Robert Baltus

EBAA

Chief Operations Officer

Robert Baltus’ aviation experience spans nearly 25 years advising and supporting senior management and executive Boards of a variety of aviation related companies. He has worked for aircraft management, fractional and charter operators and has built strong relationships with the leading business aviation companies in the industry. A business aviation specialist, Baltus is experienced in start-ups, fleet selection, training and strategic change management.
As Chief Operating Officer of the EBAA, Robert oversees a team of experts to monitor and provide analysis on European aviation policies, new technologies like AAM and is responsible for member engagement through events such as EBACE, EBAA Safety Summit and AirOps.
He has a business management degree from HES Amsterdam and an MSc in Air Transport Management from Cranfield University, was a JAA Accountable manager and is a Commercial Pilot rated on the Boeing 737.

Katie Bancroft

Jaffa & Co

Associate

Katie Bancroft is an English business aviation lawyer and key point of contact for aviation matters at Jaffa & Co Superyacht and Aviation Lawyers. She handles all aspects of the multi-jurisdictional sale, purchase, finance, new build, registration and management of fixed-wing and rotor aircraft. She over ten years’ legal experience dealing with luxury assets, having previously worked in the City of London. Her clients value her practical and commercial approach to deals and praise her down-to-earth approach and adaptability. Katie works in Jaffa & Co’s London and Farnborough Airport offices.

Fabian Bello

Journey Aviation

CEO

Fabian Bello is CEO and founding member of Journey Aviation, a Part 135 Operator based in Boca Raton, Florida, USA with multiple locations throughout the world.  Under his leadership, the company has demonstrated notable growth since its inception in January of 2014, exceeding $365 million USD in total revenue within its first 8 years in business, while establishing itself as an industry preferred quality operator.

Prior to entering the aviation industry, Mr. Bello worked for a top worldwide logistics company with over $3 billion USD yearly turnover.   In addition to his extensive business knowledge, Mr. Bello has vast experience working with and uniting diverse cultures worldwide; particularly Hispanic, European, Asian and of Arabic regions. He has an innate ability of bringing and keeping individuals working together in pursuit of a common goal.  Getting things done effectively, efficiently and with the buy-in of all related parties is one of the strongest attributes to his management style.

Mr. Bello was born in Havana, Cuba and immigrated to Miami, Florida at the age of three.  He was raised in South Florida and attended the University of Miami where he earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and is currently an Executive MBA candidate at the University of Oxford Saïd Business School.

Megha Bhatia

Rolls-Royce

VP Sales and Marketing – Business Aviation

Megha Bhatia leads as Vice President of Sales & Marketing for the dedicated business aviation organization at Rolls-Royce. Her passion for technology combined with a degree in Aerospace Engineering and Masters of Business from Embry-Riddle University has enabled her to serve as a driver of change within the aerospace industry.

During her time in business aviation she launched CorporateCare® Enhanced which was the first aftermarket program to expand its premier comprehensive protection for the full powerplant including engine & nacelle. Under her leadership, CorporateCare Enhanced market share has rapidly grown, having recently reached a milestone with their 1000^th contract signature. She also led the introduction of SAFinity, which enables carbon neutral flight by combining sustainable projects with a direct investment in SAF.

Prior to her current position, Megha specialized for more than a decade in Sales and Strategy with Rolls-Royce. Based both nationally and internationally in the United Kingdom and Singapore, Megha has partnered with customers globally within marine, airlines and business aviation sectors. She led Sales & Business Development for an innovative division focused on advancing ship intelligence, including autonomous solutions. She also headed the global Customer Issues Resolution team to transform their process with significant improvements in customer satisfaction. Megha brings with her a breadth of customer & business transformation expertise with the proven ability to positively impact business revenue and performance. 

 Megha serves on the NBAA Advisory Council and the IADA Foundation Board, has co-founded Rolls-Royce Women Houston Chapter, and is a member of the NBAA Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion group.

Mark Bisset

Clyde & Co

Partner

Mark is Head of Aviation Finance, Clyde & Co, London.

Clyde & Co is a global law firm headquartered in London with a focus on five core sectors: transport, insurance, energy, trade & commodities and infrastructure. The firm is one of the top 10 largest law firms in the City of London. The firm employs 2,600 legal professionals in 60 offices across six continents. Of these, around 100 are aviation law specialists and the firm is generally recognised as the world’s largest aviation law firm.

The firm’s aircraft finance team has 5 partners based in London, together with Mike Nelson in Dubai and Stuart Miller in Hong Kong.

Mark’s experience includes loan and lease financing, operating leases and tax-based leases, export credit finance, and aircraft purchase and trading, in a wide variety of jurisdictions.

Mark has been very active over the last two decades in the business jet market, acting for financiers, owners and operators. Mark is ranked as a Band 1 individual in Private Aircraft (Global-wide) in Chambers High Net Worth, and Clyde & Co is similarly first-ranked. Spear’s Magazine describes Mark as an “eminence grise” of business aviation.

Mark also has extensive aviation regulatory experience, including recently extensive advice on Russian sanctions. Mark led the Clyde & Co team which in January 2018 published the report “Brexit scenarios for business aviation” for the EBAA.

Mark is contributing editor of the annual publication “Getting the Deal Through – Aviation Finance and Leasing”.

Mark is a Guest Lecturer at the International Institute of Air and Space Law, Leiden University.

Johan Blitz

UBS Switzerland

Managing Director, Head of Corporate Aircraft Finance 

Johan was approached by UBS to set-up and head the Corporate Aircraft Finance team, and joined the bank in 2005 in Zurich.

Since the team was established in 2006, UBS has, under Johan’s leadership, grown its portfolio of business jets extensively. UBS was awarded “Best Financier Europe 2013” and “Best Private Bank in EMEA 2014” for corporate jet financings, “Best Business Jet Financier 2015” and “Best Business Support Services 2015” in APAC.

Johan started his career in commodity trading, and joined a large Swiss bank in 1999 to specialise in aircraft financing. He has since put his significant experience and understanding of the aircraft financing market at the disposal of the bank’s clients and, with his team, supports the bank’s WM business. Johan speaks German, French, English and Swedish.

Johan holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (Banking and Finance) from the University of Applied Sciences in Zurich. Furthermore, Johan is also an Export Specialist with Swiss Federal Certificate and a certified Corporate Banker.

Darren Broderick

ACAM

CEO

Darren is the CEO of Asian Corporate Aviation Management Pte. Ltd. or ACAM as more commonly known, which is the largest privately owned and operated, corporate aviation management company
in the Asia Pacific Region, providing its clients with a wide range of customer centric, bespoke services from acquisitions through to full turnkey aircraft management solutions, aircraft maintenance support,
CAMO, flight support and handling services.

Ranked amongst the top 10 Operators by fleet in Asia Pacific, the company has demonstrated continuous annual growth since its formation in 2010 and operates a diverse fleet including Airbus Corporate Jets,
Boeing Business Jets, Gulfstream, Bombardier, Dassault, Embraer, Hawker, Beechcraft and Cessna aircraft. ACAMs Head Office is strategically located at Seletar Airport Singapore with an additional full operations,
maintenance and support base in Jakarta, Indonesia.

In 2022 the Company announced its expansion with a new venture ACAM Middle East located in Dubai, U.A.E. to support its growing fleet of managed aircraft in the Middle East, Africa and Europe, followed by another
recent announcement in January 2023 of the latest expansion plan – the establishment of ACAM Pacific in Melbourne, Australia to serve the expanding business aviation market in the Asia Pacific region.

In addition to being an accomplished businessman with long-term roots in the Asia Pacific region, Darren is an accomplished aviator himself and maintains ATP licences on both Aeroplanes and Helicopters accumulating
more than 15000 flight hours throughout his career. Darren received the prestigious Sikorsky Aircraft Rescue Award in 2001.

Alan Cunningham

Ernst & Young

Partner

Bio coming soon…

Elouisa Dalli

Jet Aviation

SVP Global Marketing & Communications

Elouisa Dalli was appointed SVP global marketing & communications in August 2020, following her appointment to VP global marketing & communications in September 2019, when she also joined the Jet Aviation leadership team. She is responsible for the company’s brand, digital, marketing and communications activities and is a key driver of Jet Aviation’s sustainability agenda.
Dalli joined the company as senior director global communications in October 2017, bringing more than fifteen years’ experience in corporate affairs, journalism, and corporate social responsibility.
Dalli began her career as a global commodities journalist, reporting from various locations across APAC, EMEA, and the U.S. Prior to joining Jet Aviation, she spent ten years with Syngenta, serving as head of communications Asia-Pacific out of Singapore from 2012, and as global company spokesperson from Syngenta’s Basel headquarters before that. Dalli is native English and Maltese, with working knowledge of German, Arabic, and some Italian and French. She holds a degree in Economics from University College London.

David Dixon

Jetcraft Asia

President

As President of Jetcraft Asia since 2012, David Dixon is responsible for optimizing sales strategies and managing operations throughout Asia. A leading global authority on the private aviation sector, David has lived and worked in Asia in aircraft sales for more than 40 years and has more than five decades of aerospace industry experience. David joined Jetcraft following a long an over 30-year career with Bombardier’s Business and Commercial Aircraft divisions. In 1997 he was awarded the MBE – Member of the Order of the British Empire distinction by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth for his contribution to British exports. He is also a former Vice Chairman of the Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA) an organisation he helped establish.

David is originally from the UK and resides in Hong Kong.

Delray Dobbins

Pratt & Whitney Canada

ESG Sales & Global Strategy

Delray Dobbins leads Sales and Global Strategy for Pratt & Whitney Canada’s Eagle Service™ Plan (ESP™), an engine maintenance program for the corporate jet segment. Since joining the company in May 2018, Delray has worked closely with business jet customers, industry influencers, and other key stakeholders to continue to enhance P&WC’s ESP maintenance program offerings.

During his 25+ year career, Delray has held several key positions in the aviation industry. Starting with Rolls-Royce in the early 90’s, Delray worked in the technical publications division supporting the AE3007 engine program. Delray then advanced into a customer support role in 2001 on the GV and G550 engine programs. Later, he was promoted to Regional Customer Manager supporting NetJets’ 130 Gulfstream and Citation X aircraft.

In 2009, Delray became a regional sales executive for CorporateCare covering the Midwestern United States and developed strong relationships with many of those flight departments.

In 2015, Delray joined the Mente Group where his primary mandate was to assist clients in buying and selling aircraft as well as ensure they were knowledgeable of the available engine programs.

Delray has volunteered with the National Aviation Hall of Fame based in Dayton, Ohio and often supports their efforts at the Reno Air Races and their annual Enshrinement Gala.

Delray has a Bachelor’s Degree in Aviation Technology from Purdue University where he graduated with his airframe and power plant license as well as commercial/instrument pilot’s license. Delray is also part owner of a 1967 Beechcraft V35 Bonanza.

Andrew Douglas

Make Tech Fly

Director

Bio coming soon…

Don Dwyer

Guardian Jet

Managing Partner

Don Dwyer, Guardian Jet’s co-managing partner, is particularly regarded for his extensive expertise on aircraft finance, asset management, fleet planning and aircraft sales.

He spent most of his career rising through ranks at the aircraft manufacturer, Hawker Beechcraft. As their Vice President of Global Sales, he led the entire sales team and oversaw the company’s international dealer network.

In 2010, Don Dwyer joined his brother, Michael, as co-managing partner of Guardian Jet. Since then, Guardian Jet has become one of the top three aircraft brokerage and consulting firms in the world.

Don is a member of the National Business Aviation Association Advisory Council. An avid sailor, Don is also a 4,500-hour commercial pilot and certified flight instructor.

Toby Edwards

Victor

Co-CEO

Toby Edwards is co-CEO of Victor, the multi award-winning on-demand jet charter platform and sector leader in Europe. A loyal and steadfast member of the Victor family, Toby’s tenure with the jet charter broker started nearly a decade ago when he joined Victor as the very first Member Services Executive in July 2012. From that moment he has lived and breathed the company’s core values of Transparency, Integrity and Customer Centricity – rising up through the ranks to take the place of co-CEO of the company at the age of 33 in July 2020.

Since July 2020 he has driven growth, led the business to profitability and propelled Victor’s entire strategy around Sustainability, ensuring the mission of ‘A better way to fly’ is far from just an ESG tagline but the fulcrum of the whole Victor offering. Under his leadership, the jet charter broker is spearheading industry-leading initiatives within the private jet sector, this year securing a partnership with Neste, the world’s leading producer of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). This SAF partnership is set to transform the aviation industry and change the behaviour of thousands of consumers worldwide as the blueprint that Victor and Neste have created is starting to be replicated in the wider commercial aviation sphere.

Under Toby’s leadership, the Victor global network has grown to encompass more than 200 operators and 7,000 aircraft. Toby is committed to upholding Victor’s key ethos of providing transparency for clients – disclosing aircraft, operator and carbon emission details at the point of quotation – whilst ensuring both an effortless and seamless travel experience.  

Alex Fecteau

Boeing Business Jets

Director of Marketing

Captain Alex Fecteau is the Director of Marketing for Boeing Business Jets, a division of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Prior to his current position Captain Fecteau worked with airlines around the world in Boeing Commercial Airplane marketing, with a focus on flight deck technology, and Boeing technical product subject matter. Captain Fecteau earned his undergraduate degree in Aeronautical Engineering, and Master of Science Degree in Mechanical engineering, followed by an extensive career as an F-15 instructor pilot in the US Air Force and pilot for 2 major US Airlines.

Alex has extensive experience working with customer flight operations departments, flight standards, training, and executive levels leadership. He has also worked with regulators worldwide for airplane systems certifications and performance based navigation operational approvals, and was an advisor to several EASA, ICAO, and FAA aviation rulemaking committees.

Craig Foster

Valour Consultancy

Senior Consultant & Co-Founder

Craig Foster is the co-founder of Valour Consultancy, a leading provider of market intelligence and consultancy services. He has extensive experience covering a wide variety of technology markets including the Internet of Things, M2M, smart home, smart grid, maritime connectivity, in-flight entertainment and connectivity and cabin technology more broadly. Foster has been an industry analyst for 15 years and is based in Grantham in the United Kingdom.
Prior to establishing Valour Consultancy, he was a principal analyst at ABI Research and a market analyst at IMS Research. At ABI, he launched a new research area devoted to the home automation market, before focusing his efforts on expanding the research portfolio of the company’s M2M service. At IMS, Foster’s research focused on the power transmission and low voltage products markets, after which he moved on to take responsibility for the company’s then-nascent aerospace research group.
Foster is a regular speaker and participant in panel discussions and has been widely quoted in trade journals, magazines, and other forms of online and print media. He holds a BA in economics from the University of Leicester.

Stephen Friedrich

Embraer Executive Jets

CCO

Steve Friedrich is the Chief Commercial Officer at Embraer Executive Jets, where he is responsible for the direct management of the global sales organization for new and pre-flown aircraft as well as the oversight of relationships with customers and industry collaborators. With more than 30 years of experience in the leasing and aerospace sectors, his wealth of experience spans across sales, marketing, finance, customer support and services and aftermarket programs.

Prior to joining Embraer, Steve led global sales efforts and marketing activities at Rolls-Royce Civil Aerospace Business Aviation as the company’s Vice President-Sales & Marketing. His previous banking and aviation finance experience includes key leadership positions as Vice President at Summit Bank of New Jersey and Assistant Vice President at United Jersey Bank.

Steve graduated with an A.B. in Economics & Business from Lafayette College and received his M.B.A. from the Stern School at New York University.

Marie-Laure Gassier

BNP Paribas

Senior Credit Advisor Jet & Yacht Finance 

Marie-Laure Gassier is Head of Business Jet financing for BNP Paribas, based in Geneva.

Marie-Laure is a senior finance professional with over 20 years of experience with BNP Paribas in France, Singapore and Switzerland.
Marie-Laure has successfully grown over the last 10 years the business jet financing franchise of the bank for clients private and corporate. Since 2016, BNPP has set up in Switzerland a new platform dedicated to business jets and yachts financing, in order to serve better UHNWI clients.
Based in Geneva, the team is dedicated to providing jets and yachts financing solutions with a bespoke approach to a wide range of private clients. The focus is on transactions from 10 MUSD onwards for new or pre-owned aircraft with a global approach.

BNP Paribas is a leading bank in the Eurozone with a well-recognized footprint in Aviation and Shipping finance globally. Since 1981, the aviation finance department originates, arranges and distributes all types of aircraft financing solutions. With a global exposure in excess of 10 Bn USD and a portfolio of more than 1000 aircraft, the group maintains a prime and leading position in the transportation sector.

Marie-Laure holds a Political Science diploma with major and economics and finance (Sciences Po) and a Master Degree in History from Sorbonne University. She is a regular contributor at some major corporate jets conferences and events.

Jack Gilchrist

Gilchrist Aviation Law

Founding Director & Shareholder

Jack Gilchrist is the founding director and shareholder of Gilchrist Aviation Law. He serves as special counsel representing clients involved in all areas of the aviation industry. Since 1989, Mr. Gilchrist has specifically focused his career on aviation transactions involving every current structure of aircraft including engines, propellers and spare parts.
Mr. Gilchrist has counseled clients around the world in aircraft transactions, including many of the major air carriers, aircraft and engine leasing companies, fractional ownership programs, air cargo companies, corporations, banks and other lending institutions. He also works closely with aircraft brokers, dealers and manufacturers.

Heather Gordon

Martyn Fiddler

Legal Director

Heather Gordon is Legal Director at Martyn Fiddler Aviation. Heather joined the team in 2013 having previously practiced within a leading Isle of Man law firm’s aviation practice since 2007. Heather holds graduate and post graduate degrees in law and studied internationally for her MBA.

Coming from an aviation family, Heather is devoted to the industry and a passionate advocate for business aviation. Her enthusiasm is translated into her work and as a result she is often asked to speak at conferences and seminars internationally on tax, customs, and corporate aviation matters.

Eddie Gross

Vedder Price

Shareholder

Eddie Gross has almost 40 years of experience representing bank-affiliated, captive and independent financing providers and investors, as well as lessees and borrowers. in all aspects of aviation and other equipment finance transactions, including documenting, structuring, negotiating, syndicating and enforcing these transactions.

Eddie is considered an industry leader regarding the leasing and financing of all types of aviation assets, including fixed wing aircraft, helicopters and engine pools. Clients include market-leading aircraft and helicopter financing providers, investors and operating lessors, as well as large publicly or privately held businesses, governmental entities or high-net-worth individual lessees and borrowers. The business aircraft financed in these transactions include jets and turbo-prop aircraft operated primarily for the customer’s business purposes, or for transportation services including chartering, or pursuant to fractional or “pay card” arrangements. The financed helicopters are typically operated in various service capacities (e.g., air ambulances, oil and gas service, fire suppression, hauling, etc.) or for VIP, business or other transportation purposes. These aircraft and helicopter financings vary in structure and include domestic and multi-jurisdictional tax and non-tax leases, operating leases and secured loan financings, involving progress payment, completion and other multi-funding structures. The structures of these transactions typically involve multiple counter-parties, including citizenship and other trusts, management companies, maintenance program providers and affiliated and unaffiliated users of the aircraft and the manufacturer or other seller.
In 2016 through 2022, Eddie was ranked Band 1 in Private Aircraft (Global-wide) in Chambers High Net Worth. The legal ranking recognizes the world’s leading high net worth advisers where one aviation professional described Eddie as “the most knowledgeable aircraft finance lawyer in the US that I’ve worked with, both from a know-how and market perspective.” He was also recognized among the world’s leading aviation attorneys by Euromoney Legal Media Group’s Expert Guides from 2013 to 2021.

Nazeif Habboub

Collins Aerospace

Director – business Aviation Solutions

Bio coming soon…

Hamish Harding

Action Aviation

Chairman

Hamish Harding lives in Dubai with his family and is Chairman of Action Aviation. He has been an enthusiastic pilot since his days at Cambridge University where he gained degrees in Natural Sciences and Chemical Engineering. He holds an Airline Transport Pilots License and various business jet type ratings including the Gulfstream G650, and is an experienced skydiver.
In 2017, Hamish worked with Antarctic VIP tourism company, White Desert, to introduce the first regular business jet service to Antarctic using a Gulfstream G550, landing on Wolfsfang Runway, a newly-created ice runway in Antarctica.
Hamish has also visited the South Pole a number of times, accompanying Buzz Aldrin in 2016 as he became the oldest person ever to reach the South Pole (age 86) and, in 2020, Hamish took his son Giles Harding, who became the youngest person ever to reach the South Pole (age 12).
In 2019, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, Hamish, along with friend and Living Legend, astronaut Col. Terry Virts, led a team of aviators that captured the Guinness World Record for circumnavigation of the earth via North and South Poles. The record was achieved in a Gulfstream G650ER in 46 hours 40 minutes. A Hollywood movie, One More Orbit, was made of the successful capture of the world record.
In 2021, Hamish undertook a mission in a two-man submarine to the lowest point in the world’s oceans, Challenger Deep (in Marianna Trench, Pacific Ocean) to a depth of 36,000 ft. This 13-hour underwater mission resulted in two Guinness World Records, longest duration spent at Full Ocean Depth (4 hours 15 mins) and longest distance traversed at Full Ocean Depth (4.6 km).
In 2022, Hamish was one of six astronauts to go to space on Blue Origin’s 5th human spaceflight aboard the New Shepard rocket.
Owner of international business jet brokerage company, Action Aviation, Hamish is regarded as a leading authority on the worldwide business jet market. Hamish is one of the very few business jet brokers who also pilots the larger business jets himself.

David Hernandez

Vedder Price

Shareholder

Mr. Hernandez has extensive experience assisting clients with a wide variety of business aircraft transaction and regulatory matters, including aircraft purchase/sale agreements, aircraft flight department restructuring, aircraft management arrangements, fractional program documents, use
policies, cross-border transactions, personal use of aircraft, joint-ownership use agreements and regulatory and enforcement matters. He is the Chair of Vedder Price Business Aviation and Regulation Sub-Practice Group, the Chair of the National Business Aviation Association’s Tax Committee and a frequent speaker on various business aircraft and regulatory topics. Mr. Hernandez has been recognized among the world’s leading aviation attorneys by Euromoney Legal Media Group’s
Expert Guides “Aviation Guide” and Chambers as a highly rated High Net Worth Individual Aviation Advisor.

Glenn Hogben

The Air Charter Association

CEO

Glenn Hogben is the Chief Executive of The Air Charter Association, the leading trade association for companies and individuals engaged in aircraft charter. He joined the association initially as a Non-Executive board member in 2017 and was elected Deputy Chair in 2019 prior to taking on his current role as Chief Executive.

Glenn has over 18 years experience in aircraft charter, leasing and management. His aviation career started when he joined ACC Aviation in 2004. He has worked on a wide variety of leasing and air charter projects around the world. Initially becoming a successful ACMI leasing broker he then lead the diversification of ACC Aviation into the adhoc and corporate charter markets.

Glenn has built a wealth of knowledge across all areas of the aviation business, with both commercial brokering experience and operational experience whilst being instrumental in the growth of ACC Aviation to become one of the top 4 aviation brokerages and being part of the management team who carried out an equity backed MBO of the business.

Glenn has a Diploma in Leadership & Management and a BA Honours degree from the University of London in History and Geography. Prior to his aviation career held roles in a major utilities and retail companies.

Athar Husain Khan

European Business Aviation Association

Secretary General

Athar has spent the last 25 years as a leader, aero-political negotiator, lawyer, advocacy specialist and CEO in various aviation organisations and companies, in both the public and private arena. Using his experience in the international aero-political world and proven track record in association management, Athar continues to strengthen and advocate for the European business aviation industry in the Brussels’ arena.

As Secretary-General of the EBAA, Athar stands at the helm of Europe’s leading aviation association, strengthening the voice of business aviation in Europe at the highest EU political and institutional levels.

Athar is an Air & Space law expert by education. He received his Master of Law at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands, and followed post-graduate courses in law, communications, management, finance, natural leadership and coaching. Prior to working at the EBAA, he held senior positions at AEA, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and the Netherlands Ministry of Transport and Ministry of Education and Science. He is married with one son, is a keen sportsman and holds a private pilot license.

Sarah Kalmeta

Pivot Point International

Business Aviation Consultant

Ms. Sarah Kalmeta is a strategic leader, coach and educator in the business aviation industry. She has over fifteen years of experience working with vendors, service providers and aviation authorities in Asia Pacific and around the globe. Sarah is a passionate advocate for ensuring the future of business aviation and developing future leaders within the industry. AS a member of various aviation boards , she is heavily involved in programme development and training initiatives. Sarah sat on the Board of Governors for the Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA) and was head of the Discovery Programme, an educational outreach initiative to attract and retrain talent for the industry from Apr 2017 – Mar 2021.

An active public speaker, Sarah enjoys moderating and speaking on panels at various business aviation and leadership events and conferences around the world focusing on her expertise in operations and ground handling and leadership best practices.

Sarah, a former leader with Universal Weather & Aviation’s APAC offices, now leads her consultancy, Pivot Point International. She works with aviation companies and professionals that are overwhelmed with change, helping them become resilient for improved performance and wellbeing without sacrificing business focus. Having lived in four countries, Sarah has a passion for bridging cultures at work, school, and life. to help develop people to their full potential.

Sheila KKahyaoglu

Jefferies Aviation Investment Banking

Managing Director

Sheila Kahyaoglu is a Managing Director in Equity Research at Jefferies, covering the Aerospace and Defense and Airlines sectors. She joined in March 2012. Ms Kahyaoglu has been ranked #1 or #2 in Institutional Investor’s All-America Research poll from 2020-2022 after being Runner-up in 2019. She was ranked Rising Star in the 2015 and 2014 polls. Before joining Jefferies, Ms Kahyaoglu was a research analyst at Credit Suisse, covering the Electrical Equipment and Multi Industry (EE/MI) space. From 2005 to 2008, she was a Leveraged Finance analyst at JPMorgan. Ms Kahyaoglu holds a BA in Economics from New York University.

Her Aerospace and Defense research is broad and extensive with a focus across the Commercial Aerospace, Defense, IT Service providers, Business Jet OEMs in addition to the Airlines. Sheila’s research uses a data intensive approach along with color from industry experts.

Vivek Kaushal

Global Jet Capital

CEO

Vivek Kaushal serves as Chief Executive Officer for Global Jet Capital. Vivek joined the firm in 2015 and has been part of Management Team throughout, first as Chief Risk Officer, and most recently as President and Chief Operating Officer. Vivek has nearly 30 years of leadership experience in various financing businesses and was the Chief Risk Officer for GE Capital Business Aviation Finance prior to its purchase by GJC. Vivek received an MBA from the Indian Institute of Management, Calcutta, and a BS in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi.

Nadav Kessler

Asian Sky Group

Managing Director 

Nadav Kessler is Managing Director Asian Sky Group and is in charge of leading, managing and directing the company’s aircraft sales, consultancy and business development activities. Shortly after the company’s foundation in 2012, Nadav joined the company and has since taken forefront positions with developing and growing the company’s aircraft sales and consultancy capabilities, responsible for a variety of aviation transactions and consultancy projects for a diverse range of business jet and rotary clients and operations, including, corporations, financial institutions, private owners, and government entities throughout the Asia Pacific region and beyond.

Richard Koe

WINGX

Managing Director

Bio coming soon…

Justin Kral

GE Aerospace

GM, Business Aviation Services & Support

Bio coming soon…

Kenny Landau

Mytaverse

CEO

Kenneth Landau is the CEO and co-founder of Mytaverse, a leading enterprise metaverse company. Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, he attended Universidad Metropolitana, attaining a B.S. in Civil Engineering. He then attended the George Washington University for an MBA with a concentration in Finance. Landau then joined McKinsey & Co. in their New York offices as a Management Consultant for two years before acquiring and expanding the Mail Boxes Etc. franchise in the Latam region. Landau led the expansion of MBE in different countries in Latam for 30 years, building one of the most successful networks in the world. He lives in Miami.

Brendan Lodge

JSSI

Advisory Services Specialist

As Advisory Services Manager for Jet Support Services, Inc. (JSSI), Brendan Lodge brings over 25 years of asset finance and business aviation knowledge, skills and experience to the JSSI Advisory Services and JSSI Parts divisions.

Mr. Lodge builds relationships with banks and financial institutions and promotes JSSI’s portfolio of services, including the JSSI Asset Monitoring Platform (AMP) and aircraft inspection and value appraisal consultancy services. Mr. Lodge provides additional support to JSSI Parts to assist in the acquisition of aircraft at the end of life for the purpose of tearing down and parting out to support aircraft on JSSI programs.

Previously, Mr. Lodge worked for over 20 years in the UK banking and finance industry with Lombard, part of Royal Bank of Scotland. As part of the Lombard Aviation Unit, he financed aircraft at all levels of the business and general aviation sectors. Mr. Lodge later joined the Icelandic bank, Kaupthing, where he was a key member of the small team that developed and grew their business aviation portfolio. He has a further 8 years of experience with JetBrokers as an aircraft sales broker and played a key role in establishing their European franchise.

Mr. Lodge is Founder and Chairman of The Aviation Supper Club, renowned for its regular business aviation industry networking dinners.

Jeffrey Lowe

Asian Sky Group

Vice Chairman

Jeffrey C. Lowe is currently the Vice Chairman of Avion Pacific Group. Established in 1983 as the first private General Aviation Service Company in the PRC headquartered in Shenzhen, China, the Avion Pacific Group consists of several integrated aviation companies including Avion Pacific Ltd., Asian Sky Group Ltd., and Global Sky Media Ltd., plus several regional & representative offices in mainland China, Hong Kong SAR and SE Asia. The Group is a one-of-a-kind combination of Asian companies that offer exceptional services across the whole spectrum of business and general aviation, from new and pre-owned rotary & fixed wing sales, to representation, leasing, special aviation import and export, overhaul and spares support, special missions training, operational support, aircraft management, consulting, market research, charter and award-winning media platforms. As the experts in Asian aviation, Avion Pacific Group provides the crucial link between the East and the West. Lowe in his role as Vice Chairman will be assisting the Group with expanding its presence in the North American market, assessing growth opportunities and partnership/investment opportunities. Lowe, now based out of Toronto, Canada, will also become the Group’s representative with leading industry associations such as NBAA, AsBAA and IADA. As well as his new role as Vice Chairman of Avion Pacific, Lowe will also assume the role of Vice Chairman of Global Sky Media, the award-winning market intelligence and publishing business that was previously called Asian Sky Media.

Patrick Lucy

Avinode Group

Account Manager Team Lead, EMEAA

Patrick Lucy is originally from New Zealand and joined Avinode Group in 2018 after moving to Sweden. With more than 5 years experience on the commercial team of Avinode for the EMEAA sector he took on the role of Team Lead for the EMEAA Account Managers in 2022.

Patrick holds a wealth of knowledge around technology solutions to assist the aviation industry. With a particular interest for the fin-tech space he was also heavily involved in rolling out Paynode – a fully integrated payment solution – to Avinode Group customers.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems from Viktoriya university in Wellington, with a focus on solving business problems and gaining the skills to manage information complex environments.

Patrick was an appreciated Chairman for the NextGen Group of the Air Charter Association for two years until stepping down in the autumn of 2022.

Adel Mardini

Jetex

Founder & CEO

Adel Mardini launched Jetex in Dubai in 2005, with the mission to create a one-of-a-kind company catering to the needs of the most discerning travelers in every aspect of private aviation. His business philosophy encompassed delivering bespoke services, from the moment of departure all the way through to arrival at the client’s destination and beyond, providing a complete luxury travel solution every step of the way.

Mr. Mardini drives the company’s innovations and strong global
growth through his hands-on leadership and attention to detail. He embodies the spirit of developing a deep understanding of Jetex’s clients, while constantly inspiring the Jetex team to exceed their own ambitions and capabilities.

Today, Jetex serves an elite clientele through its extensive global network of private jet terminals and lounges, as well as ground handling facilities in more than 25 countries worldwide and employs more than 700 people. The company offers a comprehensive range of international trip planning, ground support and concierge services, all delivered with the highest degree of quality, flexibility and privacy.

A Board Member of the Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA), Mr. Mardini played a key role in
its development. This pioneering body was instrumental in starting a dialogue between airport operators and the region’s governing authorities. MEBAA has helped shape local
regulations to meet with international standards, as well as create extensive business opportunities in emerging markets.

Mr. Mardini is also an active member of the World Economic Forum and the Young Presidents’ Organization, a global leadership community of chief executives committed to a shared mission of becoming better leaders through lifelong learning and idea exchange.

A strong believer in corporate responsibility and giving back to the community, he is involved in numerous charitable activities and developed the first partnership by a general aviation company to champion and support electric aircraft for short-haul flights.

Bruce Marshall

AIC Title Service

Executive Vice President & General Counsel

Bruce L. Marshall joined AIC Title Service as its Executive Vice President and General Counsel in February 2014, helping ensure that AIC’s clients and leadership are protected as they move through unprecedented FAA and industry changes. Marquis Who’s Who recognized Bruce as a recipient of the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award in 2020. In August, 2019 he was a recipient of the Drinker Biddle First Chair Top General Counsel Award for the third year in a row. The First Chair Awards is an annual selection of in-house counsel who have, thorough their hard work and innovation, made significant contributions to the legal community nationwide. He received his initial First Chair Award in August, 2017 and his second in August 2018. Bruce was also recognized in the November 2013 issue of D CEO Magazine as one of Dallas-Fort Worth’s top corporate attorneys following his win as Outstanding General Counsel or Chief Legal Officer in the Small Legal Department category at the Association of Corporate Counsel and D CEO’s 2013 Corporate Counsel Awards. Individually a 2011 winner of the Texas General Counsel Forum’s Magna Stella Award in the Small Legal Department category and finalist in the Major Litigation category, Bruce and his team also won Texas Lawyer’s 2013 Legal Department of the Year in the Diversity and Quality of Life category. With over 20 years’ experience in aviation legal matters, specializing in contracts, regulations, and litigation, he previously served as Senior Director and Division General Counsel of Bombardier’s Flexjet fractional aircraft ownership program where he strategically managed two cases challenging state and federal taxes that affected the entire fractional aircraft ownership industry and resulted in the refund of millions of dollars of paid taxes.

Bruce served as Chair of the State Bar of Texas Aviation Law Section for the years 2011-2012 and 2019. Adding to his depth of experience, he also taught Corporate Jet Investor’s Aircraft Transactions Masterclass US in November of 2019. He was elected as a Board member of the National Aircraft Finance Association (NAFA) in May 2021 and currently serves as chair of the association’s regulatory committee.

In private practice, Bruce served as corporate counsel and business manager for a charter management company with both Part 135 on-demand air cargo and passenger operations, served as vice president and legal officer for a major financial institution in Ann Arbor, Michigan, and in private practice, he represented banks, construction companies, transportation companies, and employee benefits funds in commercial litigation matters. Bruce graduated from Purdue University with a Bachelor’s of Science in General Management focusing on finance and marketing and holds a Juris Doctorate degree from the Michigan State University College of Law. He serves as a frequent speaker or panelist at aviation industry events.

Zipporah Marmor

ACASS

Vice President, Aircraft Transactions

Zipporah Marmor has over 20 years of global business aviation
experience spanning sales, management, and marketing. She
launched her career in 2000 as a marketing professional with
Bombardier in Montreal. She transitioned to sales and ultimately
relocated to Bombardier’s Farnborough office as a sales manager. In
2006, Ms. Marmor took on a Sales Director role in Monaco with NewJet
International, which was the exclusive Bombardier representative for
Monaco, Italy, and Switzerland.
Her natural sales and management talent were quickly recognized, and she was promoted
to Vice President of Sales, where she played a pivotal role in NewJet’s growth and success.
Since joining ACASS in 2011, Ms. Marmor has helped drive the company’s global expansion and
continued growth in increasingly vital capacities.

Simon May

FlightCare Global

Director

Simon is Co-Founder and Director of Flightcare Global, an Australian company providing medical consulting and health risk solutions to the aviation industry. Simon is a specialist physician in Aviation Medicine and has previously held medical management roles with Qantas, Virgin Australia and Qatar Airways. Simon is expert in all areas of passenger and crew health and has extensive experience in medical support across commercial aviation, business aviation and VVIP operations. During the COVID – 19 Pandemic Simon has represented Australia at the ICAO CAPSCA group providing medical input to the Council Aviation Recovery Taskforce guidance. Simon takes a risk based approach to the management of health issues in aviation.

Mike McCready

ARGUS International

President

Mike McCready has over 26 years of experience working in the aviation industry ranging from manufacturing to training to private and commercial operations. He is a commercial rated pilot and a business leader who specializes in growing companies while bringing innovative solutions to the market.  Building a career in aviation, Mike has run and built flight schools, worked as a contract pilot, advised clients on aircraft purchase and management, and worked with airlines on finding increased operational efficiencies. Mike has worked with startups such as Adam Aircraft, introducing the industry to carbon fiber aircraft structures, and leading teams at Jeppesen, Boeing and Jet Aviation.

Joining ARGUS International in 2020 on a mission of growth, Mike brought new solutions to market for data analytics (ClearView), and new continuous monitoring audits for private aircraft charter operators (Platinum Elite).  Over this time, Mike supported the sale of ARGUS to SGS and has led the company through integration, becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of SGS.  Today Mike is the President of ARGUS, a wholly owned company of the SGS Group, and the company is growing in audit services, aviation consulting (startups, acquisitions, certifications, optimizations), and software tools for Safety Management Systems and industry analytics.

Jay Mesinger

Mesinger Jet Sales

President & CEO

Jay Mesinger is the CEO and Founder of Mesinger Jet Sales, an international aircraft brokerage firm, with 49 years of experience in the aviation industry. Mesinger Jet Sales has modernized the formula for buying and selling aircraft and provides their clients with the best market intelligence for aircraft sales pricing and correct acquisition expectations.
Additionally, Jay was a Member of the Board of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), and the Chairman of the Associate Member Advisory Council (AMAC). He is the first aircraft broker to serve on the NBAA board. His 10-year term was over October, 2013. Jay is on the Customer Advisory Board of Jet Aviation and also served on the Customer Advisory Board of Airbus North America. Jay is also a member of Gulfstream’s ‘Key Player’ team. Jay served on the Duncan Aviation Customer Advisory Board for 2 terms, and is a member of the European Business Aviation Association (EBAA). He is also a member of the Colorado Aviation Business Association (CABA). Jay is also on the Board of Directors of The Morris Animal Foundation.
In addition, Jay regularly speaks at industry gatherings, writes the monthly Mesinger Pulse newsletter (Jay Mesinger’s Industry Perspectives), and started the very first aviation brokerage website over 20 years ago, www.jetsales.com. Jay continues to communicate from the cutting-edge of business aviation through various social networking platforms & blog https://jetsales.com/articles/, twitter (@jmesinger) and LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com).

Chris Miller

Shearwater Global Capital

CEO

Mr. Miller has extensive experience in global asset-based financing with a primary focus on business jets, yachts and former military aircraft used for training purposes. Prior to Shearwater, Mr. Miller lead a prominent Financial Institution’s asset-based lending group providing capital solutions to the Business Aviation Industry.
Before entering the business world, Mr. Miller served in the United States Marine Corps, as an F/A-18 pilot, Aircraft Maintenance Officer and Aviation Safety Officer. Mr. Miller currently holds a commercial pilot rating. He is an accredited “Senior Aircraft Appraiser” with the American Society of Appraisers (ASA) and the former President of the National Aircraft Finance Association (NAFA). Mr. Miller received a BA from Denison University and an MBA from Columbia University.

Karl Mills

TAG Aviation

Chief Commercial Officer, Europe

Bio coming soon…

Ian Moore

Vista Global

Chief Commercial Officer

Ian Moore is a director of VistaJet’s UK subsidiary, serving as Chief Commercial Officer since 2010.
Mr. Moore is responsible for global market expansion, commercial negotiations, sales, marketing, customer service and product delivery. Previously, Mr. Moore worked in various roles including Vice President Strategy & Sales, Sales Manager and Strategy & Analysis Manager for NetJets Europe, from 2002 to 2008.
Mr. Moore also served as Vice President Sales & Marketing for the business jet subsidiary of TATA, Business Jets Pvt Ltd (BJETS), from 2008 to 2010. Mr. Moore holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) degree from the University of Melbourne.
Web: www.vistajet.com

Jessica Naor

GrandView Aviation

President 

Jessie Naor is President of GrandView Aviation, a Global Medical Response solution – GrandView owns and operates a fleet of 18 Phenom 300s available for VIP charter and organ transport. She currently sits on the National Air Transportation Association’s Board of Governors, is Vice Chair of the Air Charter Safety Foundation, she was a member of the FAA’s Duty & Rest ARC and a NBAA Top 40 under 40 in 2020. Jessie holds an associate’s degree in Air Traffic Control, CCBC Catonsville, and a BA in Aviation Business Administration, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and a MBA in Management & Finance from The Johns Hopkins University – Carey Business School. 

Aoife O'Sullivan

The Air Law Firm

Partner

Aoife is an owning partner of The Air Law Firm, a boutique law firm dedicated to the aviation industry. She specialises in international and cross-border aircraft finance, sale and leasing in the commercial and corporate aviation sector. She advises clients on aircraft finance and regulatory issues, including corporate structures, aircraft acquisitions and airline start-ups. Aviation Week & Space Technology magazine named her as one of the Top 10 Leaders in business aviation in Europe. Aoife is Chair of the British Business and General Association who liaise closely with Government, regulatory bodies and industry on matters affecting the business aviation community. Aoife has been independently nominated by her clients, contacts and peers for inclusion in all exclusive industry and legal guides for her work in aviation law and her contribution to the industry, including Chambers; Legal 500: Finance; Euromoneys Women in Business; Expert Guides: Aviation; International Who’s Who of Aviation Finance Lawyers; Best Lawyers; Who’s Who Legal; and Lawyers World Leading Lawyer Awards.
Aoife is regularly invited to speak at international aviation conferences and events. She writes for and has been quoted in all major leading publications including the Financial Times, BART, Fly Corporate, Airfinance Journal and Altitudes.
Aoife was admitted as a Solicitor in Ireland in 1997, England and Wales in 1998 and admitted to the Supreme Court of the Cayman Islands in 2002.

David Paddock

Jet Aviation

President

David Paddock was named President of Jet Aviation in July 2019, drawing on over 25 years’ aviation experience.  He is responsible for operations across some 50 global locations and five lines of business, including business aircraft maintenance, completions, FBO, aircraft services and defence.

Paddock was appointed SVP U.S. regional operations in January 2015, where he was responsible for Jet Aviation’s U.S. portfolio, including maintenance, FBO and aircraft services. Paddock was previously SVP business development and strategic planning where he oversaw strategy, M&A, facility expansions, and significant improvements in operational efficiency, since joining the company in January 2007.

Prior to joining Jet Aviation, Paddock served as VP and Managing Officer for SH&E, specializing in business aviation strategy and market analysis, business planning, commercial aircraft fleet analysis, maintenance, asset management, and appraisals. During his 11-year tenure, he supported numerous aerospace industry transactions and acted as an expert witness in various legal proceedings. He joined SH&E in May 1996.

Paddock holds a Bachelor of Science degree in environmental science from Stockton University and is active with many industry organizations including GAMA, NBAA and MEBAA. He holds a US Private Pilot certificate is an ISTAT-certified aircraft appraiser.  He was recently accepted as a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.

He and his family reside in Basel, Switzerland.

Andy Priester

Priester Aviation & Mayo Aviation

Chairman & CEO

Andy Priester serves as Priester Aviation’s Chairman and CEO.
He is the third generation of Priesters to lead the business, the largest and oldest family-owned Management and Charter company in the world. The Priester family has a rich aviation history starting in 1945 including owning Palwaukee Airport – KPWK (now renamed Chicago Executive Airport), operating a flight school, operating multiple FBOs, providing 145 maintenance services, and operating an aircraft sales division. Priester Aviation currently focuses solely on Aircraft Management and Global Charter after the strategic sale of the other business units. In this role, Andy is dedicated to leading the growth of the organization and enhancing Priester’s position as the preeminent choice in aircraft management, aircraft charter and related aviation services. During Andy’s tenure at Priester, he has grown the fleet from seven aircraft to over 65 aircraft they manage from 15 bases globally today.
Andy currently sits on the board of the Air Charter Safety Foundation, is current Chair of YPO Chicago – Windy City, and past Chair of the National Air Transportation Association (NATA). Andy is a proud University of Dayton Flyer and holds a Master’s degree from Concordia University.

Joan Roberts

Insured Aircraft Title Service

Vice President

Having been active in the aviation business since 1988, Joan Roberts is currently a Vice President and Escrow Agent for Insured Aircraft Title Service, LLC in Oklahoma City. She has been with Insured Aircraft since 1997 handling a worldwide customer base that literally numbers in the thousands.

Previously Mrs. Roberts worked in a similar role for another major aircraft title and escrow company in the Oklahoma City area after leaving a paralegal role with a major law firm in their aviation division.

Mrs. Roberts is a member of National Business Aircraft Association (NBAA), National Aircraft Finance Association (NAFA), International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA), Women in Aviation International (WAI), Women in Corporate Aviation (WCA), and International Aviation Women’s Association (IAWA). She has also been involved in the NBAA Leadership conference and has actively worked in the IATS management team in marketing and development efforts, traveling to and actively working to assist and cultivate existing and potential clients at EBACE in Geneva, ABACE in China, and CJI in London and Miami.

Joan is an active proud mother of four grown children, Katie and Carrie, twins who both graduated from Florida State University, Claire, a veterinarian practicing in Colorado Springs, and her son, Ryan, who graduated from Southern Nazarene University. When not engaged with her family, she enjoys travel, golf with friends, cooking and entertaining.

Kennedy Ricci

4Air

President

Kennedy serves as the President of 4AIR to offer expertise and guidance for creating meaningful sustainability commitments focused on aviation. Kennedy has worked to promote a more comprehensive and long-term way of thinking about sustainability for aviation while providing increased transparency, comparability, and ease of starting a program. Kennedy is a passionate general aviation pilot and has a degree from the University of Notre Dame.

Sven Rieve

Air BP

Aviation Sustainability Advisor

Sven Rieve is Air bp’s Sustainability Advisor. His remit is to drive Air bp’s sustainability and advocacy strategy, as well as help deliver growth in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) sales to customers.

Sven joined bp in 2012 as part of the dual study programme gaining valuable experience across a number of departments including sales, marketing, communications, credit management and supply and logistics before moving to Air bp in 2016. Sven has held positions of increasing responsibility in supply & logistics and product support. Most recently he held the position of Supply and Logistics Coordinator where he was responsible for delivering strategic projects for Air bp’s Central Europe cluster including SAF activities and its market entry into Germany.

Sven is based at bp’s Hamburg office and holds a master’s degree in Management from HHL Leipzig Graduate School of Management and a BSc Degree in Business Science and Management from Nordakademie, Elmshorn.

Fabrice Roger

JSSI

SVP, Business Development EMEA/APAC

Fabrice Roger as senior vice president for business development in Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific, as the company continues to support the rapid growth of business aviation across these regions.

Roger brings more than a decade of experience in senior sales and business development leadership roles at international financial services corporations, including Travelex and Western Union. He later joined Jetcraft, one of the world’s leading aircraft dealers, where he spent the last 10 years managing close to $1 billion in aircraft transactions across Latin America, Europe, and Northern Africa, with a particular focus on newer, larger aircraft.

Daniel Rudas

Hahn Air Lines

General Manager & COO

For more than 20 years with Hahn Air, Daniel Rudas has been the Accountable Manager and the sole driving force behind Hahn Air´s success and its state-of-the-art flight operations.

Known as the specialist for VIP and celebrity charter flights, Hahn Air has recently pushed the limits with its remarkable Connoisseur Service.

For more than a decade, Hahn Air’s strong partnership with Textron Aviation has seen them operating the most modern jets, currently the Cessna Citation CJ3+ and the Citation Latitude. Hahn Air sets the standards.

Daniel Rudas is an aviation enthusiast and specializes in customer care and strategic planning. He is also an active blogger in VIP and executive travel, and has appeared in several TV programs.

He has held a Commercial Pilot License since 1997, acts as a Captain in the company and is also involved in different fields and activities at the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

In addition, Hahn Air is a member of the European Regions Airline Association (ERA), the NBAA, EBAA and GBAA.

Jonathan Russell

Jaffa & Co

Partner

Jonathan is a transactional lawyer based in Mayfair, London. Jonathan’s primary areas of focus involve advising on the sale, purchase, financing, ownership and operation of corporate aircraft. He also has significant experience acting for commercial aircraft lessors and has advised on a multitude of international aircraft sale and purchase, financing and leasing transactions. In addition to aircraft-related matters, Jonathan also has extensive experience advising on the sale, purchase and financing of superyachts.

Jonathan is proud to have advised some of the best-known financiers in the aviation sector, in addition to individuals and large corporations. He maintains an extensive, global network of contacts within the aviation community and is known by his clients to give pragmatic and commercially minded advice.

Ranked by Chambers Guide, he is also featured in the Spear’s 500 directory, considered the essential guide to the top private advisers for high net worth individuals. The guide, dubbed the “Forbes of Europe”, describes him as “client-focused… good humoured and personable”.
A recent client commented as follows: “Having gone through the process of buying aircraft and yachts for UHNWs with the help of other London firms, I can only confirm that Jonathan came across as the most knowledgeable and responsive; he has the ability to deal with difficult situations, staying calm, listening first and pursuing afterwards his legal advice backed up with a strategic view and knowing very well when it is time to play his cards.”

Chadi Saade

Airbus Corporate Jets

Vice President Commercial

Chadi SAADE is currently Vice President Commercial leading ACJ sales, contracts and marketing teams.
Chadi started his commercial career with Airbus in 2004, as a Senior Marketing Analyst. Chadi accumulated several management responsibilities, both in the corporate jets (VP Commercial) and in the airline world (VP Commercial for South Asia region). Chadi holds a master degree in Aeronautics from University of Southampton, as well as a management degree from IAE France and an Engineering Degree from ISAE-Supaero.

Shuaib Shahid

Gogo Business Aviation

Director, Global Sales

After completing his Masters in Space Mission Analysis and Design, Shuaib started his career in Madrid, Spain designing satellite augmented landing systems for aircraft. He returned home to the United Kingdom to help launch Inmarsat’s SwiftBroadband service and ran the business aviation portfolio for a further five years. Currently, Shuaib works for Gogo Business Aviation as their Director for Global Sales where his team is responsible for Airtime sales for the Inmarsat and Iridium networks, as well as hardware sales outside North America.

Sidhant Sharma

2-REG Aircraft Registry

Director: Commercial & Legal

Sidhant Sharma is the Director: Commercial & Legal at 2-REG. Previous experience includes Leasing & Finance at PK AirFinance, working closely with the legal team and enhancing the country risk index for aircraft investments. As well as Asset Management and Technical Services at SGI Aviation, providing advisory services during critical repossessions, risk mitigation and induction of SGI Aviation’s key asset management portfolios.

Mr Sharma holds an Advanced Masters’ degree from Universiteit Leiden in Air & Space Law graduating cum laude with the thesis focussing on the regulatory and practical practices in aircraft de-registrations and export impacting asset value and owner’s interest.

With a background in aviation finance and the commitment to further enunciate the regulatory abilities of 2-REG, Mr Sharma possesses the ideal balance of regulatory and technical knowledge to cultivate a safe and effective product for 2-REG’s clients and its key industry stakeholders

Richard Smith

Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman Islands

Director – General

Paul Henry Richard Smith has over 40 years in the aviation industry, with experience in both the private and public sectors of the industry; he is a venerable veteran who is well known through the Caribbean region and internationally. His career has been spent working with Civil Aviation Authority (CAACI) of the Cayman Islands with attachments and secondments to international training organizations and a stint with the national flag carrier – Cayman Airways, Ltd., as a pilot.
The following is a history of his training and qualifications to date:
Joined the Cayman Islands Civil Aviation Department July 1976 as trainee Air Traffic Controller. Attended the Air Traffic Control Training Centre in Curacao, Netherlands Antilles and qualified as an Air Traffic Controller in 1977.
Appointed as Operations Officer in February 1982.
Attended FAA Academy, Oklahoma, USA in February 1983 and received certification in Airport Systems and Airport Master Planning.
Obtained FAA Private Pilot Licence, July 1983 from Sowell Aviation, Panama City, Florida.
Attended Cranfield College of Aeronautics in 1987 and received certification in Aircraft Accident Investigation Course.
Obtained FAA Commercial Pilot Licence, July 1988 from Flight Safety International, Vero Beach, Florida. Attended Transport Canada Training Institute in 1989 and received certification in Aviation Inspector and Enforcement.
Attended the International Aviation Management Training Institute, Montreal, Canada in 1990 and received certification in Advanced Airport Management.
Qualified as First Officer on the B737-200 aircraft in 1993 and flew with Cayman Airways until 1996.
Appointed Director of Civil Aviation in October 1995.
February 2003 appointed to the Board of Directors of Air Safety Support International (subsidiary of the UK CAA).
December 14, 2004 inducted to the Royal Aeronautical Society as a Fellow with the designation FRAeS.
Jan 2005 he received the Queens Certificate and Badge of Honour for his tireless efforts during and after Hurricane Ivan.
June 2008 he was named as a recipient of the Member of the British Empire (MBE) award by His Excellency the Governor, Mr. Stuart Jack at the Queen’s Birthday celebrations.
He actively participates and is involved in board meetings. In addition, he was nominated to the Board of Directors of the Air Safety Support Inc (ASSI) in February 2003 and served until 2009. ASSI is a subsidiary company created by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA) to facilitate the UK Government’s obligations to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) regarding the safety oversight of civil aviation in the UK’s Overseas Territories
Mr. Smith is the country’s foremost aviation official with authority delegated by Her Excellency the Governor.

Jason Sperry

OneWeb

Director, Business Aviation

Jason has over 18 years’ experience in the business aviation industry including avionics, software, and connectivity services. Before joining OneWeb, Jason previously held roles in product management, business development, and strategy at Bansbach Easylift and Satcom Direct. As an engineering graduate from the Florida Institute of Technology, Jason’s career was initially centred on engineering and avionics hardware, this focus has subsequently evolved to include commercial and strategic elements. Combining his technical experience with a commercial aptitude, Jason enjoys a holistic viewpoint that enables him to understand and empathise with the customer, delivering solutions that are both commercially and technically viable – while meeting the unique demands of the business aviation customer.
At OneWeb, Jason is responsible for delivering fibre-like connectivity solutions to business jet owners, operators, and end users – passengers and crew alike. Jason brings a wealth of experience from the IFC service provision perspective, including significant satellite provider insight spanning both GEO and LEO technologies.

Don Spieth

General Aviation Services

VP of Sales and Analytics

Don Spieth is the VP of Sales and Analytics at General Aviation Services. Working with top Analysts and Industry leaders to inform Aviation Directors, Flight Departments, and colleagues in the business aviation world. Using data and expertise to simplify and visualize market dynamics has been Don’s passion for several years. As a certified Black Belt in Six sigma, he attributes data analysis and the use of sophisticated analytics to his success in commercial roles over his 25-year career.
Don has had the privilege of contributing to leadership teams at premier companies including Alstom Grid, Van Buren Advisors, and General Electric. In his ten plus years at the General Electric Company, Don held senior leadership positions in Energy Services, Power Generation, and Corporate Communications.
As an accomplished presenter in large audiences of commercially focused personnel, Don is able to champion and communicate key initiatives from top level leadership in domestic and international capacities. He has provided direction to Global Executives and Local Commercial Leaders on proper planning and execution of sales training curriculum based on analysis of local market conditions in mature and emerging markets. He is proficient in the coaching, training and development of Sales Leaders and Sales Professionals at all levels for multiple P&L’s in matrix organizations.
Prior to joining GE, Don was VP of Sales and Marketing for Programma Electric in North America. He graduated with a B.S. in Marine Engineering at the United States Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point, NY. Don Lives with his wife Klaudia in Long Grove Illinois where they are raising their three children: Kevin, Calvin, and Olivia.

Rob Stallard

Vertical Research Partners

Partner

Rob has had a long and distinguished career covering the Global Aerospace & Defense Industry. He joins most recently from RBC where he was a Managing Director covering the sector and also Head of Industrial Research. He has covered the Industry for 18 years, including senior positions at Macquarie, BofA and JP Morgan. Rob has been ranked numerous times in the annual Institutional Investor and Greenwich polls, including most recently #3 in the 2015 U.S. II survey. Rob began his career in accounting doing audit work in London for Ernst & Young and qualified as a Chartered Accountant (CPA equivalent). He graduated with honors from Durham University in the UK.

Wayne Starling

IADA

Executive Director

Wayne Starling is an aviation industry consultant. His expertise is in Sales, Sales Management and Marketing. Previously he was a Senior Vice President and National Sales Manager for PNC Aviation Finance. He has been in the banking and finance industry for over 25 years, specializing in aviation for over 20 years. Prior to PNC, his career in aviation began with Aviation Finance Group, where he was part of a very successful startup company. He later stayed on to manage the aviation finance division after it was acquired by PNC Bank.
Wayne has extensive experience in sales, sales management, sales training, marketing, and strategic business development. Along with his success with Fortune 200 companies, he also has vast experience as an entrepreneur. His video sales training program -Success Cycle of Selling- has been a training program used by many companies. His program has been used by several of the nation’s largest banks and financial institutions to train their outside and inside sales organizations. Wayne has served as a board member on the National Aircraft Resale Association (NARA) and the National Aviation Finance Association (NAFA), as well as serving on the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Leadership Council. Wayne was honored in 2018 by the National Aviation Finance Association and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award for his leadership, contribution, and service to the association, its members and the aviation industry.

Duncan van de Velde

Textron Aviation

Vice President Sales

Duncan van de Velde is an experienced Vice President of Sales with a history of working in the aviation and aerospace industry. He is a passionate leader, graduated from the Fontys University of Applied Sciences in Eindhoven, The Netherlands.

During his 10 – year career at Textron, he has held several sales and leadership roles across the business. In 2015, Duncan was named Director Aftermarket Sales EMEA at Textron Aviation. He was instrumental in reforming the support network, which resulted in a robust network of 6 Textron owned service facilities across Europe and a parts warehouse located in Dusseldorf, Germany.

In 2018, Duncan transitioned to Bell Helicopter, another powerful brand of Textron Inc. Bell is the aircraft manufacturer of commercial and military helicopters, changing the way the world flies with superior safety and vertical lift. At Bell, Duncan held the role of Managing Director for Europe, where he managed an integrated sales team to promote Bell’s commercial aircraft and support to European customers.

Today, Duncan is responsible for leading the regional sales team, as well as developing and overseeing the sales of Beechcraft and Cessna products and coordinates the authorized sales representatives based throughout the territory.

Steve Varsano

The Jet Business

Managing Director

Steve Varsano founded The Jet Business – the world’s first street-level corporate aviation showroom. His 30-year career in corporate aviation has seen him build a dynamic business in the aviation industry dealing with the most successful entrepreneurs and corporate executives throughout the world, and involved with over 450 aircraft sales to date and in excess of $5 billion. His extensive expertise and knowledge of the corporate aviation jet market has positioned him as an internationally regarded industry authority.

Varsano started his aviation career with the American Association of Airport Executives and as the Special Assistant to the President of the General Manufacturers Association where he oversaw the Statistical Forecasting Committee and the Airport and Airways Committee. He is a commercial-instrument-rated pilot, single and multi-engine. He graduated magna cum laude from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Studies.

Varsano also was heavily involved in the merchant bank/Mergers and Acquisitions sector as a senior Vice President of Triangle Industries and Trian Group, President of the international division of Yorkshire Global Restaurants, Senior Director of Business Development of Yum Brands International and consulted for Grotech Capital Group, Centre Partners and FTI Consulting.

Varsano sat on the Board of Directors for XOJET and Virgin Galactic. He has also served as President and senior executive positions for a number of private equity companies and the companies they controlled in various industries in America, Russia and Europe.

Don Walsh

Stonebriar Commercial Finance

Senior Vice President

Don is senior vice president of Stonebriar Commercial Finance and SCF Aviation Capital. Previously, Don was a managing director at Guggenheim Partners Aviation Investments, where he oversaw global business aviation originations. Earlier in his career, he played key business aviation origination roles at US Bank Equipment Finance and Key Equipment Finance. Prior to that Don served in originations and portfolio management at Boeing Capital, McDonnell Douglas Finance, and Equitable Life Leasing. He received his undergraduate degree from University of the Pacific and his MBA from Pepperdine University.

Myles Walton

Wolfe Research

Managing Director & Senior Analyst

Myles Walton is a Managing Director and Senior Analyst at Wolfe Research covering the Aerospace & Defense industry in the Americas. Prior to joining Wolfe, he was a Managing Director at both UBS and Deutsche Bank with similar roles at Oppenheimer & Co, CIBC World Markets and Morgan Stanley. Beyond Wall St, he’s worked on defense policy systems acquisition with the Air Force and the National Reconnaissance Office during his graduate studies and then through a long-standing relationship with the DoD’s Defense Acquisition University.

He is a co-author of the 2002 book: Lean Enterprise Value: Insights from MIT’s Lean Aerospace Initiative, as well as conference papers and journal articles on topics ranging from finance to satellite design to lean manufacturing. His PhD and MS from MIT were both in the field of Aerospace Engineering. He worked for TRW on NASA’s Chandra X-Ray Space Telescope after completing his undergraduate work in Mechanical Engineering at WPI. He is the CFA charter holder. He is a top-3 aerospace and defense analyst as ranked by Institutional Investor. He is a member of the WPI Engineering Advisory Board as well as a member of the WPI Board of Trustees.

Boris Wolstenholme

Gama Aviation

Managing Director, Business Aviation

Bio coming soon.. 

Ford von Weise

Citi Private Bank

Director, Head Global Aircraft Finance & Advisory Services

Mr. von Weise is currently a Director and Global Head of the Aircraft Finance Group & Advisory Services at Citi Private Bank. The group provides private aircraft financing solutions and aviation advice to individual ultra-high net worth clients and their companies throughout the world. Mr. von Weise’s responsibilities and roles while at Citi have included loan origination, product program management, reporting and workouts. The group focuses on transactions typically in the range of $10 to $75 million.

Mr. von Weise has over twenty-three years of related business aviation experience, most recently serving as Vice President of Business Aviation Finance for Merrill Lynch Capital and GMAC Commercial Finance. Prior to joining GMAC, he was Vice President of Capital Transactions at Lend Lease Real Estate Investments,
where he was responsible for the recapitalization and workout of large multi-family properties throughout the U.S.

Mr. von Weise is also the most recent past president of the National Aircraft Finance Association and was appointed by the Boards of Selectmen from the Massachusetts towns of Concord, Lincoln, Bedford and Lexington as a member of the Hanscom Field Advisory Commission. He is also a past board member of the Massachusetts Business Aviation Association and a local volunteer representative for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

He is also an instrument rated pilot with over 2,500 hours of experience, aircraft owner, and a pilot for the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Mr. von Weise has also appeared on the Discovery Channel as an aviation expert in the Celebrity Crash Files, J.F.K., Jr, documentary series. He is also currently a member of the Board of Advisors for Brown Aviation Lease.

Ford began his career in the Credit Analyst Training Program at Chemical Bank and holds a joint History and Environmental Studies degree, Cum Laude, from the University of Vermont.

Johnnie White

American Society of Appraisers

CEO/ Executive Vice President

Johnnie White, CEO, Chief Executive Officer/Executive Vice President, of the American Society of Appraisers is an association professional with close to 30 years serving in a variety of management and leadership roles. In addition, White serves as an adjunct faculty member of Georgetown University and the Northern Virginia Community College. White holds his M.B.A. from University of Maryland University College. He has served in volunteer leadership roles for the American Society of Association Executives and the Professional Convention Management Association and has received numerous awards and recognitions for his association work. Connect online with Johnnie at ASA, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Jonathan Wood

NESTE Corporation

Vice President Renewable Aviation

Jonathan is VP for Neste’s Renewable Aviation business in the Europe/Middle East/Africa and Aspac regions. Responsible for commercial and operational activities including the supply and sale of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and related services to all customers (Commercial and Cargo Airlines, General Aviation, OEMs, military, and distributors), business development and investments. Jonathan is also responsible for engagement with government authorities and other key stakeholders on regulatory matters, as well as with partners to help accelerate the growth of the SAF market and support the aviation industry on its path to reduce emissions.

Jonathan has 25 years’ experience in the energy industry in leadership positions and as board director/shareholder rep, responsible for commercial, business development, M&A, strategy, marketing and operations.

Jonathan graduated in Economics from London University, and completed an Executive MBA programme at Harvard Business School.