services in the field of aircraft finance, leasing and trade based in Munich. Moenter graduated from the University (Law School) of Bonn, Germany, and carries a postgraduate degree from the University of California, Berkeley and Davis.

Rochus Moenter says “Lilium are truly leaders in the dynamic field of eVTOL. I am thrilled to be a part of this team who are shaping the industry, and to be supporting the development, growth and establishment of the transportation of the future.”

Daniel Wiegand CEO and Co-Founder of Lilium, says “To bring the best talent to Lilium has always been our goal. We are delighted to welcome such a high calibre of new team members that will bring a wealth of expertise in key strategic areas to our growing company and further enable our vision.”