Ken Karklin steps down as CEO of Larry Page's Pivotal flying car company
Mike Ross, an aviation executive who joined Pivotal's board in November 2025, takes over the role on an interim basis.
What happened
Ken Karklin, who led Pivotal for more than four years, departed the eVTOL company this week to pursue new endeavors, according to a press release. Mike Ross, an aviation executive who joined Pivotal's board in November 2025, will serve as interim CEO. Karklin stated in a statement that the industry has moved beyond prototypes and now operates under real-world constraints. Ross said in a statement that Karklin's leadership was instrumental in Pivotal's development and that the company's team, priorities, and roadmap remain steady during the transition.
Context
Pivotal, backed by Larry Page, has been developing electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft for consumer and defense use. The company began selling Helix, a single-seat aircraft requiring no pilot's license and priced around $200,000, two years ago. BlackFly, Pivotal's other aircraft targeted at defense and first-responder applications, has flown more than 10,000 times and was recently used in an emergency response in North Carolina, arriving 20 minutes ahead of an ambulance. Pivotal is part of the FAA's eVTOL Integration Pilot Program designed to expand testing of such aircraft across the country.