Aurrigo International CEO named Ambassador of the Year for putting the West Midlands on the global map

Aurrigo International’s David Keene was given the prestigious honour in front of 300 people at the Business Desk West Midlands Awards in Birmingham, with judges praising the Kenilworth-based entrepreneur for putting the region on the international map.

The CEO, who founded the company with his brother Graham in 1993, has built one of the UK’s most exciting technology firms, employing 120 people at its Advanced Engineering Centre in Coventry.

From there, his team design and build a host of autonomous solutions for aviation, with its Auto-DollyTug, Auto-Cargo and Auto-Shuttle vehicles currently deployed at eight global airports, including Cincinnati, Changi, Schiphol and, closer to home, Teesside.

"This accolade came as a complete surprise," explained Keene. "It’s a business awards evening that I like to support and then, before you know it, I started to recognise the person they were announcing as the Ambassador of the Year ...it was a bit of a surreal experience to be honest.

"The West Midlands is a region I call home and I’m passionate about the manufacturing talent and innovation we have there. That’s why Aurrigo will always have its nerve centre in the region, despite our ambitious plans to open international hubs in North America, the Middle East, Asia and, closer to home, in Europe.

"There was so much talent in the room that I feel very humbled to have been selected as Ambassador of the Year. You’ve got my word that I’ll be shouting even louder for our fantastic area on the world stage."

By leveraging autonomous technology, Aurrigo International’s range of vehicles and software solutions promise to improve the passenger experience and increase efficiencies at airports across the globe, all whilst reducing their carbon footprint by 60% when compared to using diesel tugs.

This led to him being awarded an MBE by Prince William for the decarbonisation of airports, where he was told by the future king that he must 'have the weight of the world on his shoulders'.

It’s a challenge the entrepreneur is determined to meet head on, and this has been reflected in the growth of Aurrigo International plc and the successful £14.1m raise completed late last year. 

His passion for UK manufacturing and transport has also seen him contribute more than 100 hours of voluntary service to the UK Automotive Council, Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, local Universities and Galgotias University in India, where he lectures international students on automated vehicles and technology. 

"We have so much innovation in the UK, yet we seem to sometimes lack the confidence and backing required to commercialise new technology. That’s something I’d really like to see change and something I’ll be advocating for in my day role and as Business Desk’s Ambassador of the Year," he added. 

www.aurrigo.com