Pivotal CEO Ken Karklin Steps Down After Four Years; Mike Ross Named Interim Chief
Why It MattersLeadership change at a Google co-founder-backed eVTOL startup comes as the sector pushes personal electric aircraft and defense applications toward commercial and operational maturity.
Ken Karklin has left his role as CEO of Pivotal, the eVTOL startup backed by Google co-founder Larry Page, after more than four years leading the company. Pivotal said Karklin is pursuing new endeavors but did not elaborate on his departure. Mike Ross, an aviation executive who joined Pivotal's board in November 2025, will serve as interim CEO during the transition. "Leading Pivotal has been the privilege of my career. Together, we've moved beyond the promise of light eVTOL and proved it out in practice," Karklin said in a statement.
Karklin's exit comes roughly two years after Pivotal began selling its Helix aircraft, a single-seat electric personal aircraft that does not require a pilot's license and starts at approximately $200,000. Ross said the company remains focused on bringing its fourth-generation Helix aircraft to market.
Pivotal has also been developing BlackFly, an aircraft designed for defense and first-responder applications. Last month, BlackFly was used to respond to an emergency in North Carolina for the first time, arriving 20 minutes ahead of an ambulance dispatched to the same call, and the aircraft has now logged more than 10,000 flights. Pivotal is among the companies selected for the FAA's eVTOL Integration Pilot Program, established to expand testing of electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft across the United States.
