Meet The Team
Rivaero is owned and operated by a motivated senior-management team. Each of them has vital skills and experience in separate and diverse fields and, pooling these skill-resources in this new venture, they form a dynamic, cohesive team, committed to successfully execute a solid Rivaero business-plan:
Chief Executive Officer - Stéfan Grové
Stéfan Grové is a qualified Mechanical Engineer with 15 years of experience in the management & development of gyroplane manufacturing techniques and systems, gained during his tenure at Chayair Manufacturing & Aviation.
His valuable experience in design and development of the successful ‘Sycamore’ brand, has given him important insights into the local and export gyrocopter sales markets, having undertaken various local and international promotional tours to establish market-share.
Stéfan’s considerable, ‘hands-on’ experience is of crucial importance as Rivaero attempts to establish a foothold in the international gyroplane market!
This is the only known, extant photograph of our camera-shy CEO – apologies to Susan (Mrs Grové) for cropping most of her out of frame!
Chief Operations Officer - Craig Boswell
The Chief Operations Officer is an ex-military fighter-pilot and flying Instructor with 25 years of flying experience including a decade in flying instruction.
He gained most of his experience in the South African Air Force followed by a 5-year stint as a military flying instructor in the Middle-East.
Craig is also an Aeronautical Scientist and has, accordingly, been more closely involved with the design and development of the aircraft’s aerodynamic ‘bits’ (fuselage-nacelle, empennage, etc.) and undertook the necessary research and design specification resulting in the innovative RIV-G1-11 carbon-fibre rotor-blade and the initial propeller selection for the uTe.
On the downside, he drives a Land Rover . . . but, to his credit, he has recently added a bumper sticker reading, “My other ride has rotor-blades!”
General Manager - Eugene van der Walt
Rivaero’s General Manager is a Geo-Technical Engineer by trade. He was part of the management team of a South African National Accreditation System (SANAS) group of companies for 4 years, before joining Rivaero.
He has been in the driving seat of several large projects across the African continent, gaining invaluable project-management experience. This will be put to good use as he guides the development and manufacture of various Rivaero products.
Eugene’s experience in production standards and laboratory-testing quality assurance (QA), with its stringent, associated record-keeping requirements, is of great value in his new role with Rivaero.
Having spent a number of years in Polokwane, Eugene’s rehabilitation has been fraught with difficulties. He has, however, been coaxed into moving back to civilisation and management are delighted to report that he has been showing a few, more-recent, encouraging signs of re-integration!