Samartzis to step down as LanzaJet CEO
Jimmy Samartzis, LanzaJet’s founding CEO, announced Oct. 8 that he has notified the board of directors that he is stepping down to take a new leadership opportunity in the sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) industry.
Samartzis said he will continue on with LanzaJet for a remaining short period to help ensure a seamless transition for the team and stakeholders.
“Building LanzaJet from the ground up—from a bold idea into a global sustainable aviation fuel leader—has been one of the greatest privileges of my career,” Samartzis said. “Together, we advanced the world’s leading alcohol-to-jet technology, raised approximately $500 million, established Speedbird as the U.K.’s leading next-gen SAF project, built a global pipeline of opportunities and partnerships on five continents, and brought Freedom Pines Fuels safely to life as the world’s first commercial-scale biorefinery of its kind.”
Samartzis added that, while those milestones matter, the people behind them matter more.
“I am deeply grateful to my team for being alongside me on this journey and for putting their all into everything we do, and for the support and collaboration of my board, investors, customers, partners and industry colleagues,” he said. “Together, we proved that vision paired with courage, urgency and execution can move an industry forward.”
He added that, “‘Someday is Now’ has always been more than a phrase for me. It is a belief that the future is built by those willing to act before the path is certain. My team regularly embraced uncertainty and charted a journey that enabled them to achieve many industry firsts—accomplishments that will forever be part of history. I will continue to follow them with pride and root for them.”
Samartzis said he will share more details after a short break to recharge, and that he looks forward “to continuing the work of building a more secure and sustainable future.”
