FORT WORTH, Texas, May 04, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Otto Aerospace today announced a planned leadership transition as the company moves into its next phase of growth. The board of directors has unanimously appointed Scott Drennan, current president and chief operating officer, to serve as president and chief executive officer. Drennan succeeds Paul Touw, who has served as CEO since 2022.
The transition reflects an intentional evolution as the company shifts from vision and formation to focused execution. Touw initiated a renaissance at Otto Aerospace by recognizing the potential in founder Bill Otto, Sr.’s transformative work and having the conviction to build a new category of business jet around it, one based on true laminar flow aerodynamics. He built a best-in-class leadership team and a strong foundation, upon which Drennan will stand to lead the company’s execution phase.
“Great companies are built in chapters, and Paul was exactly the leader we needed to guide Otto through its formative years,” said Otto Aerospace Board Chair Dennis Muilenburg. “He had the vision to see what this technology could become and the conviction to build a great organization around it. On behalf of the board, we are deeply grateful for his lasting contribution to this company and to the future of aviation. Now, as our company transitions from conceptual design to building and flying aircraft, Scott is exactly the right leader for our next chapter.”
“Scott brings the technical depth, operational discipline, and certification experience needed to carry Otto from breakthrough design to a certified, revolutionary production aircraft,” Paul Touw said. “We’ve built something genuinely differentiated, and I can’t think of anyone better suited to deliver on its full potential.”
Drennan brings deep, proven, respected leadership and a track record of executing complex aerospace programs with rigor and speed. He has the experience to build the Phantom 3500 on Otto’s committed timeline, bring it successfully to market, and position Otto Aerospace to capture the full scope of opportunity ahead, including opportunities in defense unmanned aerial systems.
Drennan has been instrumental in shaping the future of aviation at companies like Bell Textron, where he last served as vice president of Innovation and Advanced Concepts and was integral to a dozen commercial and military aircraft certification programs. He also served as chief R&D officer and founding member at Supernal, Hyundai’s aerospace division. He is an advisor and board director to several start-ups, guiding teams with a creative and growth mindset.
As COO at Otto Aerospace, Drennan demonstrated high-performance execution. He led the successful completion of the Phantom’s Preliminary Design Review (PDR) in February, as well as recent independent test flights of Otto’s advanced laminar flow drone, built in collaboration with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). These flights demonstrate the real-world application of Otto’s laminar flow technology. His mandate as CEO is to build on this foundation, to transform the Phantom 3500 from a visionary concept into a market reality, and to make Otto Aerospace a dominant force in next-generation aviation, including opportunities in defense unmanned aerial systems.
“We have in our hands a technology that the aviation world has dreamed of for years,” said Drennan. “The laminar flow technology we have developed is a fundamental rethink of what aviation can be. The Phantom is going to change what the world believes is possible.”
Drennan continued: “Our mission now is pure execution. We are focused on building this aircraft on time, without compromising quality, and with the discipline and intensity that a program of this consequence deserves.”
“The work that Bill Otto, Sr. began and Paul Touw accelerated with vision and purpose is about to be realized,” said Muilenburg. “Otto’s applied laminar flow technology, the company’s best-in-class talent, and Scott’s leadership combine to create something the aviation world has not seen before. We are grateful for where we’ve come from and energized by where we are going.”
About Otto Aerospace
Otto Aerospace is an advanced aerospace company committed to transforming private and regional aviation through innovative aircraft design. With a mission to unlock the physics of laminar flow to radically reduce the energy required for flight, Otto unites engineering and industry expertise with powerful development partnerships. Headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas, Otto is developing the Phantom 3500, a new, clean-sheet design aircraft that establishes and leads a new category in highly efficient, affordable, and sustainable aviation.
This Changes Everything. Learn more at ottoaerospace.com.
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