Plastron Leadership Team.

Charlie Young

Chief Operations Officer

Mechanical engineer with a background in spacecraft propulsion (BAe), launch system heavy engineering (CNES) and launch campaign management (CNES). He has 20 years' experience in multi-channel service design for commercial clients, with a specific focus on healthcare and played a leading role designing online health service programmes for NHS Direct, Department of Health, Bupa. He set up Plastron UK and Plastron Training with the ambition of ensuring NewSpace is a successful business sector in the UK by focusing on safety, quality and productivity improvement.

Chris Smith

Chief Technology Officer

Analytical chemist with an ongoing role in spacecraft propulsion system design, test and fuel transfer processing. With over 25 years in propellant chemistry and sub-system design & test, his work has included ballistic missile propulsion systems as well as complex communication and satellite subsystem handling. During his career he has personally managed propellant system processing for over 70 satellite launches globally. In 2022 his business, European Astrotech continue to support launch and testing of high quality launcher and spacecraft propulsion flight hardware.

Graham Schultz

Chief Executive Officer

An entrepreneur with extensive Composite & Materials and Mechanical & Structural engineering expertise, Graham initially worked in advanced vehicle engineering and specifically Le Mans sportscar racing at World Championship level with Aston Martin and Ferrari. This activity was supplemented with undertaking complex composite repair work on Supercars for a world wide customer base. Nowadays his focus is in facilities structure design, including blast proof protection and application, aswell as project design and systems management. His commercial experience guides the business today.

PhD in Biochemistry plus 25 years in biotech (pharma and environmental) and 10 in space, 2 relevant spin-outs (bioprocessing and immuno-therapeutics), worked in 3 pharma companies (GSK, MSD, Sauflon), government (head of innovation, environmental and space funding body), academia (mainly University of Oxford, including Senior Innovation Fellow, jointly with Satellite Applications Catapult). Formerly member of UK Space Agency/ Catapult Regional Clusters Advisory Board, Blue Origin Orbital Reef Academic Advisory Council. Expertise: Strategy, partnerships, science, formation of large multi-disciplinary teams.

Vast insight on the space sector, having consulted on space supply chains, markets and emerging technologies, delivering over 100 projects to public and private space organisations. Launch campaign expert having supported launch logistics, management and campaigns for CST (one of the oldest launch brokers in the world). With a STEM background and a professional career entirely in space, he has a holistic understanding of Plastron's product and service portfolio and their application from the perspective of both end users and suppy chain providers.