Executive Team

Patrick Wittstadt
Chief Executive Officer
With nearly 25 years in the aerospace and defense industry, Patrick has built a career around passion for aviation, leadership, and international collaboration.
A former officer in the German Air Force, he has held a variety of key leadership roles at Airbus, NATO, and Lufthansa Technik, working across Germany, Spain and Belgium in Customer Services, Strategy and Aircraft Production and MRO.
Before stepping into his current role as CEO AirPro SAR Services Inc, he led the Eurofighter Final Assembly Lines and the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) operations at Airbus Defence and Space.
With a Master’s in Aerospace Engineering and an MBA in Strategic Leadership, Patrick combines hands-on technical understanding with purpose-driven, people-oriented leadership to deliver real impact for those serving on the front lines.
In 2025, Patrick and his wife relocated to Canada with their two young children. As a passionate outdoor enthusiast, Patrick fuels his energy and focus through running, hiking, biking, and skiing.

Concepción Pérez
Chief Financial Officer
Concepción is a dynamic professional with over 14 years of managerial experience at Airbus, excelling in finance and bid management. Since joining in 2010, she has consistently demonstrated strong leadership and a passion for driving success.
In her last role, she led the commercial preparation for complex bids, collaborating closely with Country Sales, Bid Centers, and Business Lines to secure winning proposals and financial agreements.
She also played a key role in coordinating bid pricing audits with the Spanish Ministry of Defense, ensuring transparency and compliance through strong partnerships with the National Pricing Authority (GEC).
Her expertise and leadership make her an ideal fit as Chief Financial Officer and Head of Governance at AirPro SAR, a role she embraced in October 2024 upon moving to Canada.
In her free time, Concepcion enjoys staying active through sports and exploring new travel destinations.

Richard Poole
COO
After a career of 30 years in the UK Royal Air Force, Richard returned to his native Canada in 2008.
Following aerospace business development positions in L3 Electronic Systems, Discovery Air and PAL Aerospace, he transitioned into Operations after the award of the Canadian Fixed Wing Search and Rescue Aircraft Replacement (FWSAR) contract in late 2016. Now the COO in AirPro, he has grown the team with PAL and Airbus in preparation for the In Service Support phase of the contract.
Married with 4 grown up children, Richard and Samantha live in Kars, south of Ottawa and enjoy DIY, the outdoor life, gardening and wine.
