 "Who was Agustín Escobar? Siemens exec killed in New York helicopter crash")
Agustín Escobar, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three children, aged 4, 5, and 11, lost their lives in a helicopter crash in New York on Thursday (local time). The pilot also died in the accident. The family had arrived in New York just hours earlier and boarded a sightseeing flight operated by New York Helicopter Tours.
The news of Escobar’s death has sent shockwaves through the global business community. Former Siemens Spain CEO Miguel Ángel López acknowledged Escobar’s immense contributions to the company, saying his leadership had been instrumental in Siemens’ success in transport and mobility. New York City Mayor Eric Adams and US President Donald Trump also offered their condolences to the victims’ families.
Who was Agustín Escobar?
Agustín Escobar, 55, was a respected executive who served as CEO of Siemens Spain and Global CEO of Rail Infrastructure at Siemens Mobility. With over 25 years of international experience, he played a crucial role in Siemens’ global rail and transport technology initiatives. According to his LinkedIn profile, Escobar had also held leadership roles across the United States, South America, Germany, and Spain.
He studied electrical industrial engineering at Universidad Pontificia Comillas and later completed an MBA from Universidad de Alcalá in 2002, followed by an Executive MBA in Business Administration from IE Business School in 2005.
Escobar began his career at Siemens in 1998 as head of sales and project management for power automation systems in Spain. Over the years, he rose through the ranks, working on electric vehicle infrastructure projects and receiving multiple Siemens Country Awards.
In 2010, he moved to New York to handle international business development in North America before relocating to Colombia, where he managed over 1,300 employees and three factories. Under his leadership, his division was named Siemens’ best-performing business worldwide in 2016.
In 2018, he returned to Spain to lead Siemens Rail Automation SAU and Siemens Mobility SLU, overseeing major rail projects with over 1,000 employees. From 2019 to 2024, he served as CEO of Siemens Mobility for the Southwest Europe Region, covering Spain, France, Portugal, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, and parts of Africa, managing a team of over 3,000.
Helicopter crash in New York
The Bell 206 helicopter took off from Wall Street Heliport at around 3 pm (local time) and followed a typical tourist route, flying past the Statue of Liberty and up the Hudson River toward the George Washington Bridge. However, approximately 16 minutes into the flight, a section of the rotor reportedly detached mid-air.
Witnesses described the helicopter spiralling out of control before crashing into the frigid waters of the Hudson River near Pier 40 in Manhattan. When rescue teams arrived, the aircraft was found upside down and submerged.
The cause of the crash is currently under investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board.