Synopsis
As Europe’s premier aerospace company, Airbus is a fixture in high-level bilateral and diplomatic dialogues globally. Meet its C-level President of Airbus International, Wouter van Wersch, for an exclusive look at how geopolitics, industrial strategy, and aviation intersect at the highest levels.
In this candid conversation, drawing on nearly a decade of living in Singapore and his current global leadership role from headquarters, Wouter will share his perspective on why defence, industrial self-reliance, and economic stability are now deeply connected in today’s volatile world.
He’ll walk through how reliable aerospace supply chains keep regional economies steady through international shocks, and why cross-border collaboration is crucial for future stability. The discussion will also tackle where the aviation industry goes next, focusing on practical paths to scaling Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and how breakthrough tech, from AI and autonomous systems to hydrogen power, will transform both commercial and military flight.
Key questions answered in this session:
- How does a strong domestic defence industry shield local economies from global trade disruptions?
- What will it actually take to scale Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) to meet energy and climate goals?
- How can regional and international partners collaborate better to speed up tech adoption?
- Which emerging technologies, from AI to new propulsion systems, will matter most for the future of flight?
Programme
05:30 pm Registration & Guest Arrival
06:00 pm Welcome Remarks, Ms Eva Vincetic, Executive Director, EuroCham Singapore
06:05 pm Opening Remarks, Mr Marc Schmidt, Managing Director and Senior Partner, BCG
06:15 pm Keynote Address, Mr Wouter van Wersch, President, Airbus International
06:30 pm Fireside Chat
- Mr Wouter van Wersch, President, Airbus International
- Moderated by Mr Federico Donato, Immediate Past President, EuroCham Singapore
07:00 pm Interactive Q&A
07:30 pm Networking
08:00 pm End of Event
Speakers
Mr Wouter van Wersch
President
Airbus International
Wouter van Wersch was appointed President International starting 1 January 2024. In this pivotal role, he takes up the strategic mission of strengthening Airbus’ International activities, ensuring the organisation is best positioned to drive profitable growth across all three businesses as well as to expand the Company’s global impact.
Wouter joined Airbus in 2020 as Executive Vice President Europe Region & Sales with the mission of enhancing cross-business capabilities in Europe as well as growing the commercial aircraft market share. His 29-year career to date has involved marketing, sales, and general management roles for a number of multinational companies in various parts of the world, including 15 years in Asia Pacific.
Wouter started his career at Havas in 1994 in international marketing and project management before joining Airbus (formerly EADS) in 1997 as Sales Manager Asia. In 2000, he joined Alcatel-Lucent, where he served in several positions, including as Business Development Director Europe, Sales Director Asia Pacific in China, and Country Manager in Indonesia.
In 2006, Wouter joined Alstom as Vice President Marketing and Sales for Northern Europe, based in the Netherlands. He was then promoted to Senior Vice President East Asia Pacific and moved to Singapore before becoming Leader of the General Electric (GE) – Alstom integration Growth team in 2014. On completion of the Alstom acquisition in 2015, Wouter was appointed President and CEO of GE ASEAN, before being named a GE Officer in 2016 and, subsequently, President and CEO of GE Asia Pacific in 2018. Wouter was also a Board Member of the Singapore Economic Development Board between 2017 and 2020.
A native of the Netherlands, Wouter grew up in France and is a graduate in Business Administration from the Erasmus University Rotterdam. Married and father of three, he is a keen sportsman, especially field hockey, which he has played at the highest international level.
Moderator
Mr Federico Donato
Managing Partner and Founder
MG Partners MFO Singapore
Federico is Managing Partner and Founder of MG Partners MFO Singapore, a multi-family office advising entrepreneurial families globally, headquartered in Switzerland, and with offices in Italy, Singapore and the Principate of Monaco.
He serves as a strategic advisor and board member to listed and non-listed companies, and is a council member of several institutions including the Singapore Business Federation, EuroCham Singapore, and EU ASEAN Business Council. Federico has been President of both the European and the Italian Chambers of Commerce in Singapore for two terms each.
Before starting his current entrepreneurial venture, Federico spent twenty years in the banking industry, covering different roles and working for major global players including Credit Suisse, Intesa Sanpaolo and UBI Bank, and developed extensive experience in the wide spectrum of the wealth management industry, becoming an expert in family business advising Ultra High Net Worth Individuals, MNCs, Institutions and Pension Funds.
Over the last ten years, Federico has been involved in many industry engagements and the public-private dialogue that brought about the entry into force of the EU Singapore Free Trade Agreement and the EU Singapore Digital Partnership.
A pragmatic advocate of the Sustainable agenda, Federico joined the Management Committee of UN Global Compact in 2021. A regular speaker and contributor to many seminars and conferences, including but not limited to APEC Business Summit 2022, Singapore Regional Business Forum, Evolve by World Gold Council, Federico contributes as a guest speaker in graduate programs for several global universities, including Bocconi, LKYSPP, ESCP, and Aalto, among others.
In November 2023, Federico published the book ‘Il business della sostenibilita’ (the business of sustainability), edited by Franco Angeli.
He graduated in financial markets at Bocconi University in Finance and was a visiting student at Stern School of Business, New York University.
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