Saturday, March 16, 2024
At the 66th Laureate Awards hosted by Aviation Week Network, Luís Carlos Affonso, Senior Vice President of Engineering and Technology Development at Embraer, was honored with the inaugural Pathfinder Award. This esteemed recognition acknowledges his remarkable achievements spanning over 41 years in advancing the aerospace industry. The ceremony, a prominent event in the aerospace sector, took place at the National Building Museum in Washington, DC.
“It is a great honor to be chosen for the first Laureate Pathfinder Award. This recognition is a tribute to all Embraer members and the spirit of one team that makes us fly higher. I would like to dedicate this award to my family and to the Embraer collaborators of today and the past, whose competence, creativity and passion to make a difference made all our projects possible,” said Affonso, who joined Embraer in 1983 and has led, in different capacities, the launch and development of the company’s new commercial and executive aircraft since its privatization in 1994.
“I am extremely proud of the strong culture we have developed at Embraer, which has been inspired by our founders to think big with a lot of empathy for our customers, come up with innovative, differentiated, and safe products, and then have the competence and passion to make it happen. I would like to thank the employees, leaders, customers, and partners that I’ve had the privilege of working with, as they were very important players in this journey and have enriched my professional and personal experiences.”
In his role as Senior Vice President of Engineering and Technology Development, Luis Carlos Affonso has played a pivotal role in spearheading the company’s recent business revitalization. His leadership has been instrumental in steering the company towards success. Presently, he is at the forefront of driving the development of cutting-edge technologies aimed at fostering a more sustainable aviation landscape in the years ahead. Additionally, he is actively involved in pioneering innovative solutions for urban air mobility.
Biography
Since July 2020, Luís Carlos Affonso has held the position of Senior Vice President of Engineering and Technological Development at Embraer, reporting directly to the Company’s President and CEO. Furthermore, since May 2022, he has assumed the role of President of the Board of Directors of EVE Air Mobility, a firm dedicated to Urban Air Mobility.
Having ascended through various roles of increasing responsibility, Luís Carlos Affonso’s journey with Embraer culminated in his appointment as Engineering Director and Chief Engineer in 1995. In this capacity, he oversaw the development and certification of the ERJ-145 family of regional jets, a pivotal step that facilitated Embraer’s recovery post-privatization in 1994.
Starting in 1999, Affonso spearheaded the development of the acclaimed Embraer 170/190 family, known as the E-Jets E1, guiding them from conception to their commencement of service in 2004.This achievement firmly established Embraer as a dominant player in the global commercial aviation market.
Between 2005 and 2011, Affonso assumed the role of the inaugural President & CEO of Embraer’s executive aviation business unit. During this tenure, he introduced the Phenom and Praetors jet families, effectively structuring all facets of the new unit. Subsequently, he transitioned to the position of Vice President of Operations and COO of Commercial Aviation until 2017, where he spearheaded the development and launch of the E-Jets E2s until their commercial debut. Additionally, he took charge of Corporate Strategy, Innovation, and Digital Transformation, contributing to the launch of EVE, a venture dedicated to urban air mobility.
Affonso earned his aeronautical engineering degree from the Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica (ITA) and completed an MBA program at Fundação Instituto de Administração (FIA), which is associated with the University of São Paulo (USP). He has also completed executive programs in management and strategy at the University of Michigan Business School and MIT Sloan School of Management.
Beyond his professional achievements, Affonso is a four-time Brazilian gliding champion and an accomplished glider pilot. He holds a commercial pilot’s license with qualifications in multi-engine and IFR (Instrument Flight Rules), and he is endorsed to fly the Phenom 100 and Phenom 300 business jets, along with the E-Jets.
Saturday, April 27, 2024
