THE PEOPLE BEHIND AVIGILANCE
Meet the Team
Avigilance is built by aviation safety practitioners and applied AI specialists. Decades of safety management, human performance and engineering experience, applied to the proactive forecasting of wildlife strike risk.
CO-FOUNDER & AVIATION SAFETY EXPERT
Antonio "Tony" Cortés, Ph.D.
35-year aviation career spanning the U.S. Air Force, the Federal Aviation Administration, the aviation industry, and academia. Holds a Bachelor's in Physics, a Master's in Aeronautics, and a Ph.D. in Management with research into human error. 5,000 flight hours flying the Learjet, C-141B and MD-88; co-author of the 6th Edition of Commercial Aviation Safety. Originator of the bird-strike and ARMS agent specifications driving the Avigilance platform.
CO-FOUNDER & CTO
Ashle Whittle
25-year technology leadership career spanning UK defence aviation, government, financial services and healthcare. Earlier programme work supporting Eurofighter Typhoon and Nimrod MRA4 across data and engineering systems. Managing Director of Keekco Technology and graduate of the Oxford Artificial Intelligence Programme, working on applied AI strategy for regulated environments. Originator of the Avigilance platform architecture; co-leads commercial and brand direction, and presents at the U.S. Aviation Wildlife Management Conference, Cleveland 2026.
CHIEF CONSULTING OFFICER, GMR HUMAN PERFORMANCE & AVIGILANCE JV CONTRIBUTOR
James "Jim" Wylie
25-year aviation career across air traffic control, airport safety management and aviation consulting. Former Head of Air Traffic Services, with deep experience developing ATC Safety Management Systems and airport-wide ISO 9001-aligned safety and quality frameworks. Currently leads Airspace Change proposals for the UK renewables industry, including the trial programme introducing Aviation Detection Lighting Systems (ADLS) to UK airspace. Represents industry on the UK CAA Windfarm Working Group, Airspace Modernisation Strategy, and DfT working groups; former co-chair of the Airport Operators Association AATS Working Group. Brings the air traffic, airspace and SMS perspective to the Avigilance joint venture.
GMR-HP TEAM MEMBER & AVIGILANCE JV PARTNER
Ross Priday
30-year career across senior military leadership and aviation engineering, with deep expertise in safety management, organisational performance and human factors. Conducts management system assessments for international airports, flag-carrying airlines and other safety-critical operators. Trusted board-level safety advisor and expert witness in legal proceedings; specialist in Maintenance Error Management. Avigilance JV partner; brings the engineering-led safety assessment lens to the platform's methodology and partner engagement.
CO-FOUNDER & AVIGILANCE JV PARTNER
Simon "Si" Mahon
30-year aviation safety career spanning military air operations, contract aviation in conflict environments, maritime safety, and human performance consulting. Three-year tenure as Chief of Air Operations for a contract air company augmenting NATO/ISAF operations in Afghanistan. Founder of GMR Human Performance, with deep expertise in Human Factors, Error Management and Safety Management for organisations operating in safety-critical environments. Co-founder of Avigilance; leads the JV partnership structure and human-performance methodology underpinning the platform's safety-grade outputs.
RESEARCH & INDUSTRY PARTNERS
Partners advancing the science.
Avigilance is built in collaboration with leading researchers and operational specialists who bring deep domain expertise to the platform's methodology and pilot programme.
RESEARCH PARTNER · PURDUE UNIVERSITY
Esteban Fernández-Juricic, Ph.D.
Full Professor of Biological Sciences at Purdue University, working at the intersection of visual ecology, behavioural ecology, and conservation biology. Studies the evolution of animal visual systems through empirical, theoretical, and comparative research, and develops mitigation strategies for human–wildlife conflicts at airports, urban areas, and energy facilities. International research career spanning Argentina, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Brings sensory and behavioural ecology expertise to the Avigilance research foundation.
RESEARCH PARTNER · PURDUE UNIVERSITY
Ryan Lunn, Ph.D.
Research Scientist at Purdue University specialising in bird–aircraft collision mitigation. Develops predictive algorithms for damaging bird strikes at civil and military airfields, combining sensory ecology, quantitative ecology, mathematical modelling and data science. Researches aircraft lighting systems tuned to avian vision to reduce collision risk. Brings predictive modelling and applied bird-strike research to the Avigilance platform.
OPERATIONAL PARTNER · COLOMBIA
Diana Lorena López Medina
Colombian biologist specialising in aviation wildlife hazard management, airport operational safety, and environmental risk mitigation. Holds a Master's degree in Materials Science from the Universidad del Quindío. Has led bird and wildlife control programmes at Colombian airports including Ernesto Cortissoz and El Edén International, combining operational risk analysis, environmental management, and field-based wildlife mitigation. Brings airport-side operational expertise and Colombian aviation context to the Avigilance pilot programme.
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Interested in becoming a partner?
We're always looking for talented individuals and businesses passionate about aviation safety and technology.