SwissDrones CEO Ulrich Amberg Departs as Company Divides Manufacturing, Group and Operating Roles

Ulrich Amberg has stepped down as chief executive of SwissDrones after more than six years, according to a public LinkedIn post attributed to Amberg. A September 1 Swiss commercial-register notice also records that Amberg’s authority as managing director of SwissDrones Operating AG has ended, independently supporting that he has left the operating leadership role.

Amberg said Lukas Obrist will oversee the original-equipment-manufacturer side of the business, while Larry Berkin will lead Xplorate Group Inc. and Ronnie Fahy will continue to manage Australian operator Xplorate Pacific. SwissDrones has not issued a separate announcement naming a single successor as CEO or fully explaining the corporate reporting structure. The leadership assignments should therefore be understood as those described by Amberg, rather than as a confirmed replacement appointment.

The change follows an August announcement that SwissDrones and Xplorate Pacific intend to expand their integrated long-range uncrewed inspection offering into the United States. The companies said the offering combines SwissDrones aircraft with flight operations, sensor integration and data workflows for energy, pipeline, powerline and transportation-corridor customers. SwissDrones describes its products as long-range uncrewed helicopter systems for beyond-visual-line-of-sight missions.

For the rotorcraft sector, the development highlights the increasingly distinct roles required to bring large uncrewed helicopter systems to market: airframe development and manufacturing, regulated flight operations, and delivery of inspection intelligence to infrastructure customers. Whether the new arrangement changes SwissDrones’ legal executive structure remains unclear.

Why it matters

Large uncrewed rotorcraft programs depend on tightly coordinated engineering, operational approvals and customer-service delivery. Separating those functions may help SwissDrones and Xplorate pursue infrastructure work across multiple regions, but customers and regulators will look for clear lines of operational and safety accountability as the structure develops.

Source: DroneXL report, corroborated by SwissDrones material and Swiss commercial-register records