Russel Grefen

Russel Grefen has extensive experience in the aerospace industry. Russel started their career at the South African Airforce and then moved on to work at Crusader Aerospace Products and Aerosud as an Engineer and Senior Engineer, respectively. At Aerosud, they were also appointed as the Office of Airworthiness Manager for the company's UK CAA Design Organisation Approval. Russel then founded their own engineering consultancy called Rhomega Consulting, specializing in aircraft modification certification. Russel later joined DJA Aviation as a Group New Business Developer, focusing on financial products and services for the aviation market. Russel rejoined Aerosud and held various senior management positions, including Senior Program Manager, Product Development Manager, Engineering Manager, Operations Manager, and ultimately Chief Operating Officer. During their time at Aerosud, they played a key role in project management, product design, development, qualification, configuration, and the establishment of digital processes within the engineering department. In addition, Russel was involved in the automation of production processes for cost reduction and increased production rates. Russel also served as a Founding Partner and Director of the 35 Design Team. More recently, they worked with the COVID-19 Agile Solution Team (CAST) as a Technical Assessor and Administrator, coordinating the assessment of medical device project proposals. Overall, Russel Grefen's experience spans over three decades and covers various aspects of engineering, program management, business development, and administration in the aerospace industry.

Russel Grefen attended the University of the Witwatersrand from 1986 to 1989, where they pursued a BSc Aero Engineering.