Supernal LLC, a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Group and a leading company in Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), is pleased to announce the appointment of David McBride as their new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). McBride, with an extensive career in aerospace technology and program management, is anticipated to lead Supernal’s technology strategy and vehicle development, reporting directly to CEO, Jaiwon Shin.
Jaiwon Shin, CEO of Supernal and president of Hyundai Motor Group, expressed his enthusiasm for the company’s new phase in the AAM business, where innovative vehicle concepts will be transformed into commercially viable and safe all-electric aircraft. With the debut of their product concept earlier this year, the appointment of McBride comes at a crucial time as the company works towards bringing their scalable eVTOL vehicle to market by 2028.
David McBride brings over 40 years of experience in the development of groundbreaking aerospace technology, complex program management, and organizational leadership to Supernal’s Engineering and Technology Division. His primary responsibilities include overseeing the company’s 400 ETD employees who are focused on vehicle engineering, testing, evaluation, certification, and research and development.
Before joining Supernal, McBride served as the director of the Armstrong Flight Research Center at NASA. During his tenure, he led the Center in achieving full operational capability of the Boeing 747SP aircraft, resulting in groundbreaking astronomical observations above Earth’s infrared-blocking atmosphere. Additionally, he played a pivotal role in developing NASA’s all-electric aircraft and conducting global operations for NASA’s Earth Science missions.
In his statement, McBride expressed his honour in joining Supernal to aid in the certification and commercialization of an aircraft that the team has been diligently working on for the past several years. With a solid team in place, he looks forward to transitioning from the engineering design phase to the build and execution phases, culminating in the anticipation of their first flight later this year.
McBride holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and an executive master’s degree in business administration from the University of New Mexico. His journey in aerospace began at NASA as a cooperative education student, where he specialized in digital flight control systems analysis, marking the beginning of a distinguished career in the field.
This press release was prepared and distributed by Supernal.