Robert Baltus

EBAA

Chief Operations Officer

Robert Baltus’ aviation experience spans nearly 20 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, and is responsible for member engagement with 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.

Richard Berkemeier

Pegasus Aircraft Appraisal Group

Senior Aircraft Appraiser

Profile coming soon

Mike Berry

Luxaviation Group

President Aviation Services

Having initially established himself as a Chartered Accountant in South Africa, Mike Berry has since been involved in a variety of industry sectors including manufacturing, insurance, telecommunication and aviation.
Mike joined ExecuJet Middle East in 2002 as a Financial Director. In 2004 Mike’s prominent ability in ExecuJet saw him progress to the role of Managing Director – Middle East, overseeing the general management of the region including new and pre-owned sales, product support, aircraft management, flight operations, FBO and maintenance services.
His main objective for the region focuses on the development of ExecuJet as the premier business aviation service and solutions provider. Having become one of the main contenders in the Middle East Aviation market, Mike is confident that ExecuJet will remain prominent in the region.
Since becoming the Managing Director, Mike has seen ExecuJet Middle East move into a state of the art facility at Dubai International Airport, expanding support capabilities with over 240 employees and includes plans to open a new facility at Dubai South.
In late 2015 Mike became President Aviation Services of ExecuJet and in 2017 expanded this role to the whole Luxaviation Group being appointed Executive VP Luxaviation Group in addition to his role as VP Middle East.

David Best

Jet Aviation

Senior Vice President and General Manager US Operations

David Best is Senior Vice President and General Manager US Operations for Jet Aviation, responsible for the Fixed Base Operation, Aircraft Management, Staffing and Charter businesses across North America along with Business Development globally.  With over twenty years industry experience he has worked across the world with experience in both the business aviation and commercial aviation sectors.

In addition to his role at Jet Aviation David serves on the Board of National Air Transportation Association and Leadership Council of the National Business Aviation Association, has also served as Vice Chairman Asian Business Aviation Association and on the Governing Board of the International Business Aviation Council.  David has worked and lived in Europe, Asia, and the USA throughout his business career.

Previously he served as Chief Commercial Officer based in the USA, and was Managing Director Europe, Middle East and Africa for a large FBO chain,  Prior to returning to the USA he was based in Asia where he headed up the strategic development of an aviation services and aftermarket businesses in the Region.

He is a graduate of the University of Strathclyde where he earned his MBA and is a member of the Institute of Directors.

Johan Blitz

UBS

Managing Director, Head of Corporate Aircraft Finance

Profile coming soon

Ed Bolen

NBAA

President & CEO

Ed Bolen became the president and CEO of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) in Washington, DC, on Sept. 7, 2004.

Prior to joining NBAA, Bolen was president and CEO of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) for eight years. Bolen joined GAMA in 1995 as senior vice president and general counsel. GAMA’s board of directors elected him president and CEO in November 1996.

In 2001, Bolen was appointed by President Bush to serve as a member of the Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry. Established by Congress, the commission’s objectives were to study and make recommendations on ways to ensure American leadership in aerospace in the 21st century.

Bolen was nominated by President Clinton and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as a member of the Management Advisory Council (MAC) to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). He chaired the council from 2000 to 2004.

Bolen is a member of the board of directors of the National Aeronautic Association. He also serves on the Aviation Advisory Board of the Mitre Corporation, a federally funded research and development corporation.

Prior to his association career, Bolen was majority general counsel to what is now the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. He also served as legislative director for U.S. Senator Nancy Kassebaum (R-KS) and was a key player in the passage of the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994.

Bolen received his Bachelor of Arts in economics from the University of Kansas. He is a graduate of the Tulane University School of Law and holds a Master of Laws degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Bolen, a recreational pilot, is also a competitive tennis player and former captain of the University of Kansas varsity tennis team.

Justin Bowman

Air Charter Service

CEO

Justin is renowned in the charter industry for his encyclopaedic knowledge of all things aviation. This, combined with his enthusiasm on the subject, has made him one of the most trusted and successful aircraft charter experts in Europe over the past three decades. Starting his tenure with ACS in 1992, Justin rose through the ranks to the position of Group CEO in 2013. He is a key member of the ACS & Mountfitchet Group (Holding Company) boards and was awarded a Fellowship of the Royal Aeronautical Society in 2016. In his spare time he enjoys following his football team, Brighton & Hove Albion, and is a keen golfer. Justin lives with his wife and their three children in Surrey.

Michel Buffat

Credit Suisse

Head of Aviation and Yacht Finance

Michel Buffat joined Credit Suisse in 2001 after having spent eight years at a blue chip Swiss engineering firm. Michel has held various corporate finance positions before he joined the aircraft and yachts finance team in 2005. There he has been serving the bank’s ultra high net worth clients in various positions, such as sales manager, head of transactions as well as responsible for portfolio and recovery management. Since 2018 Michel is heading the team and is in charge of Credit Suisse’s global aviation and yacht finance business.
Michel is an active member of the wider business aviation community. Until 2018, he was chairing the EBAA AMAC Financier’s Subcommittee. He is regularly participating as speaker in CJI and other industry events.

Michel holds an MBA from the University of Rochester as well as a masters degree in mechanical engineering from Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich.

Len Cormier

Bermuda Aircraft Registry

Safety Oversight Advisor

Captain Len Cormier is the Safety Oversight Advisor for the Bermuda Civil Aviation Authority (BCAA). He is responsible for advising the units Director General on all aspects of the BCAA safety oversight programme, including the implementation of Safety Management System (SMS) by service providers.

Prior to working in Bermuda, Len was engaged by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) for 14 years as a Chief Technical Advisor in the Asia Pacific region. Over this period, he was responsible for assisting states in in strengthening their safety oversight programmes.

He was previously engaged by Transport Canada for 20 years as an inspector and manager in the area of personnel licensing, aerodromes and flight standards. For most of that period, he was responsible for the development of air operator regulations and standards, as well as oversight of air operators.

Len began his aviation career as a pilot for various air operators in Canada. He holds a Canadian Airline Transport Pilots License and is type qualified on the DC-3, C550, CL601, B737, B757, B767 airplanes and on the Bell 206 helicopter.

David Crick

DavAir

Managing Director

David Crick is an Accredited Senior Appraiser of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA). He serves as the Machinery & Technical Specialties Discipline Governor on the ASA International Board of Governors and is the recent President of the ASA Australian Chapter. He also serves as the Chair on the Finance & Leasing Committee of the Helicopter Association International.

David is the Managing Director of the DavAir Group, an Australian company providing international aviation inspection, appraisal and advisory services.

He has an unparalleled passion for the aviation sector performing appraisals of both fixed wing & rotary aviation assets in Australia, the Asia Pacific Rim, the USA and various countries in Europe & the Middle East.

With over 20 years of specialised valuation and consulting experience to many different sectors, David has considerable knowledge of corporate valuation requirements for financial reporting, mortgage security assessments, insurance & liquidation disposals. He performs appraisals for finance and leasing, aviation sales, mergers and acquisitions, insurance disputes, and expert witness for the legal fraternity.

David has presented at various international forums addressing current issues in aviation assets and appraisal methodologies, including events in the UK, USA, Russia, Europe, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand. He also lectures at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in the USA on Aircraft Appraisal methodology and processes as well as teaching Aircraft Appraisal courses in London, UK.

David was formerly with Lloyds Asset in Australia joined DavAir in August 2016

Michael Derion

Bombardier

Principal Sales Engineering Specialist

Michael Derion is a Principal Sales Engineering Specialist at Bombardier. His strong
knowledge and experience with numerous aircraft types, aircraft systems, Flight Training
Devices, and simulation – combined with his flying and training experience – all caters well
in supporting the development of Bombardier Aftermarket products and services including
Bombardier’s Connected Aircraft program, Smart Link Plus. He is also responsible for
defining Aftermarket upsell strategies to both Sales and Parts Services teams and
supporting the Sales team and working with Bombardier in transactional discussions and
negotiations.
Michael’s combined knowledge of aircraft, simulator, maintenance and flight operations
makes him well suited to explain the “whys” of the Smart Link Plus, Aircraft Health
Monitoring System (AHMS), particularly why it is a “must have” for operations both now and
into the future.
Michael began his career as a Class III flight instructor at the age of 18 and, within a year,
became a Corporate Charter Pilot before returning to university at just 25. He received a
Mechanical Engineering degree from École Polytechnique de Montreal in 1993 as well as
Airline and aircraft type ratings on the CRJ-200, 700, 900 aircraft and type rating training on
the Global Vision and Challenger 605. He was also a member of the Order of Quebec
Engineers until 2015. Other key designations include an active member of the IATA
Simulator Working Group from 1997 to 2011 and an ICAO Multiple Crew Licensing Training
Requirement in 2006-2007. He attained a Flight Simulation course certificate from Cranfield
University, UK in 1996.
Michael joined Bombardier in 1995 as the Chief Simulator Engineering Test Pilot at the
Bombardier Aerospace Training Centre. In 2012, he was named Lead Integrator on the
development of the Global 7500 ESim, leading a team to successfully achieve both first flight
and a smooth Entry-into-Service. He joined the Aftermarket team in 2017.
Career achievements to date include delivering Interim Level C Full Flight Simulators to
support OEM Aircraft Operational Evaluations and Aircraft Type Certifications for several
aircraft types, and also introducing a simulator training-worthy login process which inform
flight instructor pilots of any training limitations within the training devices.
Michael is based at Bombardier headquarters in Montreal, Canada

David Dixon

Jetcraft

President, Jetcraft Asia

As President of Jetcraft Asia since 2012, David Dixon is responsible for optimizing sales strategies and managing operations from Beijing to Sydney. A leading global authority on the private aviation sector, David has lived and worked in Asia in aircraft sales for more than 30 years, and has more than four decades of aerospace industry experience. David joined Jetcraft following a long and successful career as Regional Vice President for Bombardier Business Aircraft. He was awarded the ‘Member of the Order of the British Empire’ (MBE) distinction by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in 1977 for his contribution to British exports and is the former Vice Chairman of the Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA).

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

Gary Dolski

Metrojet

CEO

Gary brings more than 35 years of progressive aviation experience to Metrojet having previously worked for Bristol Aerospace, Bombardier, MD Helicopters and Jet Aviation.

In September 2017, Gary was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer of Metrojet Limited. The company’s principle lines of business include Aircraft Management and Maintenance with operations based in Hong Kong, China, The Philippines and Singapore, servicing the Asia region.

His work experience covers business development and strategy, customer support, finance, commercial, completions/refurbishment, manufacturing, program management, FBO, MRO, and aircraft management and charter within the commercial, military and general aviation sectors.

Gary has significant international experience having held numerous senior management positions based in locations throughout Canada, the UK, USA and Singapore prior to his arrival in Hong Kong.

Jeff Dorrough

Mente Group

Vice President, Asset Management

Jeff Dorrough is the Vice President, Asset Management with Mente Group, LLC a b c .He is the lead appraiser and consultant for internal clients, as well as, external assignments. Jeff is a Senior ASA appraiser with the American Society of Appraisers in the field of Machinery and Technical Specialties with fifteen years of experience with business aircraft. Jeff is also a graduate of Southern Methodist University with a major in Finance from the Cox School of Business.
Mr. Dorrough was previously the Asset Manager and lead appraiser for Bombardier Pre-Owned Aircraft Sales from 2002 thru 2015 where he was directly responsible for managing the asset portfolio and valuation process. He was responsible for performing all aircraft valuations including, Comparable Analysis, Trade Value Calculations, Residual Value Projections, and Damage Assessments, while providing quarterly market commentary. Mr. Dorrough was instrumental in the writing and negotiation of trade policy for Bombardier Pre-Owned Aircraft Sales, and assisted in the creation of damage assessment criteria which has been adopted by ASA for their education curriculum, as well as, several private industries.
Mr. Dorrough conducts speaking engagements and is very active in many business aircraft societies such as: NARA, NBAA, NAFA and his local chapter of ASA located in Dallas Texas.

Richard Evans

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman

Partner

Profile coming soon

Nick Fazioli

Jeffries LLC

Managing Director, Head of Aerospace & Aviation Investment Banking

Mr. Fazioli has over 20 years of strategic, operational and financial experience within the commercial aerospace sector and at Jefferies leads the Aviation and Aerospace coverage efforts focused on the Aerospace manufacturing, MRO, commercial and business aviation, and aircraft leasing verticals, Mr. Fazioli has completed numerous M&A, debt and equity transactions for both strategic and financial sponsor clients globally.
Prior to Jefferies, Mr. Fazioli was a Principal at SH&E Inc., a leading aviation advisory and consulting firm, where he focused on aerospace strategy and financial advisory, airline restructuring and analysis, fleet planning and aircraft leasing.
Mr. Fazioli began his aviation career with Delta Air Lines Inc. where he focused on financial planning, supply chain management and technical operations. He later joined Delta Tech Ops where he was responsible for finance and business development for Delta’s third-party MRO activities.
Mr. Fazioli received his BBA and MBA in Finance from Goizueta Business School at Emory University

Robert Fisch

Luxaviation Group

President Aviation Services

Robert Fisch was born in Luxembourg. He studied law in Strasbourg and holds an Airline Transport Pilot License with instructor and examiner ratings. Robert’s business aviation experience started in 1998 when he was flying Learjets but also managing new projects for an US based operator. After six years spent abroad he helped two Austrian business jet operators in their expansion to become major European players. Robert joined Luxaviation in 2011. In January 2014, he was nominated managing director and accountable manager at Luxaviation Luxembourg. He speaks 6 languages and holds a world speed record. He resides in Luxembourg.

James Foster

Vertis Aviation

Chief Operating Officer

As COO of Vertis Aviation, James oversees the day-to-day operations of the Switzerland-headquartered business which delivers a highly personalised charter broker experience to clients, provides the Vertis Charter Management Programme to support aircraft ownership, and offers bespoke aviation consultancy services. To complete these mandates James manages process structures and enhances operational efficiencies as well as guiding the strategic direction of the global sales team. Based in London, James’s continues to build on the success story of the pioneering business that launched in 2010.

With more than a decade of global industry experience working with leading charter and fractional ownership organisations, a genuine passion for aviation and a wealth of experience working within the African regions, James’ knowledge of customer acquisition and management, business development, and overseeing international sales teams supports the evolution of Vertis’ capabilities.  Applying his professionalism and experience James explores opportunities to further develop and enhance the offerings in existing and new markets by continuing to source, create and develop strong and long relationships with customers and partners in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and beyond.

JP Fourie

National Airways Corporation

Executive Director

JP is a shareholder and the Executive Director, Aircraft Sales of NAC, the largest General Aviation player in Africa.
With over twenty years of wide-spread global experience in the aviation industry his personal and corporate experience ranges across international aircraft financing, aircraft sales, aircraft ownership and management, financial planning, investment management, risk coverage
and brokerage. In these fields he was both awarded, and recognised internationally as achiever and pioneer. His varied background includes being fully trained and conversant with the FMCG environment, the Insurance sector, Financial planning as a holder of a Financial Services
Provider license and being a licensed Diamantaire. Besides his particular interest in the earth’s geology and our origin, he also has a majority interest in a financial brokerage and asset management
business.

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.

Yosef Hafiz

NASJET

VP Sales & Marketing

Yosef F Hafiz is Vice President of Sales & Marketing for NasJet, the largest private aviation operator in the Middle East, who has been leading the commercial department to new levels of success with a strong focus on Aircraft Management in the region. Yosef joined NasJet in 2004 moving through the various ranks and departments within the organization including Engineer, Aircraft Acceptance and Completions, and Sales. Yosef has a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana and also holds a Commercial Pilot license.

Hamish Harding

Action Aviation

Chairman

Hamish Harding is the Chairman of Action Aviation, an international aircraft brokerage company with a long history in the Middle East and Asia.
Action Aviation sold over US$ 200 million of pre-owned business jets in 2015, and Action Aviation has, in recent months, sold a number of business jets to Asian buyers, including a Boeing Business Jet and a Gulfstream G650ER.
Hamish is enthusiastic about the potential in the Asian market for preowned business jets, both for sales and acquisitions, and sees business aviation partnerships as the way forward to better cover the geographically largest continent.
Hamish originally gained a degree in Chemical Engineering from Cambridge University. From there he joined UK IT consultancy company Logica and was involved in information technology for the banking sector throughout the 1990s, operating as Regional Managing Director for Logica in the Middle East and later India.
Hamish has been a pilot for over 30 years and holds an Airline Transport Pilot with a number of jet type ratings, and is the holder of several FAI speed records in business jets. He was a commissioned officer in the British Territorial Army for 8 years, and enjoys scuba diving, skydiving, snow skiing, golf and spending time with his family in Dubai.

Keith Hayes

PNC Aviation Finance

Senior Vice-President & National Sales Manager

Keith Hayes is senior vice president and national sales manager of PNC Aviation Finance. Prior to joining PNC Aviation Finance in 2017, Keith was with Regions Bank, BB&T and GE Capital for 27 years where he held numerous leadership roles across different business lines, including the last 8 years as national sales manager for GE Capital Corporate Aircraft Finance. Keith holds a B.A. in business administration and a MIS degree from the University of North Florida.

Jolie Howard

L'Voyage

Chief Executive Officer

Profile  coming soon

Janine Iannarelli

Par Avion

Founder & President

Janine Iannarelli is the founder and President of Par Avion Ltd., an international aircraft brokerage firm, established in Houston in 1997.  Par Avion specializes in the exclusive representation and acquisition of business aircraft whose area of expertise lends itself to a variety of small, mid/super midsize and large cabin jets.  An industry veteran, Ms. Iannarelli has more than 35 years of aircraft sales experience and has represented a diverse group of corporations and private individuals worldwide.  

Iannarelli is a member of the National Business Aviation Association where she serves as a “go to resource for the media” and has been a part of their 2020-21 Mentoring Program; the European Business Aviation Association where she serves as the Vice Chair of the Associate Members Advisory Council and Chair of the AMAC Sales & Acquisition committee; Women in Aviation, International, and the American Marketing Association.  In 2014, Iannarelli was appointed to the Texas Aerospace and Aviation Advisory Committee by Governor Perry and made presiding officer by Governor Abbott in 2016, serving in that capacity through April/2020.  Among the accolades and recognition bestowed on Iannarelli, she was one of three inductees into the Aviation Hall of Fame of New Jersey in 2016.  In the Fall of 2019, Corporate Jet Investor declared Ms. Iannarelli as one of America’s Top Dealmakers.  As a sought-out mentor and inspirational advisor, Iannarelli is a frequent guest lecturer for youth groups and women’s organizations.  She is a passionate advocate and supporter of those charities benefitting children and animals.

A native of Fair Lawn, New Jersey and a long-time resident of Houston, Iannarelli graduated from Montclair State University in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration.

Paul Jebely

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman

Managing Partner

Paul represents ultra-high-net worth individuals and their business enterprises around the world, representing in 2020 over $300 billion in “Forbes List” individuals and over $1 trillion turnover in business enterprises. In 2018 he was named by the prestigious Chambers & Partners as the top private aviation lawyer in world – the first and one of only two to ever receive the award – and he has been rated as the top private aviation lawyer based in Asia and one of the top few globally by the same publication for the past six years. He has closed nearly $20 billion in transactions over the last 15 years and has also handled numerous restructuring, repossession, enforcement and related litigious matters. He is the managing partner of the Hong Kong office of Pillsbury Winthrop and co-head of the firm’s private wealth and asset finance practices globally. He is qualified to practice law in England, the United States and Canada.

Nicole Kappos

Pratt & Whitney Canda

Director, Aftermarket Services

Rohit Kapur

JetHQ

President JetHQ Asia

After an illustrious career in the Indian Army, flying helicopters for almost 20 years, Rohit decided to hang up his boots and moved to the world of civil aviation in 2003. He has served in numerous leadership roles within business aviation since, including as CEO and company founder.
In addition to setting up the corporate aviation department for Punj Lloyd Limited, a foremost Indian infrastructure company, and leading it for several years, Rohit served as the CEO of Indocopters Private Limited, the sales and support distributor of Airbus Helicopters (then Eurocopters) in India.
Rohit founded Arrow Aircraft in 2010, and was responsible for its vertical handling Gulfstream, HondaJet and Beechcraft sales. He’s an alumnus of the Harvard Business School and contributed to the founding of the Business Aircraft Operators Association (BAOA) in India. Golf and reading are Rohit’s passions away from aviation.

Athar Husain Khan

EBAA

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.

Gavin Kiggen

Execujet

Vice President, Africa

Gavin Kiggen is an experienced industry professional with over 30 years’ experience in aviation.

In 1989, after completing his military service, Gavin studied as an aircraft engineer at South African Airways. After qualifying and spending a few years honing his skills, he continued his studies to become a flight engineer, working on aircraft such as Boeing 747s and Boeing 727s worldwide, whilst pursuing his pilot’s licence. Gavin flew for many of South Africa’s major commercial airlines such as British Airways/Comair, Safair and Nationwide Airlines, between 1999 and 2008. It was at Nationwide Airlines where Gavin gave instruction and redirected his career into flight operations.

In 2008, Gavin joined ExecuJet’s Flight Operations Department as Aviation Services Manager and in 2009, became Flight Operations Manager. He refined the processes and procedures in terms of the regulations and implemented a full aircraft dispatch procedure, a first for General Aviation in South Africa. In addition, Gavin proactively got involved with supporting and growing ExecuJet’s FBO, Charter and Managed Aircraft business.

Gavin is on the Board of Directors for the African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA), as well as Commercial Aviation Association Southern Africa (CAASA).

In 2014 Gavin was promoted to Flight Operations Director – Africa and shortly thereafter Director of Aviation for Africa. In November 2017 Gavin was promoted to Vice President Africa.

Gavin is a very proud father of three children.

Richard Koe

WINGX

Managing Director

Richard Koe is managing director of WINGX Advance GmbH. WINGX, based in Germany and
founded in 2012, provides business intelligence for the global business aviation market.
WINGX’ expertise is derived from tracking flight records and the research of all associated data
points which enable it to provide a global analysis of market conditions and trends.
From this data infrastructure, WINGX builds insights, reports and dashboards through which it
supplies actionable intelligence to support our customers’ decision-making.
In today’s uncertain market, WINGX’ analysis and understanding of prevailing trading
conditions provide critical insights enabling companies across the sector to survive and thrive.
WINGX customers span the entire industry supply chain, from airports, operators and
manufacturers to industry investors and financial analysts.
Prior to senior management roles in business aviation operations and investment, Richard has
worked widely across several technology and manufacturing industries, picking up decades of
high level business analysis experience.
Richard has a first class bachelor’s degree from Oxford University and a master’s degree in international business relations from Johns Hopkins University.

Anthony Kioussis

Asset Insight

President & CEO

Tony Kioussis became President and CEO of Asset Insight, LLC in April 2016, when Asset Insight, Inc., a company he founded, merged with SAI Valuations, LLC. Asset Insight provides valuations, audits, analytics, and consulting services to the aviation industry, and has developed a proprietary Asset Grading System Process resulting in a uniform methodology for evaluating and grading an aircraft’s maintenance condition.

Prior to Asset Insight, he served as VP, Strategic Marketing with GE Capital’s Corporate Aircraft Finance group, joining GE after serving as VP  Aircraft Sales for Jet Aviation Business Jets, Inc.

Following a ten-year tenure with British Aerospace, Inc., where he became VP Sales, for JSX Capital, the company’s aircraft remarketing subsidiary, Tony founded The K Group, Ltd., providing Marketing, Sales, and Financial Services consulting to companies headquartered in the Americas and Europe.

He later joined Jet Support Services, Inc., as Sales Director Airframe Programs, and developed ‘Tip-to-Tail, JSSI’s Airframe Hourly Cost Maintenance Program.

Tony is a published author and active industry association member, serving as the current Board Secretary for the National Aircraft Finance Association (NAFA), past Chairman of the Products and Services Member Council for the National Aircraft Resale Association (NARA), and as a Member of the Transportation Research Board’s (TRB) Business Aviation Subcommittee.

He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Florida Institute of Technology’s College of Aeronautics, has completed graduate studies at New York’s Pace University toward a MBA in Finance, and is a licensed pilot.

Leo Knaapen

Bombardier

Chief of Industry Affairs

Leo Knaapen is an experienced leader and an influential force in his representation of Bombardier to the civil aviation industry. As Chief of Industry Affairs, he is responsible for strengthening Bombardier’s contributions within the international civil aviation industry. By engaging, supporting and guiding its involvement in industry associations, as well as regulatory and government agencies through working groups and committees, speaker opportunities, events and sponsorships, Leo ensures Bombardier assumes its role as a key influencer within the industry.
Mr. Knaapen began his career in aerospace at Pratt & Whitney Canada in 1985. He joined Bombardier Aerospace in 1989, and in 1992 was named spokesperson for Bombardier’s Canadair division. In 1997, Leo Knaapen assumed responsibility for media and public relations at Bombardier Business Aircraft. In this role, he led the team responsible for communications on a complete range of products including Learjet, Challenger and Global business jets, pre-owned aircraft, Skyjet International charter, special mission aircraft, and customer support and services.
In 2007, he assumed leadership of Bombardier’s industry affairs portfolio, and has been instrumental in heightening Bombardier’s overall profile within the industry. He has increased the involvement of Bombardier Aviation in key business and general aviation portfolios including safety, environment and air navigation, and has also guided Bombardier’s overall engagement with international civil aviation organizations.
Mr. Knaapen currently sits on the Board of Directors at the National Aeronautic Association (NAA) in Washington, D.C. and on the Governing Board of the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) in Montreal. He serves as Bombardier’s representative at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Leadership Council and the Geneva-based Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) coalition. Mr. Knaapen is also a member of the Bombardier Safety Standdown core team and was engaged in the development of Safety Management Systems for the Aircraft Design and Manufacturing sector for ICAO Annex 19.
Born in The Hague, Netherlands, Leo Knaapen is proficient in Dutch and French. He graduated from Concordia University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and worked at several newspapers and periodicals before entering corporate communications in 1981.
He is based at Bombardier Aviation headquarters in Montreal, Canada.

Isabelle Lafond

LBC Capital Inc.

Assistant Vice President – Aviation

Isabelle Lafond is currently Assistant Vice President, Aviation Finance at LBC Capital. LBC Capital’s Aviation Finance Group provides capital for the acquisition and refinancing of corporate aircraft and helicopters, serving corporations, high-net worth individuals and aircraft charter operators within the North American General Aviation market. Before joining LBC Capital, Isabelle was Financing Manager at Export Development Canada, and she spent 14 years with the Bombardier Business Aircraft Group where her role was to facilitate aircraft financing for domestic and international clients. She began her aerospace finance career at Air Canada in 2001. Isabelle has served on the board of the National Aircraft Finance Association and is an active member of the CBAA, NBAA, HAC and HAI. She holds an International Aviation MBA from Concordia University in Montreal, as well as a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Hautes Études Commerciales Montréal

Anthony Lam

AsBAA

Jenny Lau

Sino Jet Management

President

Ms. Lau is the Group President of the Sino Jet Group, which she established in 2011. In close cooperation with the Sino Jet leadership team, Ms. Lau plays a prominent role in formulating and implementing the company’s growth and development strategies. She also defined the company’s mission and values – which include a commitment to service excellence, diversification and to creating new business opportunities by forming win-win alliances with vendors and industry players.

In 2014, Sino Jet merged with Bear Jet under the investment of Tsinghua Holdings Industry Investment Fund (TH capital). Since this time, Sino Jet expanded rapidly and became the largest business jet operator in Asia Pacific with a fleet size of 45 in 2019. Sino Jet is also continued its reign as the fastest growing operator, changing the landscape of China’s thirty-year-old business jet industry. Sino Jet delivers services through an international hub structure which is supported by dual headquarters in Beijing and Hong Kong, in addition to bases in Shanghai, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Xiamen, Zhuhai, Chengdu and Singapore. In addition to her role as Group President of Sino Jet, Jenny was also elected as the first female chairperson of AsBAA in 2017 since its establishment 20 years ago.

Prior to joining the world of aviation, Ms. Lau had a successful career in the private banking division of Morgan Stanley, providing wealth management services and advice to ultra-high-net-worth clients in North America and Asia. During this time, Ms. Lau keeps developing the opportunities of the business aviation industry in Asia. Ms. Lau holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Management and a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California. She holds three securities trading certifications in the United States of America and serves as Independent Non-executive Director of Digital Domain- a public listed company on Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Dawit Lemma

Krimson

CEO

Dawit is the Founder and CEO of Krimson Aviation – an aviation support services company based in Ethiopia and Switzerland. He is a Swiss citizen, of Ethiopian origin, and has lived and/or worked all over the world; from Zambia to Afghanistan, the USA to Switzerland – making him a true global citizen. Dawit returned to Ethiopia in 2012, after almost 30 years abroad, recognizing the thriving potential and opportunities displayed by Ethiopia’s economic resurgence.

He is a graduate of Purdue University in the USA, where he received a degree in Aeronautical Engineering & Flight Technology. In addition, he received a MSc. degree in Aviation Management & Marketing from the Basel Business College in Switzerland. Dawit also holds an Airframe & Powerplant Mechanic’s License (American FAA), Commercial Pilot’s License (American FAA, South African CAA, Swiss FOCA/EASA), and an EASA Frozen ATPL. He has close to 20 years of experience in the aviation sector across four continents, with a cache of notable experience garnered at leading companies including TAG Aviation, Emirates Airlines, MAF, and Ethiopian Airlines, to name a few.

Dawit’s commitment to excellence and achievement has led to Krimson’s growth and sound reputation in a short period of time. Krimson’s mantra of Achievement through Quality & Integrity of Service serves as more than just a philosophy, it is a lifestyle and deep-rooted value that Dawit has applied throughout his education and professional career.

Dawit serves on African Business Aviation Association (AfBAA) Board of Directors, is President of the AfBAA Ethiopia Chapter, and sits on the IS-BAH standards Board. In addition, he supports several initiatives with the AATO and the AfBAA – Ethiopian Airlines Academy partnership and volunteer teaches for the Brevet d’Initiation Aéronautique (BIA) course at the Lycee, in Addis Ababa.

Jeff Lowe

Asian Sky Group

Managing Director

Mr. Lowe has over 35 years of Engineering, Marketing and Sales experience in commercial and business aviation. His most recent position is as Managing Director for Asian Sky Group & Asian Sky Media in Hong Kong. Asian Sky Group is the largest business aviation consulting group in the Asia-Pacific region with 30 employees & 6 offices. It focuses on both fixed and rotary aircraft and related aviation services. Asian Sky Media annually publishes 10 industry reports & magazines and offers a number of different marketing platforms for clients wishing to increase their brand awareness in the Asia-Pacific region. Asian Sky Group & Media are both backed by SEACOR Capital (Asia) Limited and Avion Pacific Limited and both are designed to capitalize on their shareholder companies considerable investments and business development initiatives already in the Asia Pacific region.
Having resided in Hong Kong since 1997, Lowe specializes in the Greater China business aviation market. He first came to Hong Kong as a Director of Sales for Asia-Pacific for the Bombardier Aerospace Business Aircraft Division. He was then appointed Regional Vice President of Sales for Asia by Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation in May 2000 where he was a top sales executive. In 2007 Lowe joined the recently formed BAA Jet Management Limited and was responsible for establishing and expanding its managed aircraft business plus aircraft sales, marketing and project development.
Prior to moving to Hong Kong, Lowe worked in commercial aviation for the de Havilland Aircraft Company of Canada, Boeing Canada, Boeing Commercial Airplanes, the Canadair Regional Jet Division and Bombardier’s Regional Aircraft Division. Lowe began his career as a Ground Test Engineer and then moved into marketing and sales internationally in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Lowe earned a Bachelor of Applied Science (BASc) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Toronto in 1983. He is a Canadian native, married with 2 children.

Steve McManus

GE Aviation

Sales Director

Based in Cincinnati, Ohio, Steve is an educated degreed engineer, Six Sigma Master blackbelt, working sales professional with a strong background in private, business, and commercial aviation. Having 35 years of experience at GE in engineering, customer/product support and sales, Steve’s primary focus is business aviation engine and OnPoint sales and service on GE CF34, Passport and CFM engines powering Boeing Business Jets, Airbus Corporate Jets, Bombardier and Embraer Business Jets within his regions around the world.
As a pilot, Steve comes from a family of pilots and has enjoyed the pleasure and challenges of aircraft ownership as well. Combining his years of professional experience with his passion for Aviation, Steve brings a firsthand understanding of business aircraft management and ownership to his customers.

Darren McGoldrick

Execujet

Vice President, Asia Pacific

Darren McGoldrick is the Vice President of ExecuJet Asia Pacific, leading the company’s operations throughout Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia.

Darren holds a Bachelor of Commerce Degree and CPA qualifications, and has over 25 years’ experience in commercial, financial, management and leadership roles in a variety of industries including aviation, hospitality and construction.

He joined ExecuJet in 2000 as Finance Director and following his successful involvement in a number of other strategic roles and projects was appointed Managing Director for the Region in 2010.

Throughout this period some of Darren’s key achievements has been the establishment of ExecuJet’s business in Singapore and Malaysia and the expansion of the Australian and New Zealand operations to include Melbourne, Perth and Wellington to the Sydney based business. He has managed the growth of the company both in Australia and South East Asia to now include 21 aircraft under management, including 11 charter aircraft, 4 FBOs and 4 MRO facilities.

Darren is also an Executive member of the Australian Business Aviation Association (ABAA).

Jay Mesinger

Mesinger Jet Sales

Founder & CEO

Jay Mesinger is the CEO and Founder of Mesinger Jet Sales, an international aircraft brokerage firm, with 46 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 (www.jetsales.com/blog), twitter (@jmesinger) and LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com).

Max Motschmann

Asian Business Aviation Association

Asian Business Aviation Association

Max is a passionate professional, with over 40 years’ experience in the aviation sector. A native German, born on 11th June 1955 in the Bavarian capital of Munich. Max joined the German Air Force in 1973 as a student pilot cadet.

Having served in various flying units in the German Air Force, he worked in the management of Munich Riem Airport as well as Frankfurt Airport before joining the newly set up German Airline Aero Lloyd in Frankfurt operating Caravelle S210 aircraft and later on becoming the project manager of the newly acquired DC-9-32 from GARUDA Airlines.

In 1982, he joined the Saudi Royal Fleet flying a Gulfstream II aircraft. In 1983, he transferred to the Philippines and became Managing Director of Multi Commerce & Management Corp., as well as Chief Executive Officer of EURO KONSULT Inc. In that position, he was working on various consulting projects in aviation in the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand and Myanmar.

From July 2004 to January 2010, he was Senior Consultant for Operations and Security to the General Manager of the Manila International Airport Corporation and from February 2010 until January 2011, as Senior Consultant to the Director General Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines with special responsibility for air operation and international relations particularly with FAA, EASA and other national and international aviation-related bodies.

In 2011, he founded YourJet Flight Services Inc. – now known as NavFix Flight Services Inc. – in the Philippines. After the acquisition of NavFix Flight Services Inc. by International Jet Management GmbH, he was tasked to open and operate in November 2012 International Jet Management Asia Ltd. and is until today serving as its Chief Executive Officer.

He was also instrumental as Philippine National Team Captain to bring the Philippine National Skydiving to various regional and international events and was President of the Philippine Association of Parachutists Inc. and was also one of the founding directors of the Aero Sports Federation of the Philippines Inc. In 1993, he became one of the three founders of the Philippine Hot Air Balloon Fiesta in Clark which had its 25th anniversary in 2018, the largest gathering of General aviation aircraft in the Asian region.

At AsBAA, Max was also the initiator of the first door knock call onto the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines by AsBAA officers in 2017 and formed the Philippine Chapter of AsBAA in the same year. In cooperation with the local AsBAA chapter Chairman and the members, he organized the AsBAA information and investment delegation to the Philippines in 2018 and jump started the Philippine Chapter Aviation Safety and Pilots Day in the same year.

In 2019, he was instrumental to work with the Board of Directors in crafting the new By-laws of AsBAA under which this election takes place.

Motschmann was also involved in designing and directing aerial stunts for several international and local movies. He is also the father of the AsBAA Discovery Program Mascot, Mio Motschmann and is guiding him through his lifetime experience to become an aviator too.

Andreea Moyes

Air bp

Aviation Global Sustainability Director

Profile coming soon

Candice Nakagawa

MUFG Union Bank

Director & Senior Private Wealth Advisor

Profile coming soon

Michael Nelson

Clyde & Co

Partner

Michael is as an asset finance lawyer, based in Clyde & Co’s Dubai office. Michael has experience in the financing and leasing of business and commercial aircraft and helicopters, the financing of vessels and the financing and leasing of equipment and vehicles. Michael graduated from the University of Nottingham (Law LLB), studied the Legal Practice Course at BPP and qualified as a solicitor in England and Wales in 2009.

Tim Obitts

NATA

President & CEO

Timothy R. Obitts was named President and CEO of the National Air Transportation Association
(NATA) in January of 2020. NATA is a founding member of the B usiness Aviation Coalition for
Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and the Council on Sustainable Fuels Accountability, of which
Obitts serves as Chairman of the Steering Committee and as B oard Chairman, respectively.
Obitts most recently served as the Association’s Chief Operating Officer, overseeing the day-today operation of NATA.
Prior to joining NATA in November 2014, Obitts served as the managing partner of Gammon &
Grange, P.C., a national practice law firm specializing in nonprofit and communications law.
During Obitts’ 18 years at Gammon & Grange, he served as corporate counsel and general
counsel for many nonprofits and trade associations, handling a wide array of issues that affect
their day-to-day activities and also lobbied Capitol Hill and federal agencies.
Obitts earned a Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from California Western School of Law and a
B achelor’s Degree, double major Philosophy and History, from Gordon College, where he also
was named All-New England in Tennis, NAIA. Obitts is licensed to practice law in California,
Colorado, the District of Columbia and Virginia, as well as numerous federal and appellate
courts, and the U.S Supreme Court. Obitts co-founded several nonprofit organizations and
serves on several nonprofit boards. Obitts and his wife of 22 years, Krista, have five children,
ranging in age from eight to eighteen.

Chris Partridge

Deutsche Bank Wealth Management

Director – Head of Private Aviation Finance

An aviation industry professional with over 30 years experience in various elements of the aviation sector. He started out training as a pilot on a Royal Air Force Scholarship, moved into a role as an aerial surveyor with an aerial mapping company (MAPS) in the Middle East before spending time as a geophysical surveyor. From here he went on to spent almost 10 years with a leading aviation consultancy as an appraiser and aviation consultant, from where he was recruited into Morgan Grenfell, which was subsequently purchased by Deutsche Bank.

He has also had very broad exposure to and experience of the aircraft leasing industry through the financing of such vehicles, be it via commercial debt, export credits or structured tax products.

In 2010 he established a cross divisional joint venture within his financial institution to bring the extensive asset financing capabilities of the Investment Bank to the organizations Private Bank and its private clients. In 2013 Chris moved permanently to the organizations Private Bank where he now heads up the Private Jet financing team and coordinates the expansion of the private jet financing initiative globally.

Nilesh Pattanayak

Bombardier

Regional Vice President, Sales
Asia Pacific

With more than 24 years of aviation experience in sales, strategy, business development and operations at Bombardier, Mr. Pattanayak is responsible for business aircraft sales in Asia Pacific. Mr. Pattanayak, through his strong work ethic, unrelenting focus on trust, relationships and customer experience, has been leading the effort of Bombardier’s expansion and market leadership in Asia Pacific. A consummate deal maker, Mr. Pattanayak is extremely passionate about using his expertise to develop bespoke business aviation solutions for customers based on their needs and growing the industry in Asia Pacific.

Mr. Pattanayak began his career with Bombardier in 1996 at Bombardier Aerospace headquarters in Montreal, then held positions of increasing responsibility within Bombardier sites in North America. In 2006, Mr. Pattanayak was appointed Managing Director for South Asia, responsible for sales of Bombardier Learjet, Challenger, and Global business jets and for developing Bombardier’s presence in the region. In 2012, he was appointed to the position of Regional Vice President, Sales, for Asia-Pacific, taking on the additional responsibility of overseeing Bombardier’s sales team for new Bombardier business aircraft in South Asia, South-East Asia, North Asia, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific. 

Nilesh Pattanayak is a graduate of McGill University in Montreal, Canada, where he received a Bachelor of Engineering degree and where he also completed Executive and Advanced Management Programs.

After having worked for Bombardier in Canada, US, and Europe, Mr. Pattanayak is currently based in Singapore.

James Person

Viasat

Sr. Director, Global Business Development for Business and VVIP Aviation

James Person joined Viasat in 2013, where he leads sales and business development in the Business and VVIP Aviation segment of the company, an area that Viasat has been active in for more than ten years, including both Ka and Ku-band networks.

Prior to Viasat, Mr. Person had general management, sales, and product management roles in high technology wireless and satellites communications companies. He began his career as a US Naval officer where he deployed during combat operations to the Middle East twice on a destroyer.

Mr. Person earned a BSEE degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and an MBA in international marketing from the University of Southern California (USC).

Ben Peterson

Sunset Aviation Insurance

 CEO

Ben Peterson has been a commercial pilot and flight instructor for over 15-Years. In 2012, Ben started Sunset Aviation to help aviation clients around the world with their insurance needs.

Andy Priester

Priester Aviation

President & CEO

Andy Priester serves as Priester Aviations President and CEO.

He is the third generation of Priesters to lead the family business. In this role, Andy is dedicated to leading the organization to become the preeminent choice in aircraft management, aircraft charter and related aviation services. During Andys tenure at Priester, he has grown the fleet from seven aircraft to over 50 aircraft they manage globally today.

Andy holds a masters degree from Concordia University and has held many leadership roles at aviation safety and trade associations.

Andy is a former Board Chair of the National Air Transportation Association (NATA).

Brian Proctor

Mente Group

President & CEO

Brian Proctor is founder, President and CEO of Mente Group, LLC. He founded Mente in 2009 and has been serving private aviation clients for over 19 years. Having been involved in over $8 billion in aircraft transactions and over $7 billion in aviation business planning, Brian’s experience is sought by corporations and individuals, worldwide.
After serving for six years in the US Army as an infantry Ranger and intelligence officer, Brian left the military to pursue a career in the private sector. After working at Transamerica Corporation, Mr. Proctor served as consultant, COO and President of the world’s second largest consultancy and broker/dealer.
Brian serves on boards for: International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA), Jet Aviation Advisory Board, and formerly, the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas. He also previously served as President of IADA. He holds a BA degree in International Studies in Politics and Diplomacy from the University of Richmond and an MBA from Southern Methodist University.

Mathieu Rabiller

HSBC Private Bank

Managing Director

Profile coming soon

Daniel Renwick

Jetcraft

Daniel Renwick has been a sales director for Jetcraft since 2017 and currently leads all sales efforts in Australia and New Zealand. He is also the Chief Pilot for Global Jet International, a Jetcraft Authorised Representative, who operate and manage several Australian-based jets including a Gulfstream G650 and multiple Dassault Falcon and Bombardier Global and Challenger aircraft. Throughout his storied business aviation career, Daniel has worked with many of the region’s top aircraft sales, charter and management companies.

Daniel has an Air Transport Pilot Licence and over 20 years’ flying experience across the globe in various private jet makes and models. He currently resides in Australia with his wife, Katrina and three children.

Kennedy Ricci

4AIR

President

Kennedy serves as the President of 4AIR, a sustainability arm of Tuvoli, 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.

Jean-Noel Robert

Airbus Corporate Jets

Head of Business Development

Mid 2006, Jean-Noel joined Airbus team in Dubai as Sales Contract Director, looking after airlines in Middle East. Mid 2008, he became ACJ North Asia Sales Director. In Sep 2010, he moved to Hong Kong and in June 2015, his regional responsibilities were extend to whole Asia.

Jean-Noel also served as Chairman of the not-for-profit Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA) from 2011 to 2013. Under his leadership, AsBAA notably doubled its members, launched the 1st ABACE in Shanghai and created the Hong-Kong, Mainland China and South East Asia chapters.

Mid 2016, Jean-Noel moved to HQs (Toulouse – France) to his current position. His main mission is to develop initiatives supporting commercial activities with clients and industry influencers.

Jean-Noel graduated from Toulouse Business School. He started his carrier with Airbus in 1995 in the Customer Support division. In between his Airbus experiences, JeanNoel worked for Schneider Electric for 10+ years successively as Financial Controller in Middle East; Country CFO in South Korea; Project Manager at corporate level and West Africa General Manager based in Senegal.

Jean-Noel, 45 yo, is happily married for 18 years and father of 2 children. He has been involved in various sports and more specifically in Rugby.

Danielle Roman

Mourant Ozannes

Partner

Danielle is a Partner in the Banking and Finance team of Mourant in Hong Kong. She advised on a broad spectrum of cross-border transactions, including asset finance (with particular expertise in aviation and shipping finance), fund financing, acquisition and leveraged finance, debt restructurings, project finance, FinTech and general corporate lending.

In fund financing, she regularly represents investment and commercial banks on subscription credit facilities. She is also on the steering committee for the Fund Finance Association’s symposium for Asia, and is the co-chair of Women in Fund Finance Asia.

Carlos Schattenkircher

UAS International Trip Support

Regional Director, China

Carlos trained as a commercial pilot in 2002 before taking up different management positions in Sales, Aircraft Management and Ground Operations with leading VIP Business Operators in Switzerland, Bahrain and Malta. Carlos joined UAS in 2015 as Senior Operations Manager for the UAS Middle East Headquarters in Dubai. Today, he is based in Beijing where he leads the UAS China team as they support UAS clients in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan, and the greater Asia Pacific.

Lou Seno

Jet Support Services Inc

Chairman Emeritus& Special Advisor

As Chairman Emeritus and Special Advisor to the JSSI Board of Directors, Mr. Seno provides counsel to the JSSI Board and represents JSSI at important business aviation conferences, events and meetings.

Prior to joining JSSI, Mr. Seno held senior management positions at the business aircraft units of Boeing Capital Corp. and G.E. Capital Solutions.

Mr. Seno represents JSSI on the Board of Directors of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) and the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA). Mr. Seno currently is Chairman of the West Michigan Aviation Academy Foundation Board and also serves on the Foundation Board of Daytona State College.  He was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the National Aircraft Finance Association. Since 2001, Mr. Seno has been actively involved with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He is a retired Trustee and currently serves on the Industry Advisory Board for the institution’s College of Engineering. Mr. Seno is a long-time general aviation pilot and aircraft owner and has accumulated over 7,000 hours of flight time.

Jim Simpson

First Republic Bank

Senior Managing Director

Jim joined First Republic Bank in March 2006 in his current position as Managing Director of Aviation & Marine Finance. Since joining, Jim has built a team that has originated, closed, and funded over half a ($US) billion in aviation and marine secured transactions for First Republic Bank’s high net worth clients. Because of the focus on understanding the clients business and alternative asset categories, Jim and his team customize the transactions that suit their clients specific needs.

Prior to joining First Republic Bank, he was a regional manager for Bank of America Equipment Finance and Leasing where he managed team of 14 professionals and support staff located throughout the Western United States. While at Bank of America, he worked on a variety of aviation finance transactions for its commercial airline and corporate clients. Jim is a pilot who began flying aircraft in high school. He graduated from Boston University where he earned his Bachelor of Science in Finance.

Jane Stanbury

Arena Grp

President

Jane has over 30 years’ professional experience working in business development positions in the media, communications, aviation, and travel sectors. She has run and sold two successful companies, and with a first-class MBA under her belt and a specialisation in crisis comms, launched her third business Arena Group in January 2017.
With firm foundations in the sales, business development, marketing and communications arenas working with leading international corporations Arena Group now supports SMEs in finding the voice of the company to communicate with internal and external marketplaces. She has spent significant time working in Africa, was part of the founding AfBAA team, and organised business aviation events in Nigeria, South Africa, Morocco and Ethiopia. Jane believes Africa’s future lies in the continued sustainable development of the business and general aviation sectors.
She has lived and worked in London, New York, Mallorca, Japan and Montreal, which brings an international perspective to any corporate situation. Driven by a desire to explore, and discover Jane is always seeking out new potential in the companies she works with.

Mike Stones

Corporate Jet Investor

Group Editor

Mike Stones is group editor of Corporate Jet Investor, Superyacht Investor, Helicopter Investor, Private Art Investor and Revolution.Aero. Previous roles have included editorial director of Decision News Media, based in Montpellier in the South of France, group editor of Food Manufacture and deputy editor of Farmers Weekly. Outside work, Mike enjoys flying old aeroplanes and working on the farm he co-owns in the north of England.

Kai Tang

Inmarsat

SVP, Business & General Aviation

Kai Tang is Head of Business and General Aviation at Inmarsat, the leading provider of global mobile satellite communications. He is responsible for leadership of Inmarsat’s ground-breaking portfolio of connectivity services for the business aviation industry, including its global, high-speed Jet ConneX (JX) solution, which delivers an inflight broadband experience comparable to on-the-ground connections. Previously Kai served as Senior Vice President, Channel, for Inmarsat Aviation as well as Chief Commercial Officer and VP for Commercial Strategy and Operations for Inmarsat Government, which provides satellite communications services to the United States government.

Mr. Tang received his Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA).

Oliver Tebbit

Watson Farley Williams

Partner

Oliver is a partner in the aviation group.
Olivers practice has a primary focus on aviation finance matters, providing advice to equipment financiers, airlines, owners and operators on all types of cross border transaction structures.

He is experienced in documenting, negotiating and executing aircraft and engine financing, leasing and trading transactions, and has advised clients that together represent the full range of industry participants on transactions concerning all classes of commercial and business aircraft.

Oliver is notably active in the corporate jet market, where he has a strong practice representing financiers, high net-worth individuals and operators.

Oliver is recommended as a leading aviation finance lawyer by legal directories Chambers HNW, Legal 500 EMEA Whos Who Legal and Euromoneys Guide to Aviation Lawyers, as well as by Corporate Jet Investor magazine. Most recently, Chambers reported that he is very much a known entity and an established participant in the private aviation sector and that he is absolutely a go-to in the Middle East. He is knowledgeable, understands the market and understands how people operate in the region. His focus on that means that he is able to answer complex questions quickly.

He regularly presents at industry conferences, seminars and client training events.

Ford von Weisecc

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 at Citi Private Bank. The group provides private aircraft financing solutions 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 $50 million.

Mr. von Weise has over fourteen years of business aviation experience most recently serving as Vice President of Business Aviation Finance for Merrill Lynch Capital. Prior to Merrill Lynch, he worked for GMAC Commercial Finance in the same capacity. His expertise covers a wide range of corporate and personal aircraft both domestically and internationally. Prior to joining GMAC, Mr. von Weise 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 a member of the Board of Directors 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 commission 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, 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.

Mr. von Weise holds an undergraduate degree, cum laude, in Environmental Studies and History from the University of Vermont.

Don Walsh

Stonebriar Commercial Finance

Stonebriar Commercial Finance

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.

Mike Walsh

Pacific Basin Economic Council

CEO

An award-winning seasoned senior executive, recently appointed the new CEO of PBEC – Pacific Basin Economic Council. Walsh advocates the economic benefits of professional networking, responsible business, fair trade and a friendly regulatory environment for companies in the APAC region. He believes in win win benefits from the reduction of barriers to entry and tariffs for business, encouragement of foreign investment whilst keeping environmental impact to a bear minimum.

Walsh has 23 years experience in the Aviation Industry and sold the award winning business aviation company Asia Jet HK to a subsidiary of HNA Group in 2016 called Hongkong Jet.

In November 2014, he joined the AsBAA – Asian Business Aviation Association board as a volunteer. Under his leadership and guidance, the value proposition of AsBAA was developed and it has earned global recognition by Air Transport Government-related Agencies and other international trade bodies for its efforts to date.

One of his many proud achievements was creating in 2014 the annual Icons of Business Aviation, Annual Industry Awards Asia event and its charity gala dinner hosted in Hong Kong which has raised over HKD1.2M in donated funds for Orbis Charity since its inception and has become a must attend network & recognition event.

His passion extended to youth engagement and the next generation of talent through the creation of the AsBAA Student Discovery program which has hosted several thousand students from across the region over the past 4 years, to educate young people about Business and General Aviation and its benefits. He has worked diligently with several Government Agencies and Airport Authorities to advocate for new infrastructure to accommodate the future of general and business aviation across Asia.

Walsh holds a Master’s Degree in Finance & Accounting and a MSc in Economics. He is a Part Qualified Management Accountant and a Graduate of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators.

Francisco Zozaya

Jet Support Services Inc.

Senior Vice President, Business Development & Strategy

As Senior Vice President, Business Development & Strategy, Mr. Zozaya provides leadership to the organization’s activities throughout North America and Latin America, and oversees the global JSSI Alliance Program.
Prior to joining JSSI, Mr. Zozaya served as Pre-Owned Director at Aerolineas Ejecutivas, managing its pre-owned aircraft sales and acquisitions business unit. He facilitated several key industry alliances and memberships for Latin America’s largest business aviation company and has established an extensive network with the global broker community, financial institutions, OEMs and MROs. Mr. Zozaya graduated from Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City as an industrial engineer.