AAM 2026 Speaker Bio

Captain Francois Lassale MSc FRAeS

President and CEO

Vertical Aviation International

Fançois Lassale is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Vertical Aviation International (VAI). He was previously the Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer for the SGi, HeliNiugini, and Merit Allway Group of companies, in South East Asia, François previsouly served on the VAI Board of Directors as the International Advisor.

Before joining SGi Group, François was the Chief Operating Officer and CEO for HeliOffshore, a global safety organization supporting the offshore helicopter transport industry, and he was previously Managing Director for an aviation firm in the United States delivering turnkey solutions to the sector.

François has been in aviation for more than thirty years, beginning his career in the South African Army and the Royal Air Force, flying both fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. After leaving the military, he flew in airline, freight, VVIP, and Head-of-State operations. He has also served as an instructor, TRI, TRE, and CRMI.

He served on the Flight Safety Foundation’s Business Aviation Board for thirteen years. He has been Vice Chairman of the European Helicopter Association, Vice Chairman of the International Pilot Training Association, and Vice Chairman of the International Association of Aeronautical Flight Auditors. François is a certified IS-BAO auditor, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, and an Upper Freeman with the Honorable Company of Air Pilots.