Yvonne Winter is a seasoned entrepreneur and business leader with a wealth of experience across various industries. Her journey has been shaped by a deep-rooted entrepreneurial spirit and a commitment to driving innovation and success. With a track record of founding and co-founding businesses, Yvonne has cultivated a unique skill set that allows her to thrive in dynamic and challenging environments.
Yvonne grew up in a typical German SME, so being an entrepreneur is in her DNA. After completing an apprenticeship as an industrial clerk, she studied business administration and worked for an international company. Working for seven years in the family business provided her with the right background to start founding and co-founding her own businesses. She has now been doing this for 18 years. To sum it up, Yvonne has amassed nearly 25 years of experience in C-level positions across a diverse range of industries. This breadth of exposure has equipped her with a unique perspective and the versatility to navigate complex challenges in different fields.
In this article, we will explore Yvonne’s leadership philosophy, her advice for future entrepreneurs, the biggest challenges she has faced and much more.
What are the main factors that have guided you to where you are now?
The main factors are my exposure to the entrepreneurial environment from childhood, hard work, overcoming many challenges, the luck of meeting and learning from exceptional people, and a commitment to lifelong learning.
Having worked with a range of global organizations, what are some of the most rewarding experiences you’ve had in your career so far?
The organizations I worked for were more on a national than a global level. For instance I recall a logistic forum that I attended more than 20 years ago as a speaker. It was quite surprising to find out that I was not only the only female speaker but I was the only female participating. From all the work I did, FlyNow Aviation is dearest to my heart, as I know that this technology is solving so much issues we are facing globally and especially with our international non-profit association “Sky Alliance for Automated Air Mobility” www.salaam.earth we will be on the forefront to enable an entire new means of transportation.
What is the quote that inspires you the most?
Mahatma Gandhi: “Be the change that you wish to see in the world”
Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
As a female entrepreneur in a traditionally male-dominated industry, how have you navigated challenges, and what advice would you offer to other women looking to start their own ventures?
For me it was nothing special as I grew up in a male-dominated industry (logistic and wholesale). I think my biggest role model was my mother, who is a very tough business woman. More and more I find out that it is mainly about being authentic. The only advice (if it is one) I can give, is to follow your heart and then just do it! There are too many reasons and excuses why someone is not doing what his/her inner voice is telling – just do it and seek for strong and likeminded partners.
What personality traits contributed to you being a successful Co-Founder?
What has made me attractive to co-founders is that I know how to start and run a company. Concerning traits: being solution-driven by heart.
What advice would you give to entrepreneurs or professionals considering entering the Saudi market?
I have the feeling that the Kingdom is where the heart of transformation is happening. It offers big opportunities, but one should only consider it, if he/she is really dedicated to be part of the movement, the Vision, the culture. I love the people, the country and I deeply admire the Vision of His Royal Highness Mohammed Bin Salman. If you want to build a ship, teach the men the longing for the sea – MBS has this kind of leadership. Saudi is great, the place to be, but be prepared to work hard, to show commitment and to walk the talk.
What is your personal team leadership philosophy, and how does it promote innovation?
My personal team leadership philosophy is to encourage, enable, leverage the knowledge of every team member and have high expectations.
Starting a business in the aviation industry is no small feat. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced in the early stages of founding Fly-Now, and how did you overcome them?
Oh – this is a question for days… To be honest, the decision if I should do it took me 3 months, because I already knew that this would be a heavy lift. Fortunately our CEO is very senior and anticipated a lot. This is why our approach is so different from most of the startups in the eVTOL sector. Before we even founded the company in 2019 our CEO talked to the Air Authorities and only after they gave the green light that they are going to support us, we legally founded the company. We are strictly following the V-model from the automotive industry and engaged with our suppliers from the beginning. With every hard- and software development we focus on certification and alignment with the existing regulations and/or pre-alignment with the Air Authority. Nevertheless we faced many challenges – from funding, identifying the right market to begin with, challenges within the team, delays and shortage in supply due to the pandemic…
Tell us more about what distinguishes Fly-Now Aviation from other similar services?
Minimal Infrastructure and Energy Needs: FlyNow`s eCopter require less infrastructure than conventional transit options, with automated charging systems and a low physical footprint, reducing operational costs while aligning with sustainable infrastructure goals.
Advanced Technology with a Fast Path to Certification: FlyNow’s eCopter technology follows existing EASA standards, making certification more efficient, which could lead to early entry into the market. With Flynow`s cargo eVTOL anticipated to begin operations by 2026/27, we offer a path to early adoption, supporting the goals of many countries in next-generation logistics and transport.
Why is FlyNow such a game changer?
· All of existing eVOL leaders are still extremely expensive to produce and maintain (~5m USD per unit + maintenance)
· All of them focus on delivering 4 or even more seats
· Almost all require pilot on board
· Many of them are still noisy (which will cause low tolerance to introduce it to already overly noise polluted cities)
· All of them start with immediately going into only human transportation (natural resistance “if it’s safe”)
· Most of the leaders come from US (obvious), Germany (valley for automotive industry) and China, raised multiple rounds and it’s still not obvious if they survive, get the certification and they are limited when it comes to scale (cost, pilots, regulations are stoppers)· All of the companies (including FlyNow) have rock solid teams of specialists. But all of the above are stuck with the concept of “big, expensive machines”. FlyNow is radically different, amazingly simple and designed the way it works.
Whereas FlyNow:
· Affordable (350k EUR per one eCopter)
· Silent (less noise then “city background noise”)
· Net zero (proven!)
· No pilot (the eCopter is flying automatically with a redundant autopilot but not autonomous. There is a connectivity to the ground station that is connected with Air Traffic Control – the air authority of the country. This means it’s predefined like a tramline, so it’s efficient to operate and acceptable for people like “no driver metro”)
· Flexible (1 seater, 2 seater – up to 90% of all taxi rides are with 1 person)
· The future means of transporting goods and people (it sounds counterintuitive but it will be actually cheaper and more ecological to fly people and goods; there is one eCopter version that is adjusted to transport europalettes up to 200kg)
· Multiple use cases, not only “taxi”, but also disaster management, emergency transportation, firefighting, sensitive and difficult deliveries, supply chain to remote places
What role do you think companies like Fly-Now Aviation will play in the wider transformation of the aviation industry, particularly with regard to sustainability and environmental responsibility?
FlyNow`s eCopter is the Ford Model T of the sky. By bringing an air vehicle that is affordable and available for the broad public and suitable for cost effective logistics and having a solution for the necessary ecosystem through SALAAM we consider ourselves as the enabler of 3D-mobility. In terms of sustainability: the empty weight of our eCopter is approximately 350 kg and a battery electric car weighs in average 2 tons. Energy consumption is approximately half in comparison to the car and the infrastructure needed is a hundredth. Silent, efficient, net-zero, a lot less resources – tell me a solution that is better…
Are there any upcoming projects or initiatives you’re particularly excited about?
Indeed – a lot. First of all we started a Sandbox (pilot project) with many stakeholders this year in the Kingdom, additionally a lot of exciting events are coming up and we will fill our company in Riyadh with more life and activities. I am certain that it will be one of our best years so far, Happy 2025 to everyone!
