Merlin Brief tracks Merlin Pilot as a process story: aircraft-agnostic autonomy software, a USSOCOM C-130J IDIQ path, dual-track civil certification gates, and whether cash runway outlasts dilution and program risk.

Board chair · Transaction Committee chair · age 35 in the May 2026 prospectus

Founder of Merlin and CEO of Legacy Merlin since November 2018. Appointed CEO, President, and Chairman of the public company on March 16, 2026. Issuer board materials say he built the company from inception through the Nasdaq listing and frame the thesis as challenging aviation’s human-centric design assumptions. The April 16, 2026 board release cites more than $100 million in total contract value, including the USSOCOM C-130J IDIQ, and a dual-track civil certification path with the FAA and New Zealand CAA. Before Merlin he founded and led Bridj, a booking and fleet-management company, and worked in the Executive Office of the President.

Named executive officer · age 41 in the May 2026 prospectus

Joined Legacy Merlin as CFO on October 7, 2025 and was appointed CFO and Treasurer of Merlin, Inc. at the March 16, 2026 close. The November 2025 appointment release describes 20-plus years across aerospace, industrial, and automation companies, including Astra and KUKA, and a most recent role as Vice President of Strategic Finance and Treasury at Ginkgo Bioworks. Cash, share count, and dilution reporting sit with this seat.

Appointed September 18, 2024 · issuer company page

Appointed CTO as Merlin expanded the C-suite around Merlin Pilot development and certification. The appointment release says he leads engineering and technical teams for civil and military customers, and cites prior Chief Engineer roles at Honda Aircraft Company and L3Harris Technologies plus Vice President of Engineering at Thales Aerospace.

Appointed September 18, 2024 · issuer company page

The company’s first Chief Program Officer, responsible for management and execution of ongoing and new autonomy programs. The same September 2024 release cites prior aerospace roles at Supernal, Wisk, and Lockheed Martin. Program evidence after that hire includes the disclosed PDR and CDR on the C-130J path.

Appointed March 16, 2026 · age 51 in the May 2026 prospectus

Appointed CLO and Secretary at the business-combination close. A November 19, 2025 release, ahead of listing, says she brings 20-plus years advising public companies in technology, autonomy, aerospace, and defense, and joined from Textron. The role covers legal, corporate governance, regulatory, and compliance, including public-company readiness. The 2025 compensation discussion in later filings notes she was an executive officer but below the named-executive-officer pay threshold that year.

Announced November 19, 2025 · issuer company page

Appointed with Ravestein ahead of the listing to lead talent strategy, people operations, and culture. The release cites team-building work at Vecna Robotics, Akamai, Dell, and Microsoft.

Effective March 31, 2026

Issuer results commentary and the March 31, 2026 appointment release say he leads brand and marketing as Merlin Pilot is described across defense and civil programs. Nearly 15 years in brand, content, and communications; almost six years at Formlabs, most recently Global Head of Brand and Communications, and before that a marketing director at Lola.com.

Effective April 13, 2026 · age 59 in the May 2026 prospectus

Leads global revenue strategy. More than 25 years across military service, defense policy, and business development. Prospectus and appointment release: Executive Vice President, Public Sector at PsiQuantum from July 2024 to March 2026; before that President of Public Sector at Primer AI; earlier, market-strategy work at The Cohen Group and six years as an advisor to U.S. Senator Mark Warner. Also described as a retired U.S. Navy pilot (about 20 years; Atlantic Council notes the rank of Commander).

Listed on the issuer company page · no standalone biography located

The company leadership page names Grant Crenfeldt as CEO of New Zealand. A separate biography was not on the issuer pages reviewed. Context for the seat is operational, not personal: Merlin’s June 10, 2026 note describes a flight-test center in Kerikeri since 2022 and a stated aim of commercial autonomous service in New Zealand in 2027, with NZ CAA as one side of the dual-track civil path.

Not independent · Chair, Transaction Committee

See the operating profile above. The board is seven directors. He is the only director the April 16, 2026 release does not describe as independent.

Independent · Chair, Nominating & Governance · Transaction Committee · age 48 in the May 2026 prospectus

Lead independent director. Chairman and CEO of Inflection Point Fund I L.P.; the board release says that platform has taken aerospace, defense, and critical-minerals assets public and cites capital raises and M&A totaling more than $10 billion across the portfolio. Chairman of USA Rare Earth since 2025 and a director of Intuitive Machines. Graduate of Cornell and Columbia Business School. He had been a director of the predecessor SPAC and remained on the post-combination board.

Independent · Nominating & Governance · age 65 in the May 2026 prospectus

77th Secretary of the Navy (May 2020–January 2021), U.S. Ambassador to Norway (January 2018–May 2020), and a naval aviator who retired as a Rear Admiral after service from 1980 to 2011. The board release also lists a fellowship at the NATO School in Oberammergau, the chairmanship of Fincantieri USA, and senior-advisor roles at Kongsberg Defence and Saronic Technologies.

Independent · Chair, Audit · Compensation Committee · age 67 in the May 2026 prospectus

Described in the board headline as Amazon’s first Chief Accounting Officer, where she helped build financial reporting for the company. Began at Ernst & Young in Silicon Valley and the U.K. Later CFO roles include Celestial AI (through Marvell’s acquisition) and Asure Software. The release says she led three public offerings as CFO, including Calix, Astra, and Arista Networks.

Independent · Audit · Nominating & Governance · age 70 in the May 2026 prospectus

Former White House appointee: CFO and 19th Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management and Comptroller (August 2001–March 2005). U.S. Army career included a Senate fellowship and teaching economics and political science at West Point. Senior Lecturer and Executive Fellow at Harvard Business School since October 2023. Founder and CEO of GRC Advisory Services since July 2016. Boards cited: Civeo, Monarca Food Solutions, and the National Association of Corporate Directors.

Independent · Compensation · Transaction Committee · age 61 in the May 2026 prospectus · listed as Bob Smith on the IR board page

CEO of Blue Origin from September 2017 to January 2024. Before that, leadership roles at Honeywell Aerospace (2004–2017), including CTO and President of Mechanical Systems and Components, plus United Space Alliance and The Aerospace Corporation. Degrees cited: applied math and engineering (Brown), MIT Sloan, and a PhD in aerospace engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. Current boards cited: Parsons and Seurat Technologies.

Independent · Audit · Chair, Compensation · age 56 in the May 2026 prospectus

Co-founded Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras in 2007 and served as a director until April 2025. Previously a sector leader for aerospace, defense, and advanced manufacturing at AdvanceCT. CEO of Thistledown Advisory Group, which she founded in 2017. The release cites 25-plus years in portfolio management and equity research at Phibro Energy Trading, Pequot Capital, and Wells Fargo, and a board seat at USA Rare Earth.

Not a chief title on the company leadership page · announced November 19, 2025

Named in the same pre-listing release as the CLO and Chief People Officer. The release says he accelerates Merlin Pilot development and certification, including an active supplemental type certificate program on a Cessna Grand Caravan 208B, and that integration work was planned across platforms including the KC-135, C-130J, and Scaled Composites’ Model 437 Vanguard with Northrop Grumman. Prior roles cited: Vice President and Program Manager of Dream Chaser Cargo at Sierra Space, and nearly two decades at Northrop Grumman including program director work on F/A-18, F-5, and N-UCAS.