Michael Robbins to lead AUVSI as president and CEO

The Board of Directors of the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) has named Michael Robbins as the association’s new president and chief executive officer. AUVSI is the world’s largest nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing uncrewed systems and robotics.

William Irby, who chairs the AUVSI board and heads AgEagle Aerial Systems, explains that Michael’s effective advocacy and extensive experience in government, military, and industry made him the unanimous choice for the position. “Michael has invested years in building strong relationships with AUVSI’s members, government stakeholders, and within the broader uncrewed systems community,” says Irby.

Robbins joined AUVSI in 2020 and led all advocacy, communications, and cybersecurity initiatives as the association’s chief advocacy officer. He recently served as co-chair of the Federal Aviation Administration’s UAS Detection and Mitigation Aviation Rulemaking Committee and presently sits on the US Department of Transportation’s Aerospace Supply Chain Resiliency Task Force and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council sUAS Security Working Group.

He is a member of The MITRE Corporation’s Aviation Advisory Committee and the Advisory Committee for the National Advanced Mobility Consortium. He is currently also an officer in the US Navy Reserve.

Robbins sees today as a critical time for the uncrewed systems and autonomy industry, in both the commercial and defense sectors. “Across our strategic pillars of advocacy, education, and fostering connections, the driving mission behind everything we do at AUVSI is problem-solving. I am energized by the opportunity to lead this growing organization and a fantastic team to advance initiatives that solve our community’s challenges, shape the industry’s future, and deliver results for our members,” says Robbins.

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