Dufour co-founder Thomas Pfammatter (right) will pass the CEO baton to Sascha Hardegger on 1 August. Photo: Dufour Aerospace
Drone and eVTOL developer Dufour Aerospace has announced the appointment of Sascha Hardegger as CEO, effective from 1 August. Hardegger succeeds Thomas Pfammatter, a co-founder who led the company as CEO for seven successful years. Pfammatter will continue to serve as Head of Strategy and as a member of the Board of Directors.
Hardegger previously served as Dufour’s Chief Commercial Officer, joining the company in 2021. He has 12 years of experience in Helicopter Emergency Medical Services and Search and Rescue at Swiss Air-Rescue Rega, a world-renowned helicopter rescue organisation and air ambulance provider. There, as a member of its management and Head of Helicopter Operations, he led Rega’s pioneering innovations in unmanned aerial vehicles and its drone programme. Educated at the University of Zurich, Hardegger has worked as a journalist, as a media spokesperson for the Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Police, and on peace-keeping missions abroad for the Swiss military.
Commenting on his appointment, Hardegger said: “I am pleased to take on this leadership role at Dufour Aerospace at this key moment for the company and our team, and I am honoured that the board of directors and the management are placing their trust in me to lead the company. In the coming months and years, we will strengthen ties with our partners, ensure market entry and build up production. The development and engineering that are fundamental to our progress will always remain crucial to Dufour. I look forward to shaping and supporting these processes as CEO and to working even more closely with our employees — our most important stakeholders. We would not be where we are today without Thomas’s visionary leadership, and it’s great to have his support in the future.”
Thomas Pfammatter will remain actively involved in Dufour Aerospace, supporting the company with his vast operational experience and business network as a co-founder and as a long-time, still active rescue helicopter pilot with Air Zermatt.
