Chair: Richard Koe

WINGX

Co-Chair: Oscar Garcia

Interflight Global

James Hogan

Executive Chairman, Knighthood Capital

Between 2006 and 2017, James served as President and Chief Executive of Etihad Aviation Group, which he built into a US$20 billion enterprise, achieving the mandate from his shareholders to build a world-class diversified aviation and travel group.

During this time, he also held positions as Vice Chairman and Board member of Alitalia, Airberlin, Jet Airways and Air Serbia, and was Vice Chairman of the Executive Committee of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and a member of the IATA Board of Governors.

Prior to this, James was President and CEO of Gulf Air, and held senior executive positions at BMI, Forte Hotels, and Hertz. He served as a non-executive director and member of the Board’s Audit Committee of Gallaher Group and was also a member of the UBS Industrialisation Advisory Board. He is a Fellow of the Royal Aerospace Society.

Under James’ leadership, Etihad Airways was named Air Transport World’s Airline of the Year in 2016, the industry’s most prestigious independent accolade. In his personal capacity, he received numerous awards including Aviation Executive of the Year, 2012 CAPA Aviation Awards and the Executive Leadership Award at the 2013 Airline Strategy Awards, 2013. He was recognized among the Top 25 Most Influential Executives in the business travel industry by Business Travel News British Travel and Hospitality Industry Hall of Fame in 2014.

In 2017, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for ‘distinguished services to the aviation transport industry, to the development of tourism and trade linkages between Australia and the Gulf states, and to international airline associations.

Heather Gordon

Chief Legal Officer, Martyn Fiddler Aviation

Heather Gordon is chief legal officer 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 has on occasion been described as a ‘spotter’. Her enthusiasm is translated into her work and as a result she is often asked to speak at conferences and seminars internationally on Isle of Man corporate and aviation matters.

Brendan Lodge

Aircraft Acquistion Specialist, JSSI

Brendan Lodge joined JSSI in October 2017 to bring his knowledge, skills and experience to both JSSI Advisory Services and JSSI Parts.

Brendan has a long career in both Asset Finance and Business Aviation Aircraft Sales Broking having spent over 25 years working in the UK Banking and Finance Industry (21 years for Lombard, now part of Royal Bank of Scotland) and 8 years working with JetBrokers as an Aircraft Sales Broker.

Brendan first entered the Aviation World when he was invited to join the Lombard Aviation Unit in early 2002, financing aircraft at all levels of the Business Aviation and General Aviation sectors.

In 2006 Brendan joined the London arm of the Icelandic Bank Kaupthing where he was a key member of the small team that built the Business Aviation Portfolio from a standing start.

After the Icelandic Banking Crisis Kaupthing was in Administration and Brendan became an Aircraft Sales Broker and was a key part of the team that set up the European franchise of a well- established American Aircraft Sales Brokerage.

Brendan is working in JSSI Advisory Services to develop the relationship with the Banks outside the USA with particular emphasis on promoting the JSSI Asset Monitoring Platform and the provision of consultancy services including Aircraft Physical Surveys including Airframe, Engines, Log Books and Records as well as Aircraft Value Appraisals. Brendan has now completed all four modules that constitute the training to become an ASA Accredited Appraiser.

There is no better organisation than JSSI to survey aircraft and appraise their value as JSSI can utilise any of its global team of Technical Representatives who are all experts in Business Jets or Helicopters and combine the appraisal skills of its ASA accredited appraisers.

Brendan is also supporting JSSI Parts to acquire aircraft at “End of Life” for the purpose of “Tearing down” and “Parting out” in order to support aircraft on JSSI programmes with Airframe and Engine Parts, Rental Engines and APU’s”

Brendan is based in the JSSI European Regional Head Office at Farnborough Airport and he is also the Founder and Chairman of The Aviation Supper Club which is well known in Europe for organising lavish networking dinners for up to 160 key players from the Business Aviation community in prestigious venues such as the RAF Club in London and the United Kingdom Houses of Parliament.

Stephen Ford

Head of Sales, Western Union Business Solutions

Stephen Ford has worked in sales for the past 8 years within the financial sector. In 2013 Stephen relocated to Malta and has worked for Western Union Business Solutions for the past 4 years and currently holds the position of Head of Sales.

Within his role, Stephen is on hand to provide assistance to International Businesses in Malta in protecting them against the ever-volatile foreign exchange market. With a vast portfolio of clients ranging from sole-traders to iGaming Companies, from large commercial airlines to private aviation companies. Each industry has their own challenge when it comes to the foreign exchange market; Stephen and his team at Western Union Business Solutions work with their clients to create bespoke risk management strategies.

Stephen is also a member of the Malta Round Table and holds certificates in Investment Management.

Nicholas Valenzia

Partner, Mamo TCV Advocates

Phil Anderson

Executive Officer, Citygate Dewe Rogerson

Philip has worked in corporate communications for 26 years and has been a Board Director at the international agency Citigate Dewe Rogerson since 2003.

Philip works in many sectors from financial services to retail and has extensive experience of the business aviation sector.  He was appointed to develop and implement the PR strategy for the pan European launch of Jet Republic back in 2008, and since then he has also worked for Hawker Beechcraft, Textron Aviation, Global Jet Capital, Nextant Aerospace, GlobeAir, Gama Aviation, Hangar8, Colibri Aircraft and Magnus Aviation.

Philip has a strong background in market research and uses this to help clients develop their thought leadership and support their marketing and PR functions.  He specialises in securing coverage for clients in mainstream business and luxury media, from the Financial Times to Bloomberg and The Economist.

Pascal Bachmann

Jetcraft

Pascal Bachmann joined Jetcraft in 2014 as a sales representative based in Europe. In his current role he leads all Jetcraft sales initiatives in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and
manages a team of Sales Directors based in those regions.

Prior to Jetcraft, Pascal was Sales Director for ExecuJet Europe and Vice President Europe for NetJets.

Pascal is a multi-engine commercial IFR licensed pilot, a competitive rally car driver and is fluent
in French, German and English.

He currently resides in Dubai with his wife and four children.

Henri Lauras

President Aircraft Sales & Services, Titan Aviation Europe

Henri has gained a tremendous experience in Aircraft Business over an already long career started in 1986. Henri was also licensed as a PPL few weeks after he turned 16 years old (and survived!). In 1986, as a young graduated M.Sc. specializing in Aerodynamics and Acoustics in one of the most prestigious universities of France, he started at Dassault, where he first joined a team specifying and designing the Rafale fighter. In 1988, he became technical coordinator for Maritime Patrol Aircraft programs, gaining an experience of technical negotiations with the defense authorities and forces of France, Germany and Italy, as well as with industrial partners in the UK, Italy and Germany.  In 1991, he joined the Falcon Sales Team, crack opening territories such as Turkey and Eastern Europe and gaining up to 100% of the market shares in some of his territories up to mid ‘90s.

In 2001, he dared to leave Dassault (almost a scandal!) and joined Bombardier Business Aircraft, Pre-owned Aircraft Division (almost a funeral!). There, he familiarized with new territories (world but South America) and with any brand of business jets. In two words, in France, he was taught that only one brand was good, in Canada he understood what he had felt for years, i.e. that no brand is bad. In 2007, Henri started his own business in Paris and in Dubai, pursuing the Aircraft Sales, and opening it to Trading, Charter and Consultancy.

In 2010, working in very close relation with Sakeer Sheik, funder of Titan Aviation and a friend since a long time, Henri became President of Titan Aviation on a consultancy basis. Given the tremendous development of Titan Aviation internationally, Henri finally joined the group on a full time basis, in early 2018

Gary Crichlow

Arc & Co

Gary works for financial advisory & brokerage firm Arc&Co, running their aviation platform. He works with all the aviation lenders on behalf of buyers, helping clients understand the aviation finance process, the different options available, and act as their advocate during the negotiation and closing.

Prior to that Gary ran the asset risk management for GE Capital’s European portfolio and Lombard’s portfolio of corporate aircraft and utility helicopters, and  was the lead analyst for corporate aviation at Flightglobal Ascend.

Gary holds a degree in aerospace engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Alexandra Asche

Sales Director Europe, Global Jet Capital

Alexandra Dorothea Asche has worked in the shipping and corporate finance industry for +10 years. Being originally from Hamburg, she has started to work at Berenberg in 2005 in the International Shipping Team. In 2013 she moved to the Corporate Banking team of Berenberg in London. However, in 2015 Alexandra moved to Frankfurt to focus purely on ship financing for larger corporates at Deka Bank and ING Bank. In 2018, Alexandra got the opportunity to join Global Jet Capital as Sales Director for Europe to set up their Swiss representative office. At Global Jet Capital, she is focusing on leasing and financing solutions for business and private jets. She holds an MBA from University of Bedfordshire/UK and a Ship Finance Manager from the Frankfurt School of Finance.

Dr Tonio Fenech

Fenech Farrugia Fiott Legal

Dr Tonio Fenech obtained his Masters Degree in Maritime and Aviation law from the University of London (UCL) and his Doctorate in Maltese law from the University of Malta in 1986.

Representing the 3rd generation of lawyers in his family, he developed the international and corporate practice of Fenech & Fenech Advocates after 1988 and was the founding CEO of the Fenlex Group of companies, now a substantial trust and corporate services group in Malta. In 2008 he resigned from both positions and left the family firm to become a joint Managing Partner of the newly formed Fenech Farrugia Fiott Legal. This move allowed him to concretize his aspirations to develop an open-architecture legal practice and to focus on the development of the firm’s substantial corporate & commercial, aviation, financial services and fiduciary relationships department.

Tonio has practised law for over 30 years with an accent on corporate & commercial, financial services and asset finance law. He has a developed practice in the field of asset finance law, with particular accent on the field of ship and aviation finance law, and is one of the few Maltese specialists in fiduciary obligations and trust law. He often speaks at conferences and lectures regularly at the University of Malta teaching Maltese asset finance law, aspects of insurance law, trust & fiduciary obligations law. He is a Director of several group companies and was the founding Chairman of the ARQ Group of Companies which comprises multi-disciplinary advisory services in the field of tax, personal residence and various regulated industries. The Group also combines licensed trustee, fiduciary, corporate and accounting services, together with resource allocation and infrastructural support.

Dr Fenech also holds the position of the Honorary Consul of Lebanon to Malta.

Michael Schuler

Senior Key Account Manager, Credit Suisse

Michael Schuler is a Director of Credit Suisse in the International Wealth Management division, based in Zurich. He is responsible for Aviation & Finance within Europe & Switzerland.

Michael joined Credit Suisse in April 1999 after graduating with a master degree in law from the University of Zurich. From 1999 to 2015 he held several positions in the department Large Swiss Corporates, last as a Key Account Manager. From 2008 to 2012, he headed the german speaking department of Corporate Leasing.

Michael is a seasoned banker and a passionate sailor and won 2018 the XXVI Challenges Inter-Banque Trophée.

Toennies von Limburg

Bank of America

Toennies joined the Leasing Group in the Frankfurt office of Bank of America in January 1999. Until 2004, he worked in the origination, arranging and structuring of large asset cross-border leasing transactions. Since 2005 he is working with the Bank’s Global Corporate Aircraft Finance Group covering CEEMEA and India.

Prior to joining Bank of America, Mr. von Limburg worked for Dornier Aviation in Germany a regional aircraft manufacturer, where he co-ordinated the company’s sales finance activities for all customers outside the US market. Mr. von Limburg holds a B.A. in European Financial Management from the University of Wales, UK and a M.A. in Business Administration from the University of Muenster, Germany.

Brian Brennan

Tax Partner, KPMG Ireland

Brian Brennan is a Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA), ACCA, a Council Member of the Irish Taxation Institute and a Tax Partner in KPMG.  Brian advises a wide range of clients, both domestic and international, on cross-border mergers and acquisitions, aviation financing, leasing, banking, structured finance and tax-based fundraising.  He has particular experience in advising on international financing and leasing structures and the operation of tax treaties.  He has significant experience of leading large multi-country teams in delivering tax advice to his clients, including leading international tax teams on large scale merger and acquisition transactions.

Brian also assisted Conor O’Brien in writing Double Taxation Agreements published by the Irish Tax Institute.  Brian was placed first in the world in the advanced taxation paper of the ACCA final examinations in 2003.

Eric Lewin

Law Offices of Eric Lewin

Eric Lewin, the Founder of the Law Offices of Eric Lewin, is a highly experienced attorney based in London.  Eric typically acts as transaction counsel or as external general counsel to help his clients identify, define, and navigate the complex legal issues their transactions or businesses raise.  Eric’s clients appreciate his effective advocacy, insight, and technical competence.  They also appreciate his practical approach – one that marries consideration of legal, commercial, strategic, and cultural issues – that he has honed from working both as a banker and as a lawyer with clients and counterparties globally.

Eric was an associate with Mayer Brown in Paris, France, where he represented lenders, lessors, and captive financiers in aircraft finance transactions.  He then moved to London, United Kingdom to join Bank of America Merrill Lynch where he was primarily responsible for structuring and executing corporate aircraft finance transactions.  Later in London, Eric joined, as its sole attorney, AirFinance Leasing, LLC, a boutique financier affiliated with the Export-Import Bank of the United States, to support the export of qualifying corporate and general aviation assets.

Please visit www.ericlewin.net for more information.

Clayton B. Healey

Owner, AIC Title Service LLC

Olivier Poncet

Air City Madrid Sur

Olivier has more than 20 years’ experience in international development businesses both from a public and private perspectives, with specific expertise in FDI promotion, export strategy, cross-border developments.

Having worked for multinational corporate, national/regional governments and SMEs, in multicultural environments, Olivier is able to address very specific situations and to offer out of the box points of view and strategic solutions.

During his career, Olivier hold strategic positions within French government as Deputy Director of Invest in France Agency offices in Spain (Madrid & Barcelona), M&A Industrial Sectors Director at Invest in France Agency office in London, as well as Board Member of the Agency during 3 years.

In Spain, he worked at top level functions for the regional administration creating new organization for investment promotion, territory marketing strategy and for airport infrastructure development.

In the aeronautics field, Olivier has led several manufacturing and M&A investment key projects from international players to Europe and has also been in charge of consolidating and developing a Spanish aerospace cluster representing 15% of world carbon fiber demand.

From 2012 onwards, he founded his own consulting company, integrated Pasiphae Consultora Internacional and then founded Aviation Pasiphae with key aviation partners offering strategic consulting services to the aviation/airport industry.

Olivier is also a founding partner and Board Member of Air City Madrid Sur, the company in charge of the implementation of a second commercial airport in Madrid (Spain).

He is a French national, who has lived in the UK and currently resides in Spain; he speaks fluent English, French and Spanish and holds a Master’s degree in European Businesses and a PDD from IESE Business School.

Arjen Groeneveld

Regional Manager EMEA & Russia, Duncan Aviation

Maureen Gautier

Associate, The Air Law Firm

Maureen is a French law graduate of the University of Paris Nanterre and holds a Masters Degree in International Business Law. She was admitted to the French Bar early 2016. As part of her legal training, Maureen spent time at Dassault Falcon Jet in New York and in the Latin American Sales Department at Airbus Miami. Maureen also spent some time in several law firms in Paris and at the Courthouse of Toulouse (France).

Maureen is a member of the firm’s commercial team. Her practice is focused on cross border aircraft transactions and finance acting for airlines, lenders, high net worth individuals and operators. As well as being a native French speaker, she is fluent in English and Spanish.

Patrick JG Margretson-Rushmore

Chief Executive, Luxaviation United Kingdom / London Executive Aviation

Patrick is Chief Executive Officer and a founding principal of Luxaviation UK, LEA. The company is one of the largest Business Jet Operators in Europe with a wide ranging offering of fleets from Transatlantic capability to small executive 4 passenger light Jets. The company has aircraft bases in the main UK airports and also Athens, Helsinki, Moscow and Paris. The company’s client base covers a broad spectrum including the Arts Entertainment Media sectors as well as government work. www.flylea.com

LEA is part of the Luxaviation group; the 2^nd largest Business Jet Operator in the world. The group is in Europe, Africa, The Middle East, The Far East, Asia and Australia with some 250 aircraft under management and also 17 FBOs and 16 MROs. Our sister companies in Europe are based in Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal and Switzerland.

Patrick is Chief Executive Officer and a founding principal of Luxaviation UK, LEA. The company is one of the largest Business Jet Operators in Europe with a wide ranging offering of fleets from Transatlantic capability to small executive 4 passenger light Jets. The company has aircraft bases in the main UK airports and also Athens, Helsinki, Moscow and Paris. The company’s client base covers a broad spectrum including the Arts Entertainment Media sectors as well as government work. www.flylea.com

LEA is part of the Luxaviation group; the 2^nd largest Business Jet Operator in the world. The group is in Europe, Africa, The Middle East, The Far East, Asia and Australia with some 250 aircraft under management and also 17 FBOs and 16 MROs. Our sister companies in Europe are based in Belgium, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Portugal and Switzerland.

Stanley Bugeja

Managing Director, DC Aviation & President, Malta Business Aviation Association (MBAA)

Stanley Bugeja is President of the Malta Business Aviation Association (MBAA).

Stanley Bugeja was born in Malta on 11th November 1970.

Stanley has occupied various positions in the Maltese and European aviation industry since 1990. He left Mediterranean Aviation Co. Ltd in 2002 as Assistant Operations Manager. That same year he setup Sierra Aviation Co. Ltd. as owner and CEO of the Island’s first dedicated business aviation aircraft handling company, building an aircraft charter brokerage base out of Malta.

Between 2007 and 2008 he occupied the position of Managing Director for CharterX Wyvern Europe. At the time CharterX was the leading platform for online business jet charter trading worldwide.

He is currently Managing Director of DC Aviation (Malta) Ltd., a subsidiary of DC Aviation GmbH (a merger between ex Daimler Chrysler Aviation and Cirrus Aviation).

He has also recently, in Ocotber 2015  been appointed Managing Director of Distinct Crew Management, a crew leasing company operating out of Malta.

Together with Adrian Spiteri and Dr Tonio Fenech, Stanley Bugeja founded the Malta Business Aviation Association (MBAA) in October 2009. The companies which formed the MBAA were DC Aviation Ltd., FFF Legal and Bizav Services Ltd.

Razvan Stefan

CEO, Emperor Aviation

Fiona Healy

FCF Assets

Fiona obtained her LLB in London. She spent some years in the Commercial Property division of McCann FitzGerald in Dublin before moving to a small private client firm in central Dublin. Whilst there she developed an interest in private international law, particularly in the field of aviation.

She is currently Managing Director of FCF Assets Limited, a firm providing both legal and practical assistance to clients in obtaining a Maltese Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC), as well as a broad array of other advisory services pertaining to sourcing, financing, importing, registering, and operating your business aircraft.

The firm advises family offices on sourcing the right aircraft for their mission profile, registering the plane for optimal tax and operational flexibility, finding the right operator to suit specific personal and business needs, and obtaining the right financing at the lowest possible cost.

Fiona speaks and participates regularly at aviation conferences worldwide. Fiona has contributed to a number of aviation journals, including preparing the Aircraft Registration Guide for Malta on behalf of the international publication Corporate Jet Investor.

Jean-Paul Xuereb

Head of HR, Comlux

Jean-Paul Xuereb is an experienced Aviation Professional and a Certified Recruiter, holding over 15 years of aviation experience.
In his current role as Head of Human Resources for Comlux Aviation, Jean Paul is responsible for the overall HR function and responsible for people relations, strategic programme management as well as resource and budget forecasting across difference entities including Malta, Switzerland, San Marino, Aruba and Hong Kong for over 160 personnel, including office and flying crew. Together with his team, Jean Paul was engaged on a number of different international recruitment projects mainly for business aviation Aircraft owners seeking flying crew for their fleet.

Holding a degree in Psychology and Theatre Studies, Jean-Paul adopts an open and pragmatic approach to work in which such personal style is valued by employees and clients that work closely with him.

Jean Paul is married with three young children who enjoys spending time with his family and has a passion for acting, sports and travelling.

Stuart Kirkwood

TAG Aviation

Julian Perigo

Managing Director, Boston Link

Julian is Managing Director of Boston Link and oversees operations in UK, Malta and the Isle of Man. He was previously a director at Michael Page, where he ran a number of teams covering London and offshore jurisdictions.

Julian started his career in London and has worked across specialist markets and executive search in London, Frankfurt and Sydney. He has successfully recruited hundreds of talented professionals for his clients throughout his career, with many involving complex international moves.

Paolo Sommariva

FL3XX

Paolo is the founder of FL3XX, an innovative software house in Austria.  FL3XX was founded to provide a new class of online solutions for Business Aviation.  FL3XX automates the quote➛sell➛schedule➛dispatch➛fly of business jet airlines optimizing work and resources in real time.

Prior to FL3XX, Paolo founded the first seaplane airline service in the southern Italian islands and a regional airline in northern Italy.  He has extensive operations and technology experience, gained in large corporations such as General Electric, startups, Venture Capital and consulting.  Paolo actively invests in early stage greentech, blockchain, logistics.

Steffen Fries

CEO & Accountable Manager, MHS Aviation

Steffen started his career in Aviation with Deutsche Lufthansa in 1994. As Senior Vice President at NetJets Europe he built up the GSA region and managed it for almost 8 years. Having been offered the role of the CEO at DC Aviation he moved to Stuttgart and developed the former Daimler-Chrysler subsidiary to a leading business jet operator with fleet of 32 aircraft and a base in Dubai. In 2011 he started MHS Aviation in Munich, which operates today a fleet of 20 aircraft. Beside business jets MHS Aviation also is an ACMI operator for British Airways and Rhein-Neckar Air on the Dornier 328. In 2014 and 2015 he was the COO for FlyVictor, a Marketplace for on-demand charter in London. Since January 2016 he heads up MHS Aviation again and is looking to grow the company further on.

Glen Heavens

Chairman, Synergy Aviation

Glen is the Chairman of Synergy Aviation, the well-respected aircraft management company he founded in 2004. Synergy owns and manages a fleet of aircraft across Europe and the Middle East. The company retains its primary focus of managing business aircraft but also specialises in air ambulance, urgent cargo and special missions in war/conflict zones.

His aviation career started at Fairoaks Airport near London where he worked in flight training and air traffic control.

Alongside his involvement in Synergy Glen is one of three partners in a specialist investment company; with a growing portfolio of aviation businesses.

When away from the boardroom and not flying Glen likes nothing more than sailing or scuba diving.

Stuart Donnelly

Snr. Director Group International Sales – Europe & USA, SIXT

Stuart Mobility Donnelly has dedicated his career to bringing positive disruption to the mobility eco system. Today it is all about how flexibility combined with digitalisation and the concept of mobility as a service (Maas) can bring change to how we have owned and managed our personal and corporate mobility for the last decades. In the last two decades it was about changing the way that global fleets sourced and managed their company car fleets through professionalising and optimising their global programs.

Alongside his curiosity and ambition for how to develop and bring change to the mobility ecosystem, by day and by night sees Donnelly regularly dressed in Orange posting messages, photos and vlogs around the world whilst assuming his responsibilities for Group Sales at Sixt across all sales channels for Europe and the US including bizAv.

Donnelly has made it his mission to make Sixt the bizAv industries number one choice for limousine and crew transport with Limousine and rent a car around the world. Sixt is at the forefront of digitally disrupting the bizAv industry to positively influence the customer experience and streamline the process all round.