Grazia Vittadini facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Grazia Vittadini
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Grazia Vittadini (2018)
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| Born | 1969 |
| Nationality | Italian, German |
| Alma mater | Polytechnic University of Milan |
| Occupation | Chief technology officer |
| Employer | Rolls-Royce |
Grazia Vittadini, born in Milan, Italy, in 1969, is an important Italian-German leader in the aerospace industry. She used to be the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for Airbus, a big company that makes airplanes. Since 2021, she has been the CTO for Rolls-Royce Holdings, a company known for making aircraft engines.
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Early Life and Learning
Grazia Vittadini grew up in Italy and the United States. From a young age, she loved airplanes and motorcycles. She studied aeronautical engineering at the Polytechnic University of Milan. This means she learned how to design and build aircraft, focusing on how air moves around them (aerodynamics). She also has a license to fly planes herself!
Her Career Journey
Grazia Vittadini started her career working on the Eurofighter plane project in Italy. In 2002, she joined Airbus Operations in Germany. There, she held many important jobs.
Working at Airbus
One of her roles at Airbus was Chief Engineer for the wing parts that help the A380 take off and land. She also led the team that tested the main parts of the A350 XWB. Her work was key to making sure this plane could fly for the first time and get its official safety approval.
She also worked as the head of aircraft design and was in charge of technical rules for all Airbus planes. Later, she became the head of engineering for Airbus Defence and Space.
Becoming Chief Technology Officer
In May 2018, Grazia Vittadini became the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) for all of Airbus. As CTO, she was responsible for new technologies and making the company's products better. She especially focused on finding new ways to power planes without using fossil fuels. Her goal was to make flying more friendly to the environment, for example, by using hybrid or electric engines.
To handle how complex aerospace technology is becoming, she supported using artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing. These advanced technologies help solve difficult problems and design better planes.
Moving to Rolls-Royce
After 19 years at Airbus, Grazia Vittadini left in 2021. In November 2021, she joined Rolls-Royce as their new Chief Technology Officer. At Rolls-Royce, she works on improving their current engines and finding ways to make aviation more sustainable. This means making planes fly with less pollution.
Rolls-Royce is looking into making gas turbine engines even more efficient. For the future, they are exploring new ideas like using hydrogen and electric power for planes. Other parts of the company, like those making power systems and defense products, are also working on cleaner energy solutions.
Other Important Roles
Grazia Vittadini has also been involved in other important activities. She was a director on the Airbus Foundation Board, which supports good causes. She also helped promote fairness and variety within the company.
In 2017, she received the "Légion d'honneur" (Legion of Honour) from France, which is a very high award. In 2018, a French magazine named her "Woman of the Year in Business." She also serves on the boards of other companies and advises important scientific and engineering groups. She has an honorary doctorate in Engineering and Technology from Cranfield University in the UK. She is also a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Royal Academy of Engineering.
See also
In Spanish: Grazia Vittadini para niños
