Volato Group names Chris Ensey CEO after Alignment Engine merger

Volato Group, Inc. (NYSE American: SOAR) has appointed Chris Ensey as Chief Executive Officer, effective September 11, 2026, following the closing of its merger with Alignment Engine Inc., according to a company statement.

Alignment Engine was valued at approximately $500 million in connection with the merger, which marks Volato's entry into AI infrastructure. The combined company will operate a powered industrial campus in Ohio, with 154 megawatts of capacity currently available and a roadmap to 480 MW.

Ensey has led Alignment Engine as CEO since early 2023 and was an early investor in the company. His prior roles include CEO and COO of Riot Blockchain (NASDAQ: RIOT), where he deployed the company's first 40 MW of compute capacity, and Chief Technology Officer of cybersecurity firm BlueVoyant. He also led the design and deployment of a 105 MW compute facility in Hardin, Montana for Marathon Digital Holdings (NASDAQ: MARA).

The company said it plans to develop the Ohio campus into an AI compute facility pairing GPU deployments with manufacturing activity, and intends to sell dedicated capacity directly to enterprise customers. It will also continue operating its aviation software businesses, including the Parslee platform and the Vaunt private aviation membership marketplace.

"The AI buildout is a once-in-a-generation chance to rebuild America's industrial base, and we intend to build it differently," Ensey said in the statement.

Matt Liotta, Chairman of the Volato Board, said Ensey "has built large-scale computing infrastructure, led public companies and developed secure technology platforms," adding that "the Board has full confidence in Chris and in his ability to lead the Company through the opportunity ahead."

The company cited third-party data from Grand View Research projecting the AI data center market to grow from approximately $147.3 billion in 2025 to $810.6 billion by 2033, representing a compound annual growth rate of 23.9%.

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