Ben Diachun is the new chief technology officer of the Urban Air Mobility Division (UAM) at Hyundai Motor Group, which has its US headquarters in Washington.
With the appointment to be effective immediately, Diachun reports to president Jaiwon Shin in Seoul, South Korea, Hyundai said in a release on Feb. 23. Diachun's responsibilities will include assuming the role of developing the UAM Division's technological strategy and preparedness for mass distribution by 2028.
"I have been fascinated by technology and air travel since I was a child and am thrilled to put my experience to work at the Urban Air Mobility Division," Diachun said in the release. "With an incredibly talented team and the manufacturing expertise of Hyundai Motor Group, we are well-positioned to transform the human travel experience. I am honored to join this group and am excited for what we will accomplish together."
Diachun settles into his new post with more than two decades of engineering and executive leadership experience under his belt, including having served as CEO and president of the California-based aerospace startup Opener. He also previously served as president at Scaled Composites, LLC, an aerospace manufacturing company with a reputation for creating revolutionary new aircraft and spacecraft.
"We are excited to welcome Ben to Hyundai Motor Group as chief technology officer of our Urban Air Mobility Division," Shin said in the release. "His track record of building groundbreaking aircrafts as well as agile, collaborative and diverse teams is critical to our mission to develop the best and most innovative design for our UAM vehicle."
Diachun is credited with having had a hand in developing 16 groundbreaking aerospace vehicles over his career. Holding a master's degree in aeronautics and astronautics from Stanford University, he also is an Experimental Aircraft Association board of directors member and is an industry advisor to Purdue University's School of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
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