François Chopard is the Founder & CEO of Starburst Aerospace. A distinguished aerospace engineer, strategy advisor, founder, and venture capitalist, he has played a pivotal role in shaping today’s global Aerospace and Defense (A&D) industry and bringing aerospace to the forefront of conversation. With over 20 years of experience in strategy consulting, entrepreneurship, and business development, Chopard specializes in Aviation, Space, and Defense, featuring high stakes technologies.

In 2012, Chopard founded Starburst Aerospace, an aerospace management consultancy and the first global accelerator designed to guide aerospace startups from ideation to growth. Starburst specializes in three core areas with a focus on helping A&D stakeholders innovate, navigate and invest in the dynamic ecosystem: strategy and innovation consulting for corporate and government industry majors, tailored maturity-based startup acceleration programs, and investment support. In 2022, Chopard launched Starburst Ventures, an independent US-based venture capital fund exclusively dedicated to investing across Aviation, Space, and Defense.

As a widely respected industry veteran, Chopard has been asked to lend his aerospace expertise on a range of issues such as urban mobility, the future of transportation, and investing in aerospace. He is a renowned speaker, having been featured at major conferences like the World Economic Forum in Davos, where he offers insights into the future of aerospace innovation. Chopard’s current endeavors surround future trends, product strategy, and open innovation.

Prior to establishing Starburst, Chopard served as a Partner at Oliver Wyman France. He also founded and was the CEO of Arendi Consulting. He began his career as an Airbus Engineer before spending two years in the US Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). Chopard holds a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from CentraleSupélec in Paris, France.