Mohammed Al Husary

UAS International Trip Support

Co-Owner/Founder and Executive President

A pioneering aviation expert and corporate strategist, UAS Executive President, Mohammed Al Husary is responsible for formulating and implementing UAS’ strategy, global growth, and service sustainability. He co-founded the global organization in 2000 while still in his early twenties.

Over his career, Mr. Al Husary has received a series of industry accolades including the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Sapphire Pegasus Business Aviation Awards 2018 and was named in the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Top 40 Under 40 for his leadership and business management skills at the helm of UAS. He is also the recipient of an Excellence Award from the British Institute of Transport.

Sitting in the boards of various business aviation associations, Mr. Al Husary advocates for regional aviation interests. He is also a prolific media contributor on topics varying from aviation safety, international standards, and operations development to executive management, leadership, and entrepreneurship.

Mr. Al Husary holds a Master’s of Science, Aviation and an Executive MBA from Hult business School, Boston, MA and an OPM from Harvard Business School.

Melissa Bacani

HSBC Private Bank

Head of Credit Advisory – South Asia

Melissa Bacani is Head Credit Advisory, South Asia for HSBC Global Private Banking and is based in Singapore. In this role, Melissa provides credit solutions to private banking clients looking to leverage against their assets. These assets range from securities, real estate, insurance, hedge funds, and private equity to trophy assets such as private jets, yachts and fine art.

Prior to joining HSBC Global Private Banking, Melissa was Head of Specialty Financing and COO for Investment Finance at Citi Private Bank, based in Hong Kong. As Head of Specialty Financing, she was responsible for private jet and art lending for Asia Pacific as well as Global Program Manager for Insurance Premium Financing. She began her career in London with the Capital Markets Origination team at Citi Global Markets working on large corporate and cross border acquisition financings for European blue chips.

Melissa has an MBA from the London Business School and an MSc in Social Policy and Planning from the London School of Economics and Political Science in the UK.

Phil Balmer

TAG Aviation

Director of Maintenance

Mr. Phil Balmer is Director Maintenance for TAG Aviation Asia. He has over 27 years of experience in aviation, and is a Licensed Engineer holding Australia, EASA, and FAA A&P certificates, with ratings on multiple types of business aircraft including Bombardier, Cessna Citation, Dassault Falcon, and Gulfstream.

Prior to joining TAG Aviation Asia in 2010, Phil worked in Corporate Aviation Maintenance in Brisbane, Australia, was Avionics Supervisor, Maintenance Manager, Director of Maintenance at Jet Aviation Singapore, General Manager of Jet Aviation Dubai, and Jet Aviation Malaysia. Phil is also a Multi-engine, instrument rated Pilot.

On volunteer basis, Phil is the Chairman of the Hong Kong Chapter of the Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA).

David Best

Jet Aviation

SVP, Regional Operations -Americas & APAC

David Best was appointed SVP regional operations and general manager for the Americas & APAC, where he is responsible for driving the successful growth of the U.S. region by focusing on customer engagement and advancing our U.S. operations.

Since joining Jet Aviation in January 2017, Best has also managed a number of successful business development projects, most notably the acquisition and integration of Hawker Pacific and the Scottsdale Jet Center in the U.S. He assumed the role of SVP strategic global growth in December 2018 and made significant progress in aligning the sales organization and improving customer data management.

With over 20 years’ experience in the industry, Best served Signature Aviation as president Asia, chief commercial officer USA, and managing director EMEA prior to joining Jet Aviation. He is a graduate of the University of Strathclyde, where he earned his MBA, and is a member of the Institute of Directors.

Darren Broderick

ACAM

CEO

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

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

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

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

Arnaud Brolly

IMPACT

Founder & CEO

Profile coming soon

Mark Butler

Action Aviation

CEO

Mark was born and lives in the UK. His career in aviation started back in 2008 in Cranfield and led to over 100 aircraft transactions that he closed, not including helicopters sales when he had been working as Sales Manager for Bell Helicopters.
Mark holds Private Pilot License as of 2001 and apart from his life-long devotion to aviation, he is a passionate driver and Formula 1 follower.

Adrien Chazottes

Jet 8 Aviation

Co-founder & Managing Partner

Adrien Chazottes has been living in Asia since 2004, where he has been developing the Private and Business Aviation sector for the major part of the past two decades. After various positions at VistaJet, Hawker Beechcraft and Bombardier, he founded Jet 8 in 2018 as a Private Aviation Family Office, with a focus on servicing clients in Asia. With headquarters in Hong Kong and key personnel located across the region, Jet 8 provides its clients unparalleled service, tailor made strategies and the negotiating advantage when acquiring or selling Aircraft.

Ryan Chui

Hongkong Jet

Associate Director of Business Development

Mr. Ryan is the newly appointed Associate Director of Business Development for Hong Kong Jet, overseeing the Greater Pacific region, with a particular focus on the emerging markets of Southeast Asia. With over 12 years of experience in private aviation, he has had the privilege of working for esteemed establishments such as Metrojet and Global Jet Concept. His expertise lies in aircraft management, charter operations, aircraft transactions, and aviation consultancy projects.

David Colindres

San Marino Aircraft Registry

President

David Colindres was born in Honduras into a family with a deep passion for aviation. Growing up, he was surrounded by stories of pilots and aircraft, fueling his own fascination with the industry. Born and raised in the heart of aviation, he developed a keen interest in aircraft technology and regulations from a young age.

David pursued his education at Purdue University Krannert Business School with a focus on International Business and Marketing, earning a degree from this prestigious university. His academic journey equipped him with a solid understanding of the complexities of the aviation industry, including aircraft registration processes, safety regulations, and international aviation laws.

After completing his education, David embarked on a dynamic career in aviation with his father “The Godfather of Aircraft Registries” Sir Jorge Colindres. He began his professional journey working for the family business and world renowned The Registry of Aruba, where he gained invaluable experience in aircraft registration, transactions, regulatory compliance, and international aviation. His expertise and dedication quickly earned him recognition within the industry.

David’s passion for aviation and his desire to contribute to the industry’s growth led him to transition within five (5) years to a role as VP of Operations of The Registry of Aruba. He joined the aviation regulatory arena of Aruba, where he played a key role in shaping aviation policies and overseeing the registration and certification of aircraft. Her leadership skills and strategic vision propelled him to increasingly senior positions within the company.

In recognition of his exceptional leadership and expertise, David was appointed as the President of the San Marino Aircraft Registry. As the head of the registry, he is responsible for overseeing the registration and certification of all civil aircraft. His role involves ensuring compliance with international Civil Aviation Standards, enhancing the efficiency of registration processes, and fostering collaboration with industry stakeholders.

Under David’s leadership, the aircraft registry has achieved as of December 2023, 417 active registrations and 938 in total since 2012. Have implemented innovative solutions to streamline registration procedures, improve data accuracy, and enhance transparency. His commitment to excellence and dedication to safety have earned him the respect of his peers and the trust of the aviation community.

As President of the San Marino Aircraft Registry, David is driven by a vision of advancing the registry’s capabilities to meet the evolving needs of the aviation industry. He is committed to leveraging technology and modernizing processes to enhance the efficiency and reliability of aircraft registration services. Additionally, he is focused on promoting international cooperation and harmonization to facilitate seamless aircraft transactions across borders.

David’s unwavering dedication to aviation safety, regulatory compliance, and customer service continues to position the aircraft registry as a global leader in the field. His passion for aviation and his visionary leadership inspire confidence and drive progress in the industry.

David Crick

DavAir Group

Managing Director

David Crick is an Accredited Senior Appraiser of the American Society of Appraisers (ASA). He has just completed his term as the International President on the ASA International Board of Governors and also recently served as the Chair on the Finance & Leasing Committee of the Helicopter Association International.

David is the Managing Director of the DavAir Group, a 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. He also lectures on Aircraft Appraisal methodology and processes in the USA and has recently been appointed as a Member of the Technical Standing Committee of The Hague Court of Arbitration for Aviation.

Jon Dahlfors

Stonebriar Commercial Finance

Director

Jon is a Director at Stonebriar Commercial Finance. He primarily focuses on underwriting & origination for SCF Aviation Capital and is Head of the Corporate Responsibility Committee. Prior to Stonebriar, Jon was an analyst at Guggenheim Aircraft Opportunity Fund, where he assisted global origination efforts. Jon began his career spending time in differing training programs at multiple aircraft manufacturers and operators. He received his undergraduate degree in accounting & entrepreneurship from the University of Kansas. Jon is also on the Young Benefactors board within the First Tee of Greater Dallas.

Gary Dolski

Metrojet

CEO

Gary brings more than 43 years of progressive international aviation experience to Metrojet
having previously worked for Bristol Aerospace, Bombardier, MD Helicopters and Jet Aviation.
In September 2017, Gary was appointed 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.

David Dixon

Jetcraft

President, Jetcraft Asia

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

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

Mick Doohan

Jetcraft

Profile coming soon

Philip Du Preez

UAS International Trip Support

Director of Charter

Philip’s passion for aviation is deeply ingrained. After completing his private pilot’s license, he moved into business aviation and began his career in 2008 in aircraft sales. He then progressed to managing the turnaround of a fixed base operation (FBO) and charter division for an operator in South Africa. In 2015, he joined ExecuJet, where he managed various portfolios, including relaunching the aircraft sales division for Luxaviation. After nearly nine years with Luxaviation, he assumed the role of Director of Charter at UAS headquarters in Dubai.

Matt Frick

Global Jet International

Managing Director

In his capacity as the Managing Director at Global Jet International, Matt assumes the pivotal role of being the Accountable Manager for the Air Operator Certificate (AOC). His responsibility extends to overseeing all operational and commercial facets of the business.

Global Jet International, headquartered on the picturesque Gold Coast in Australia, is a distinguished business aviation company specializing in aircraft management and charter sales services.

Matt brings a wealth of experience to his current role, having held diverse operational and commercial management positions within the commercial aviation industry – most recently Airnorth – over the past decade before transitioning to the dynamic realm of business aviation in 2021.

After obtaining his Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Business from Maastricht University in the Netherlands, Matt ventured Down Under to complete his Master’s in Aviation Management from Griffith University, further enriching his expertise in the field.

David Hernandez

Vedder Price

Shareholder

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

Paul Jebely

The Hague Court of Arbitration for Aviation

Founder & Chair

Paul P. Jebely is the founder, and serves as the present Chairperson of The Hague Court of Arbitration for Aviation (The Hague CAA). He is also the CEO of The Hague CAA’s Centre for Mediation. The Hague CAA is a non-profit and non-government foundation with a mission “To promote the use of arbitration and mediation as preferred methods of contractual dispute resolution throughout the vast global aviation industry, wherever and however helpful to the parties involved.” One of the oldest arbitral institutions in the world, The Netherlands Arbitration Institute, provides judicial supervision of all arbitration and mediation proceedings, which can be held around the world and/or virtually. The Hague CAA arbitration and/or mediation have been incorporated into billions of Dollars’ worth of aviation contracts by parties worldwide.

Separately, Paul is also widely regarded as the leading private aviation lawyer globally who focuses on advising ultra-high net worth individuals and their businesses. As an attorney, Paul has served as lead counsel on nearly $23 billion worth of aviation transactions, including multiple “Deal of the Year” transactions, and has also handled multiple complex disputes and restructurings. He has most notably served as private aviation counsel to UHNWIs around the world holding combined published wealth nearing $1 trillion, and corporations with combined annual revenue in excess of $1 trillion.

Paul has been the recipient of numerous legal and aviation industry awards, including “Aviation Trailblazer”, “Outstanding Contribution to African Aviation Development”, “Private Aviation & Yachts Lawyer of the Year” and “Private Client Lawyer of the Year”. He has been repeatedly noted by the Financial Times and other business, aviation, legal and other media for his aviation expertise. He is qualified to practise law in England, the USA (New York and Washington State) and Canada (Ontario). He completed undergraduate and law degree programmes at Trinity College, University of Toronto and Osgoode Hall Law School. He also completed a two-year senior executive leadership programme at Stanford Law School. He is presently also Visiting Scholar at the Nelson R. Mandela School of Law.

Qualified to practice law in the US (New York and Washington State), England and Canada (Ontario), Paul is a permanent resident of Hong Kong and splits the rest of his time mostly between in Canada, the US and South Africa. 

Alex Jiao

Hongkong Jet

Chairman

Alex Jiao holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering and a Master’s degree in Economics, focused on Global Economics.
He has a strong engineering background and extensive experience in strategic business development within Asia’s business aviation sector as well as a demonstrated history of working in China’s commercial airline industry in the earlier part of his career. Most recently he served as a director at UAS an International Trip Support Company headquartered in Dubai, UAE of which Deer Jet (Beijing) Co. Ltd is the majority shareholder. Prior to UAS he was the Director of Strategy & Business Development for Deer Jet (Beijing) Co. Ltd the largest business aviation service provider in the Asia Pacific region which also includes the largest FBO network in Greater China, before being appointed CEO of Hongkong Jet.

Vivek Kaushal

Global Jet Capital

CEO

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

Nadav Kessler

Asian Sky Group

Managing Director

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

Stephen Klohr

Aviation Concepts Technical Services

Director of Quality

Stephen began his aviation career in the United States Navy as an Aviation Structural/Hydraulic
Mechanic on P-3 Orion aircraft in 1987. During his 4-year tour in the Navy, he obtained his FAA
Airframe and Powerplant license and began working general aviation aircraft on his off time from his
duties.
After leaving the Navy, Stephen was a Field Service Rep for Raytheon Aerospace (formally Beech
Aerospace) working on the Army Guardrail Sensor RC-12N. After 5 years he left to begin his career at
Gulfstream Aerospace in 1995. During his 25yr career with Gulfstream, Stephen held various roles to
include; Production Team Lead (GIV/GV), Senior Airworthiness Inspector Completion Center/Service
Center, Model Manager Mid-Cabin Product Support, Product Support Customer Program Manager, and
Customer Operational Readiness Manager. During this time Stephen spent time working overseas
supporting Gulfstream projects in Basel Switzerland, Beijing China, and Hong Kong China.
In October 2019, Stephen left Gulfstream to become the Director of Quality for Aviation Concepts
Technical Services Incorporated (ACTSI). He has been instrumental in obtaining and maintaining the
current capabilities ACTSI holds under FAA, BCAA, CAACI, and CAAP.
Stephen attended Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and currently holds an FAA A&P and Inspection
Authorization (IA) License

Violet Kwek

Lendicate Group

Founder & CEO

Violet Kwek is a transportation financing specialist having started her transportation career as a shipping associate in 2006 with the Mergers and Acquisition team in DVB Bank Singapore and subsequently moved to its ship leasing team as an Assistant Vice President and thereafter Vice President, structuring finance and operating leases for shipowners in South-east Asia and India.

In 2010, Violet joined Standard Chartered Bank’s shipping team as an Associate Director in Hong Kong where she built their Greater China debt and leasing portfolio from scratch with clients spanning private enterprises, conglomerates to state-owned enterprises and Chinese leasing companies. She was an Executive Director when she left to join Minsheng Bank Hong Kong in 2014 where she held roles as the Deputy Head of Shipping Finance and then Deputy Head of Corporate Banking.

Violet then branched into general aviation when she joined Global Jet Capital in 2017 establishing their North Asia portfolio from the ground and leading Global Jet Capital to be voted the Best Finance House in 2018 and Best Service Provider in 2019.

Bernard Loo

Jetex

Director – Fixed Base Operations

Profile coming soon

Puja Mahajan

Azzera

Founder & CEO

Puja Mahajan is a seasoned aviation executive with 3 decades of experience, recognized for her pioneering innovation and service excellence. She launched her career after earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Environmental Engineering from McGill University.

With a notable history at Pratt & Whitney Canada, Bombardier Aerospace, and Elit’Avia, Puja has held critical roles such as Aerodynamics Engineer, Product Planning Manager, and Director of Flight Operations, always keeping innovation and leadership at the forefront. Among her significant achievements are the launches of the Learjet 40 and Challenger 300 aircraft. As Bombardier’s Director of Flight Operations, she spearheaded the global expansion of Bombardier’s award-winning Safety Standdown initiative, recognized as a premier aviation safety event by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.

During her tenure as CEO of European operator Elit’Avia, Puja drove remarkable growth, doubling both the fleet size and revenues. Currently, as the Founder and CEO of Azzera, she channels her passion for business aviation and dedication to environmental sustainability. Azzera’s mission is to enable the Aviation sector into climate action with practical and digital solutions. Fluent in five languages and a resident of Switzerland, Puja Mahajan is a true global influencer.

Puja Mahajan is a seasoned aviation executive with 3 decades of experience, recognized for her pioneering innovation and service excellence. She launched her career after earning a degree in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Environmental Engineering from McGill University.

With a notable history at Pratt & Whitney Canada, Bombardier Aerospace, and Elit’Avia, Puja has held critical roles such as Aerodynamics Engineer, Product Planning Manager, and Director of Flight Operations, always keeping innovation and leadership at the forefront. Among her significant achievements are the launches of the Learjet 40 and Challenger 300 aircraft. As Bombardier’s Director of Flight Operations, she spearheaded the global expansion of Bombardier’s award-winning Safety Standdown initiative, recognized as a premier aviation safety event by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board.

During her tenure as CEO of European operator Elit’Avia, Puja drove remarkable growth, doubling both the fleet size and revenues. Currently, as the Founder and CEO of Azzera, she channels her passion for business aviation and dedication to environmental sustainability. Azzera’s mission is to enable the Aviation sector into climate action with practical and digital solutions. Fluent in five languages and a resident of Switzerland, Puja Mahajan is a true global influencer.

Per Marthinsson

Avinode

Chief Revenue Officer & Co-Founder

Per is the co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer at Avinode Group. The company was founded in 2001
with the grand ambition to pull the directory-bound charter industry into the digital world and make it as
easy to book a private jet as it is to book a commercial
flight.

Per holds a Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering and Entrepreneurship from Chalmers
University of Technology in Sweden. At this university, Avinode was founded as a final-year university project.
Over the years, Per has become an industry expert and built a personal network with professionals across
every continent. Per is a true entrepreneur, constantly pushing the team at Avinode Group to move forward and develop the offering for the benefit of helping the industry move faster and smother.

Per has a passion for all things aviation and loves traveling the globe to connect and build closer relationships with industry professionals and explore the world with his wife and children. Besides aviation, Per is a foodie that loves giving his tastebuds new flavors, a perfect combination of his passion to traveling.

Scott McCreary

McAfee & Taft

Shareholder

Scott McCreary represents local, national and international clients in connection with matters involving the buying, selling, leasing and financing of aircraft. His practice is primarily focused on matters relating to the Cape Town Convention, the Federal Aviation Act and the FAA Aircraft Registry, such as aircraft title, registration, finance and leasing law, as well as regulatory issues relating to the operation of aircraft under Part 91 of the Federal Aviation Regulations.

Scott is a frequent speaker at aviation conferences in the United States and abroad and has made presentations at venues such as the Strategic Research Institute’s Annual FAA Aircraft Registration, Lien & Securities Interest Conference; the Federal Bar Association’s Aircraft Title, Registration, Finance and Leasing Law Conference; the Institute for International Research’s Corporate Aviation Symposium; the NBAA’s Cape Town International Registry Meeting; and the Geneva International Forum on Aircraft Finance & Commercial Aviation.

His achievements in the area of aviation law have earned him inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America (equipment finance law), Oklahoma Super Lawyers, The International Who’s Who of Aviation Lawyers and Who’s Who Legal.

Scott currently serves on the Regulatory Issues Advisory Group and the Tax Committee of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). He has previously served as the leader of the firm’s Aviation Group and on McAfee & Taft’s board of directors.

Raghu Menon

Titan Aviation

President – Business Development

With 40 years of experience in aviation, Raghu is a proven strategic and creative leader. As President of Titan Aviation, he drives global expansion and business development in Aircraft Management Services. A second-generation co-founder of Air Works India Engineering Pvt. Ltd., he played a pivotal role in transforming the company to a professionally managed enterprise, achieving 13X growth and expanding internationally.

Raghu’s extensive career also includes serving as a seasoned pilot and Director of Operations, specializing in VVIP charters, aerial photography, airport navigation, and more. His expertise spans diverse aviation fields, underscoring his comprehensive leadership and industry impact.

Trevor Merszei

JSSI

Vice President of Business Development, APAC

As Vice President of Business Development, APAC, Trevor leads a dynamic and diverse team in the region delivering a portfolio of JSSI products and services to enhance the ownership experience at every stage of the aircraft life cycle.

Prior to joining JSSI, Trevor served as Chief Executive Officer of OrientSKYs Private Jets, based in Bangkok Thailand. During his 14 years at OrientSKYs, Trevor oversaw the development of charter operations across multiple jurisdictions, forged alliances with national air carriers and operators and retained some of the largest global corporate and institutional charter clients for all their Asian charter needs. Trevor also developed the private jet sales and acquisition brokerage arm of OrientSKYs, counting many firsts through his extensive global network. This included the world’s first pre-owned acquisition of a Gulfstream G650 and the first privately owned Boeing BBJ in Thailand. Mr. Merszei graduated from the University of California, Santa Barbara with a BA in political science.

Stuart Miller

Clyde & Co

Partner

Stuart is the head of the Aviation Finance & Leasing team at Clyde & Co in the Asia Pacific region. He is based in Hong Kong, from where his international aviation practice covers both commercial aircraft and corporate jet transactions.

Stuart has acted for banks and other financiers, export credit agencies, aircraft lessors, airlines and other operators, corporates and HNWIs / UHNWIs on numerous aviation transactions over many years. He has a wide perspective of the industry sector, and acts for a wide range of aviation market participants. He has advised lenders and borrowers, lessors and lessees, sellers and purchasers, and other industry participants on their respective interests across many different types of transactions and structures.

Stuart’s international approach comes from his personal background and his extensive experience gained in international law firms. He has been based in Hong Kong for over 10 years and prior to that he practiced law in London (England) with another international law firm for the previous 10 years. Stuart’s early years of legal practice were in a law firm in Auckland (New Zealand). He has been involved in a wide variety of aviation, commercial, banking and finance, and corporate matters involving many jurisdictions across his career.

Stuart is consistently ranked or referenced in various directories, including Chambers Asia Pacific, The Legal 500 Asia Pacific, IFLR 1000, Who’s Who Legal: Transport, and Who’s Who Legal: Aviation.

Chris Miller

JSSI Aviation Capital

Managing Partner

As Managing Partner of JSSI Aviation Capital, Mr. Miller oversees and leads the team in growing JSSI Aviation Capital into a global market leader in customized asset-based financing alternatives in the business jet space.
Chris was the founder and CEO of Shearwater Global Capital which was a private finance company offering asset-based financing for aviation assets across the globe. Prior to Shearwater he was Managing Director of Guggenheim Partners Business Aircraft Investment (BAI) Group. The BAI Group provided capital solutions to the Business Aviation Industry; specifically, asset-based lending on a medium to large sized business aircraft.
Before entering the business world, Chris served in the United States Marine Corps, as an F/A-18 pilot, Aircraft Maintenance Officer and Aviation Safety Officer. Chris is a graduate of the U.S. Navy & Marine Corps School of Aviation Safety and currently holds a commercial pilot rating. He is an accredited “Senior Aircraft Appraiser” with the American Society of Appraisers (ASA) and the former President of the National Aircraft Finance Association (NAFA). Chris received a BA from Denison University and an MBA from Columbia University.

Bill Molloy

Bombardier

Vice-President, Aftermarket Sales & Parts Services 

Profile coming  soon

Nilesh Pattanayak

Bombardier

Regional Vice President, Sales Asia Pacific

With more than 26 years of aviation experience in sales, strategy, business development and operations at Bombardier, Nilesh is responsible for business aircraft sales in Asia-Pacific and China. Through his strong work ethic, unrelenting focus on trust, relationships and customer experience, he has been leading the effort of Bombardier’s expansion and market leadership across the vast region. A consummate deal maker, Nilesh 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.
Nilesh 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 and Europe. In 2006, he 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, overseeing all new aircraft sales across South Asia, North Asia and Australasia and, in May 2022, he assumed the additional responsibility for new aircraft sales in China.
He is a graduate of McGill University in Montreal, Canada, where he received a Bachelor of Engineering degree and also completed Executive and Advanced Management Programs.
Nilesh is currently based in Singapore.

Emil Pope

Far East Aerospace Network

Managing Director

Emil Pope is an aviation industry veteran with broad business aviation knowledge accumulated during 30+ years with Honeywell Aerospace and more recently as an aviation consultant.
He is an avionics engineer by trade, as well as being a private pilot and holding both MBA and MSEE degrees.
A native of the USA, Emil is presently based in Malaysia and Indonesia. He has over 25 years of experience in the Asia Pacific aviation industry. This includes prior postings in China and Japan.
Emil is a recipient of the Golden Summit Award from the government on Sichuan, China, for his contributions to the development of aviation industry there. He is also a Six Sigma Green Belt.

Leona Qi

Vista

President US

Leona Qi joined Vista in 2016 as head of the Asia-Pacific market, where she tripled the customer base, and now serves as President U.S., Vista. With her leadership, the team is responsible for growing Membership across North America, the biggest and fastest growing market in business aviation. Mrs. Qi has over a decade of experience in capital markets and business aviation finance. Prior to joining Vista, she held various roles at Global Jet Capital, Guggenheim Partners, and BNP Paribas. She holds a master’s degree from Princeton University and resides between New York City and London with her family.

Daniel Renwick

Jetcraft

Sales Director – Australia / New Zealand

Profile coming soon

Sidhant Sharma

2-REG Aircraft Registry

Director: Commercial & Legal

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

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

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

Richard Smith

Civil Aviation Authority of the Cayman Islands

Director General

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

Sakeer Sheik

Titan Aviation

Managing Director

Capt. Sakeer Sheik is the Founder and Managing Director of Titan Aviation, a leading Aircraft Management and Charter Sales company headquartered in the USA with operations spread across worldwide.
Capt Sakeer Sheik who is driven by passion and love for Aviation is one of the youngest Pilot to own an aircraft in India and started his career in the mid 1990’s with a Pilot Training Academy (Flight School).
Later he moved to Dubai – UAE and formed Titan Aviation Group during 2004.
Capt. Sakeer is an Alumni of Embry Riddle. In the past, he has served as a Board Member, and Government Representative for Aviation companies based in the Middle East.
As an industry veteran, he has helped HNI’s and large corporations by proving to them that owning or chartering a private jet is relatively more economical while considering the savings of time and other tangible benefits. He has also been a strong proponent of flight safety and safety management system, and had worked hard to steer owners and customers away from grey charter market.

Rita Tam

TAG Aviation

General Manager, Macau FBO

Rita Tam is General Manager, TAG Macau FBO. She responsible for the operation and growth of the FBO services in Macau. The TAG Macau FBO aims to provide the unique seamless aviation service to all customers coming to and from Macau.
Rita has over 18 years FBO experience and has started her business aviation career in Hong Kong Business Aviation Center since 2002. Prior to joining TAG Aviation Asia, Rita was Director of Customer Relations in Hong Kong Business Aviation Center where she was responsible for overall flight servicing, ground operation, overseeing security program to ensure compliant with the aviation security requirements and ICAO standards.

Mark Thibault

Chapman Freeborn

President, APAC

Profile coming soon

Christoph Thurnherr

Nomad Aviation

VP Aircraft Management

As Vice President of Aircraft Management Christoph Thurnherr is responsible for customer and aircraft management. Christoph has more than 18 years of aviation experience. Before joining Nomad Aviation, he was Vice President Aircraft Management and Charter Sales for Luxaviation Asia, Singpaore, responsible for the Asia Pacific market. Before he has also served as Director Aircraft Management, Director Purchasing and Flight Dispatcher for Jet Aviation Business Jets in Zurich, Switzerland for the EMEA region.

Hibiki Umemoto

Phenix Jet Cayman

Singapore Branch Manager – Sales

Hibiki Umemoto took the role of Branch Manager – Sales for Phenix Jet Cayman in May 2024, as the Japanese American brand opened its new office in Singapore.

Prior to joining the Phenix Jet team, Hibiki spent six years at its parent Sojitz Corporation, where he built up vast experience through serving the Japanese clientele, successfully leading aircraft sales, management, charter, and leasing projects.

In recent years Hibiki focused on M&A strategies and business development for the Sojitz – Phenix Jet alliance and is now based in Singapore with the responsibility to expand its client base and operation network in Southeast Asia.

Mike Walsh

AER Mobi

CEO

Aer Mobi Limited a boutique consultancy firm manages several client accounts in Asia and is a respected aviation advisory firm. Walsh has been a senior consultant since 2019. He has over 25 years’ experience in the industry having worked for the likes of Aer Lingus, ACS -Air Charter Service, Asia Jet and Hongkong Jet. He is a renowned subject matter expert in Business & General Aviation and a super connector when it comes to the Asia Pacific region. Walsh is regularly asked to assist entrepreneurs in raising see and Series A capital, connecting relevant investors with the founders as well as working with respected HNWI’s and senior corporate leaders on their requests. He frequently addresses Government bodies/NGO’s representing business interests in APAC and advocates on behalf of the industry sharing the measures being adopted like investment into alternative Fuels for a more sustainable future. In his current assignments for his client’s he is asked for his opinion in helping business leaders formulate and execute their commercialization & strategic growth plans. He enjoys conducting market analysis and is an active referral sales agent of his clients products and services to a broad network of connections.

Roman Widmer

UBS

Aviation & Yacht Finance APAC

Roman is Director of Aviation & Yacht Finance at UBS. He covers South Asia and India out of UBS’ Singapore office. Being passionate about aviation, he has more than 10 years of experience in aviation finance and holds a Master Degree in Air Transport Management. Before joining UBS’ aircraft finance team,

Roman was based in Zurich and worked for another large aircraft financer as well as a major aviation insurance company.  

Jane Wang

Baker McKenzie

Registered Foreign Lawyer

Profile coming soon

Steve Wilford

Control Risks

Partner

Steve Wilford is the Partner based in Singapore with responsibility for management of special projects and strategic intelligence gathering. Prior to this role Steve ran the Asia-Pacific political and regulatory risk team and also managed the company’s Governance, Ethics and Compliance group in Asia. Until 2014, Steve was the Director of Corporate Investigations for South-East Asia. This remit encompassed joint venture partner/new purchase due diligence, litigation support, discreet enquiries and broader national, provincial and district political and regulatory risk analysis. In his long career with Control Risks Steve also built and managed the company’s India business, focussed for several years as a client facing advisor in the region, and worked as Control Risks’ Senior South-east Asia Analyst. 

Stefan Wood

Air 7 Asia

Executive Director

With 30 years in aviation Stefan has worked in most aspects of aviation. Starting his career as a pilot in Northern Australia Stefan soon developed the taste for business ownership. In 1995 he established Northern Air Charter with one aircraft and an Air Operators Certificate growing the company year on year with the additional aircraft and remote bases. By 2005 Northern Air Charter was operating forty six aircraft with seven bases. Stefan then decided it was time to move back into his original career as a pilot and moved to Singapore as an airline pilot, being a Captain in airline operations added to Stefans aviation skillset. However the yearning for business again took over and Singapore Air Charter was born in 2010. During the pandemic Singapore Air Charter focused on large passenger repatriation charters as the demand for regular charters disappeared. Most recently Air 7 Asia came into existence with a partnership between Air 7 Asia and Air 7 LLC based in Camarillo, California. Air 7 Asia was established to project the services of Air 7 LLC in Asia.

Rocky Zhang

Textron Aviation

Vice President of Government Affairs

Rocky Zhang, has been working as Vice President of
Textron China Government Affairs from Jul 2014. He is
responsible for government affairs and spearheading
Textron’s aviation business development efforts in China.
Rocky Zhang is also the Co-Chair for General Aviation & Business Aviation Committee, and Manufacturing & Airworthiness Committee of U.S. & China Aviation Cooperation Program (ACP) on behalf of Textron. He has been leading different GABA projects with Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) and the aviation industry. Rocky Zhang has been working with U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and CAAC on a lot of activities including organizing and hosting the FAA Asia Pacific Airworthiness Bilateral Partnership Dialogue.

Besides the significant role in ACP, Rocky was elected by the industry as Vice Chairman of Asia Business Aviation Association (AsBAA), and leads the AsBAA China Mainland
Committee as the Chairman for business aviation development.
Before he joined Textron, Rocky has been worked in Boeing since the year of 2003. His last position in Boeing was Chief Engineer of Boeing China Service. In his more than 11
years career in Boeing, Rocky held increasing management positions within Boeing Guangzhou office and Boeing China, and has been working closely with the Chinese commercial aviation industry. Rocky has been well recognized by the industry for providing different trainings related to regulations, airworthiness, engineering management, aging aircraft, new technology, maintenance concept, best practices and other aircraft maintenance & engineering courses to over ten thousand professionals in
the industry all over Great China.

Rocky has been serving as airplane maintenance mechanic, engineer and manager in Beijing Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Corporation from 1995 to 2003. With years of hands-on aircraft maintenance and engineering background, he has accumulated plenty of professional aircraft knowledge and experiences.

Rocky holds a Double E Bachelor Degree from Northwestern Polytechnic University and a Master Degree of Business Administration from Rutgers University of New Jersey, and
mechanic license from FAA.