Senior Analyst

SkyDrive launches eVTOL Feasibility study in Western Japan. October 6, 2026 SkyDrive, a leading compact eVTOL (*1) aircraft manufacturer based in Japan, announced that it has launched a joint initiative with leading enterprises in the Kansai region - including MUFG Bank Ltd. ("MUFG Bank") and key industry leaders across transportation, aviation, infrastructure, energy, tourism and financial services - to evaluate and advance the commercial deployment and operational framework for eVTOL aircraft in Western Japan. Background and objectives. Driven by its mission "taking the lead in the once-in-a-century mobility revolution" and its vision of making daily air mobility a reality, SkyDrive continues to advance the development of compact eVTOL aircraft. During Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, SkyDrive successfully conducted demonstration flights of its SKYDRIVE (SD-05) eVTOL aircraft (*2). Following the Expo, advanced air mobility initiatives in Kansai are transitioning from technical validation to commercial integration. Practical steps to incorporate eVTOLs into daily urban transportation are accelerating rapidly across Osaka and the broader Kansai region, bringing commercial operations closer to reality. For example, under a Cabinet Office Super City research project, SkyDrive is collaborating with Osaka Metro and other partners to study converting existing rooftop emergency helipads ("H" marks) on urban buildings into vertiports (*3). In response to this momentum, leading corporations across aviation, infrastructure, energy, tourism, finance and insurance - led by MUFG Bank - recognized that establishing a sustainable business model requires cross-industry collaboration beyond passenger services to build next-generation transport infrastructure. This shared vision led to the creation of the "Kansai Air Transportation Network Concept," a collaborative framework designed to support the development of new industry and air mobility infrastructure originating in Kansai. In parallel with urban infrastructure planning in Osaka, SkyDrive will leverage the strong backing of MUFG Bank and partner companies to accelerate the execution of this network concept and drive the mobility revolution across the Kansai region. Core focus areas. Under this joint initiative, participating companies will combine their industry expertise and operational foundations to address the following key areas: * Flight Network and Routes: Developing medium- and long-term flight networks and operational routes across the Kansai region * Infrastructure Development: Planning vertiports, maintenance facilities and supporting ground infrastructure * Operations and Safety Management: Establishing operational, maintenance and safety management frameworks * Demand Generation and Service Integration: Creating demand and developing mobility services integrated with regional transportation and tourism * Commercial Feasibility and Business Models: Evaluating commercial viability and building sustainable business models * Public and Community Engagement: Collaborating and maintaining ongoing dialogue with national government agencies, local municipalities and regional communities

SkyDrive and partners launch feasibility study for commercial eVTOL operations in Western Japan. SkyDrive has announced that it has launched a joint initiative with leading enterprises in the Kansai region - including MUFG Bank - to evaluate and advance the commercial deployment and operational framework for eVTOL aircraft in Western Japan. Practical steps to incorporate eVTOLs into daily urban transportation are accelerating rapidly across Osaka and the broader Kansai region, bringing commercial operations closer to reality, said SkyDrive in a press release. "For example, under a Cabinet Office Super City research project, SkyDrive is collaborating with Osaka Metro and other partners to study converting existing rooftop emergency helipads ("H" marks) on urban buildings into vertiports". "In response to this momentum, leading corporations across aviation, infrastructure, energy, tourism, finance and insurance... recognized that establishing a sustainable business model requires cross-industry collaboration beyond passenger services to build next-generation transport infrastructure. This shared vision led to the creation of the "Kansai Air Transportation Network Concept," a collaborative framework designed to support the development of new industry and air mobility infrastructure originating in Kansai." Under this joint initiative, participating companies will combine their industry expertise and operational foundations to address the following key areas: * Flight network and routes: Developing medium- and long-term flight networks and operational routes across the Kansai region * Infrastructure development: Planning vertiports, maintenance facilities and supporting ground infrastructure * Operations and safety management: Establishing operational, maintenance and safety management frameworks * Demand generation and service integration: Creating demand and developing mobility services integrated with regional transportation and tourism * Commercial feasibility and business models: Evaluating commercial viability and building sustainable business models * Public and community engagement: Collaborating and maintaining ongoing dialogue with national government agencies, local municipalities and regional communities (Image: From left: Kensuke Nishiji, managing director and head of startup acceleration strategy division at MUFG Bank; Shin Kitamura, member of the board of directors, senior managing executive officer and head of Japan Western Region at MUFG Bank; Taiji Ono, head of global business at SkyDrive; former Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida; Hirofumi Yoshimura, governor of Osaka Prefecture; Tamotsu Saito, chairman of NEDO, presenting the joint initiative at the MUFG booth during Global Startup EXPO 2026 in Osaka.)

Bank of Hawai'i announces New senior executive vice president and chief information officer Bradley Giemza. September 29th, 2026 Bradley Giemza recently joined Bank of Hawai'i as senior executive vice president and chief information officer, where he leads the bank's technology strategy, architecture, infrastructure, information security, business intelligence, and analytics functions. As a member of the bank's Executive Committee, he works to align technology investments with business objectives, drive innovation, enhance operational effectiveness, and ensure the organization is positioned to meet the evolving needs of its customers and communities. Giemza brings 27 years of technology and risk leadership at global financial institutions to his role at Bank of Hawai'i. He most recently served as group chief risk officer and managing director at R.J. O'Brien & Associates in Chicago, the oldest independent futures brokerage in the U.S., where he was also acting head of RJO Technology. There he led both the firm's global risk department and its IT organization spanning cybersecurity, data centers, networks, cloud architecture and FinTech, managing operations across Chicago, New York, Toronto, London, Paris, Hong Kong, Dubai and Singapore. Previously, Giemza was managing director and head of investment banking and capital markets IT at MUFG Union Bank, serving as business-line CTO responsible for IT strategy and execution for Investment Banking and Global Capital Markets Trading systems. He also worked with Société Générale/Newedge Group, rising to global head of risk IT after serving as senior director and global head of clearing IT. Giemza began his career at JPMorgan Chase, advancing through progressively senior technology roles and was vice president and technology program manager in the Investment Bank Rates Technology Group. Giemza has been a member of the Options Clearing Corporation's Technology Round Table, the Global Association of Risk Professionals and the Chartis FinTech Focus Group, as well as an executive board member of the International RegTech Association. He is a member of the FIA (Futures Industry Association), the leading global trade organization for the futures, options and centrally cleared derivatives markets. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and his MBA from DePaul University in Chicago. Browse More