Principal Consultant

Rory Hedman is a Principal Consultant at Think with 10 years of industry experience and knowledge in regulatory affairs, concept development, validation and requirements formation for complex systems and emerging technologies. Prior to beginning his career, Rory graduated from Cranfield University with a Masters degree in MSc Airport Planning and Management before joining NATS as a trainee air traffic controller.

In his first tenure at Think, Rory worked extensively on digital technology projects worldwide and was appointed Co-chair of the CANSO Smart and Digital Tower Task Force. This involved taking a leading role in the task force, including being the principal author of the emerging guidelines for Digital Tower implementation. Rory was also a member of the EUROCAE “Remote and Virtual Towers (RVT)” WG-100 and in 2016 was awarded the EUROCAE Award for Outstanding Contribution.

In 2021 Rory left Think to take on a role as Innovation Principal at the UK regulatory body – the CAA. Whilst there he provided advice and expertise to organisations, innovators and new airspace users on projects to develop novel concepts and technologies, primarily focused on unmanned traffic management (UTM), urban air mobility and beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) integration. This involves providing tailored technical support to help stakeholders work towards understanding regulatory and safety challenges and navigating complex regulatory frameworks. This role has involved Rory helping to maintain the UK CAA’s position as a regulator at the cutting edge of innovation. Rory re-joined Think in September 2023.

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