The Beyond Gravity Executive Board

From left to right: Chief Transformation & Strategy Officer Caroline Schmitt, CFO Angelo Quabba, Executive Vice President Division Satellites Oliver Grassmann, CEO André Wall, Chief People & Culture Officer Laura-Katrin Seitz, Executive Vice President Division Launchers Paul Horstink and Executive Vice President Division Lithography Dr. Oliver Kunz.

André Wall

Chief Executive Officer

André Wall, a German citizen with over 25 years of global experience in the aviation industry, has been serving as CEO of RUAG International since the end of 2020 and assumed the role of CEO of Beyond Gravity, RUAG International's space business, in May 2022. Throughout his career, he has held executive positions at Iberia, SR Technics, Jet Aviation, Rolls Royce Aero Engines, and MTU. André holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from the Technical University of Berlin.

Paul Horstink

Executive Vice President of Launchers

Paul Horstink, a Dutch citizen, took over leadership for Beyond Gravity’s Launcher division in September 2022. He is an expert transformation leader with 25 years of experience in executing complex change processes in international settings. Specializing in commercial, process, and operational improvements, he has also demonstrated proficiency in restructuring strategies, merging and integrating international organizations, and cost reduction. Paul's experience spans across aviation industry roles, including airlines, MROs, and manufacturing. His commercial acumen and communication skills have enabled him to drive continuous improvements and transform complex organizations. He holds a Master of Science in Industrial Engineering and Management Science from the University of Technology in Eindhoven and a Bachelor in Aeronautical Engineering.

Oliver Grassmann

Executive Vice President of Satellites Division at Beyond Gravity

Oliver Grassmann, a German citizen bringing over twenty years of experience in leadership, strategy, and business reengineering, took the helm of the Satellites Division at Beyond Gravity in May 2023. Prior to this, he served as Beyond Gravity's Chief Transformation Officer and Vice President of Corporate Strategy. He began his career as a structural engineer before transitioning into various leadership roles in the aerospace industry. His expertise lies in managing, reorganizing, and restructuring business units in response to future market requirements. Oliver holds a Master's degree in engineering from the Technical University of Munich and an MBA from Warwick Business School (UK) and the University of North Carolina (US).

Dr. Oliver Kunz

Executive Vice President of Lithography Division

Dr. Oliver Kunz, a German citizen, has been heading the Lithography Division at Beyond Gravity since October 2022, a unit which he helped set up a good 10 years ago with just a few employees and built up into a successful division ever since. He has a 20-year track record leading major ESA projects. His professional experience includes building and expanding engineering activities at international aerospace companies like Airbus Defence and Space and OHB Group. Oliver holds a degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Stuttgart and SUPAERO Toulouse, followed by a PhD at the German Aerospace Center (DLR) as well as trainings at IMD in Lausanne.

Angelo Quabba

Chief Financial Officer

Angelo Quabba, an Italian-Swiss dual citizen, has held the position of CFO of RUAG International and Beyond Gravity since the end of 2020. He brings a wealth of executive experience from roles at Gurit Holding AG, Bruker BioSpin, and SR Technics Group, where he served as CFO for many years. Prior to this, he held finance and controlling positions at Honeywell and Zellweger Analytics. Angelo holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the Zurich University of Applied Sciences HWZ and completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University.

Laura-Katrin Seitz

Chief People & Culture Officer

Laura-Katrin Seitz, a German and Swiss citizen, is Beyond Gravity’s Chief People & Culture Officer since March 2023, and looks back on three decades in various HR leadership roles, including nearly 20 years in the Pharmaceutical and Biotech industry. Within this time, she held responsibilities for two of the top players within the pharmaceutical industry, first with Roche and thereafter with Sanofi, holding global HR responsibilities for R&D, Operations, and all enabling functions. Subsequently, Laura-Katrin established her own consulting firm with focus on her passion of designing actionable people strategies. Most recently, she supported the hyper-growth of the German biotech company BioNTech as Global Head of HR a. i. Laura-Katrin holds a Master's degree in Asian Studies and Law from the Philipps University of Marburg.

Caroline Schmitt

Chief Transformation & Strategy Officer

Swedish citizen Caroline Schmitt has joined Beyond Gravity as Chief Transformation & Strategy Officer in May 2023. She brings over 20 years of experience in implementing enterprise-wide digital transformation and technology acceleration across different industries and value chains. The first 10 years of her career she spent in start-ups, before joining larger enterprises to help them embrace fast-paced change and become leaders in their ecosystem. Most recently, she served as Global Head of Digital at Takeda Pharmaceuticals. Furthermore, Caroline was a mentor for the Healthcare Businesswomen Association, a Future Leaders Mentor in the Takeda Global Mentoring Program, and a Principal Marketing Coach at CTI Entrepreneurship Program at the EPFL. She is dedicated to fostering a diverse, inclusive workplace and advocating cultural change by promoting new skills in AI, automation, agile methods, citizen development, and creative problem-solving. Caroline holds a degree in International & European studies, with a major in management, from Royal Holloway, University of London.

Questions?

Are you a journalist with questions about Beyond Gravity's organisational structure or would you like to get in touch with the Executive Board? Please send your enquiry by email to com@beyondgravity.com.