Professional

Professionally, Col (ret) May stands for leadership at the intersection of Air Command & Control, strategic planning, aviation safety, and advanced aerospace technologies. He has directed multinational teams at the highest operational levels of NATO, serving as Division Head of Combat Plans at CAOC Uedem during the Ukraine crisis and as Air Director for major live exercises like BALTOPS and COLD RESPONSE. Maintaining continuous operational readiness, he served on active reserve duties as Interim AOC Director CAOC Uedem and Deputy Director DEU JFAC during Exercise Air Defender 2023. 

All of this delivers exceptional value to demanding defense environments: he brings operator-level credibility from over 4,000 fast jet hours, deep expertise in airworthiness architectures, and a rare ability to translate next-generation fighter requirements -specifically Future Combat Air Systems (FCAS) and sensor fusion - into practical, mission-ready application. 

Personal

Col (ret) Wilhelm May combines operational depth, engineering precision, and an active, team-oriented leadership style shaped by over 40 years of service. Born in 1960, he entered officer training in 1980 and graduated with a degree (Diplom-Ingenieur) in Electrical and Communications Engineering from the University of the German Armed Forces, Munich. He qualified as a multi-role fighter pilot and flight instructor via the ENJJPT program in the US, building a distinguished flying career on the PA 200 Tornado. His operational command roles included duties with the 312 Squadron "Boelcke", serving as Squadron Commander at Fighter Bomber Wing 38 "Friesland", and commanding the Operations Group of Fighter Bomber Wing 32 "ECR". 

He progressed through key command and staff roles, including Flight Safety and CRM Expert to the Chief of Staff of the Luftwaffe, and Tornado System Officer. Internationally, he served as German Senior National Representative at Sheppard AFB and Section Head for Support to Air Operations at SHAPE, where he negotiated the NATO AWACS Force Review. Following his retirement as a Colonel, he transitioned his expertise to the private sector. 

Other Mandates

• Managing Director, WM-Consulting GmbH: Established in July 2023, primarily supporting national R&D projects for tech companies in the development of the FCAS project. 

• Active Consultant & Regional Coordinator, AktivSenioren Bayern e.V.: Engaged in volunteer work, consulting entrepreneurs in their start-up phase and holding regional responsibility for organizing activities in schools and educational institutes to foster the spirit of entrepreneurship. 

• Deputy Chairman of the Donau-Iller Comradeship Chapter (zweiter Vorstand der Kameradschaft Donau-Iller), Deutscher Bundeswehr Verband (DBwV) e.V.

• Member: Interessengemeinschaft Deutsche Luftwaffe e.V. (IDLw), Gemeinschaft deutscher Militärflieger e.V., and Gesellschaft für Sicherheitspolitik (GSP) e.V.