a lion of a man - squarespace · a lion of a man by frank m. jay on friday, january 12, 2018, james...

A Lion Of A Manby Frank M. Jay

On Friday, January 12, 2018, James W. Arpey was buried in the Houston, Texas area. He died several days earlier after battling health problems for a number of years.

He was well known in the airline industry and worked for many years for Frank Lorenzo and Continental Airlines heading up the Technical Operations division and also Aircraft Sales. He was re-cruited away from Frontier Airlines by Lorenzo in the early 1970’s and he headed up Tech Ops for Texas International Airlines and then Continental after Lorenzo’s Texas Air Corp purchased Con-tinental and merged the two airlines. After Lorenzo and Texas Air sold their interest in CAL in 1990, Jim resigned his position and accepted executive level responsibilities with the new Pan American World Airways working for Chief Executive Officer, Marty Shu-grue. He continued his work there until the new Pan Am shut down in 1998 and Jim retired.

Jim was well known as a leader and an executive and he helped many airline and aviation people in their growth as professionals, including me. His smile and his personality were infectious and his ability to communicate was outstanding. Combined with a laser-like ability to focus and a very high intelligence level, no wonder that his ability to lead and direct took him to the very top of the airline industry.

During Jim’s time in the airline business, turmoil was the order of the day and Jim was right in the thick of everything that was going on. In the eighties and nineties, TWA and Eastern and Pan Am…all major airlines…were shut down or sold as Robert Crandall, Frank Lorenzo, Dick Ferris, Don Burr, Stephen Wolf, and other airline executives changed aviation to become the industry that we now know. Jim worked for Lorenzo, Don Burr and Stephen Wolf and he certainly knew Crandall and Ferris as he worked to compete with their airlines on a day-to-day and year-to-year basis. He could be counted on to direct his operations in the achievement of outstand-ing results…regardless of how hard they were to come by.

But more importantly, he gained those results by caring for those persons who worked for him…by appreciating their efforts and by giving more on his part to achieve results than they were required to give on theirs.

(Continued, Page 4)

Frank Jay & Associates | Aviation & Aerospace Executive Search(281) 359-9040 | www.frankjayassoc.net

January 2018 In this Issue: * A Lion Of A Man * Aviation & Aerospace Employment Indices * On The Move

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On The Move


Aviation Executive Monthly JANUARY 20182

AAR announced that Chairman & Chief Executive Officer David Storch will retire after a lifetime career at AAR, effective May 31st, and that President & COO, John Holmes will become CEO at that time. Andrew Kemmetmueller joined in the newly created position of Chief Digital Of-ficer. Mr. Kemmetmueller most recently served as the Head of Aviation at Uptake.

Aer Lingus welcomed Michael Burke as Director, Network Planning & Alliances. He joined from Hong Kong Airlines where he served as Assistant Director, Commercial. The Irish airline also announced that Jack Foley, the Aer Lingus executive responsible for the airline’s North American business, has retired. Bill Byrne, VP of Inbound Sales for Hertz and former Managing Director-Specialty Sales for United Airlines, will take over as head of the North American business at the end of January.

Aero Controls announced the appointment of Steve Richardson as Chief Financial Officer. He succeeds Mary Ann Burns, who is stepping down to focus on affiliated company business.

Air France KLM Martinair Cargo promoted Michael Rolfe to Regional Cargo Operations Manager-NE USA. Michael has been with Air France since 2001 and most recently served as Dangerous Goods Instructor - Air France.

Air Lease Corp. promoted Tanvee Kumar from Senior Manager, Finance & Accounting to Director of Accounting.

Air Serbia announced that Chief Executive Officer, Dane Kondic, will step down after 4 1/2 years. Duncan Naysmith, current Chief Financial & Business Transformation Officer, has been appointed as Interim Chief Executive Officer.

Airforce Turbine Service (ATS) welcomed Wayne Butler as Regional Engine Sales Manager-North America. Wayne had previously worked for Parts Exchange as Senior Sales Rep.

AirlinePros appointed Keir Lieberman as Regional Sales Manager. Keir was the Western Regional Sales Manager-The Americas for airberlin since 2012.

AJW Group announced the appointment of Han-Ley Tang as Chief Information Officer. Mr. Tang will also be a member of the executive leadership team.

Alaska Airlines welcomed John Lee as Director, System Operations-SOC. John joined from Virgin America where he served as Manager-OCC Policies & Administration. Todd Traynor-Corey was named Director-Onboard Food & Beverage. He previously worked for United Airlines as Managing Director-Hospitality, Planning & Experience. Doug Stolls moved from Manager of Guest Relations at Virgin America to Manager of Guest Services-SFO for Alaska Airlines.

Allegiant Travel Company announced the resignation of Scott Allard, Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer effective December 31st. Robert Wilson, Senior Vice President-Information Systems, will serve as interim Chief Information Officer.

American Airlines promoted Tim McMahan to Director, Flight Service Administration & Field Support. Tim previously held the position of Senior Manager, Customer Service Policy & Procedure. Spencer Honey was promoted from Director of Powerplant and Landing Gear Pro-grams to Director of Technical Operations Procurement.

Apache Corporation named Jeremy Hill Head of Supply Chain. Hill had worked for CHC Helicopter as the Global Director, Category Man-agement & Distribution.

Atlas Air recently welcomed Dave Maines as Senior Manager, Express Operations Network. He joined from Southern Air Inc. where he was Manager of Network Operations.

Austrian Airlines named Wolfgang Jani as Chief Financial Officer, succeeding Heinz Lachinger, effective April 16, 2018. Jani is the former Chief Financial Officer of Schindler Deutschland AG & Co.

BAE Systems promoted Scott Sugars from Senior Quality Manager to Senior Supply Chain Manager-Material Management. Scott has been with BAE since 2003. Karin Hoeing was named Group Human Resources Director and member of the Executive Committee. She joined from Schlumberger where she was President, Wireline.

Boeing promoted John Kinsman from Vice President, Global Sales & Service to Managing Director-Hong Kong. Mr. Kinsman has been with Boeing since 2015.

British Airways welcomed Stephan Koenen as Aircraft Interiors Product Senior Manager. Mr. Koenen joined from Hawaiian Airlines where he served as Product Manager-Cabin Interiors.

C&L Aerospace announced that Richard Longely joined as Regional Sales Manager-ERJ 145 Program. Mr. Longely most recently served as Director of International Sales for ATCO/LanAir.



Cirrus Aircraft named Nathan Anderson as Director of Aftermarket Business. Nathan has been with Cirrus since 2007 and most recently worked as the Manager of Aftermarket Parts.

CommutAir named Vern Berry as Director of Quality for the Cleveland based United Express regional carrier.

Constant Aviation promoted Daniel Davenport to Director, Business Development-Airframe. He had previously served as Midwest Regional Sales Manager since 2016. Greg Davis was named Director of Maintenance. He had worked as Avionics Manager since 2000.

Desert Jet welcomed Julian Fierro as Director of Maintenance. Fierro previously worked for Meridian Aviation as Chief of Maintenance.

Dynamic Aviation named Phil Douglas Director of Program Management. Phil has served as Director of Engineering with Dynamic Aviation since 2011.

Emirates promoted Hector Gomez Zurita to Commercial Manager. Hector had served as Agency Support Manager with Emirates since 2016.

Encompass Aviation, the Part 135 operator providing service for Surf Air, recently welcomed Sean Kaveney as Chief Pilot. Sean had worked at the FAA as an Aviation Safety Inspector since 2011. Scott Hall recently joined as Director of Operations Training. Scott joined from The Corps Group, where he held the position of Vice President, Business Development.

Erickson Inc. announced that Kevin Cochie was named Vice President and General Manager of Defense & National Security, Hayden Olson will serve as Vice President of Safety & Human Capital, and Chris Schuldt assumed the role of Chief of Staff and Senior Director of DNS Special Programs.

Etihad Aviation Group confirmed the appointment of Mark Powers as Group Chief Financial Officer. Powers will be responsible for the finance function across the Abu Dhabi-based group’s five divisions, including Etihad Airways, Etihad Airways Engineering, Etihad Airport Services, Hala Group, and Airline Equity Partners. He was most recently a Professor of Finance at Tulane University, previously served as CFO of JetBlue Airways, and held positions of progressive responsibility with Northwest Airlines, Continental Airlines, and GE Aviation.

FEAM Maintenance & Engineering welcomed Wayne Sisson as Vice President of Technical Operations. Mr. Sisson previously served as Vice President MRO Logistics Support with HAECO Americas.

GECAS named Declan Kelly as Chief Commercial Officer. Mr. Kelly will continue to serve as Executive Vice President-US, Latin America & Caribbean until his replacement is found.

Go Airlines, Ltd. appointed Jyri Strandman as Chief Operating Officer. He is the former Director of Operations/Vice President of Flight Operations for Spirit Airlines.

Gulfstream Aerospace promoted Allen Parker to PC ODA Manager. Mr. Parker has been with Gulfstream since 2005 and most recently served as Project Quality Engineering Manager.

HAECO Americas recently welcomed James Henderson as Director of Operations. James had been Senior Director of Quality with Lisi Aero-space since 2015.

Horizon Air announced that David Campbell, CEO of the regional carrier that is part of the Alaska Air Group, has stepped down for personal reasons. Campbell joined Horizon Air from JetBlue three years ago. Gary Beck was named to replace Campbell as President and CEO, and Constance von Muehlen was named Chief Operating Officer. Beck is not a newcomer to Alaska Air Group, having served at Alaska Airlines from 2008 to June 2015 as Vice President of Flight Operations. Von Muehlen is a former U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter pilot and seven year veteran of Alaska Airlines Maintenance and Engineering division. She most recently held the role of Managing Director of Airframe, Engine and Component Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul for Alaska Airlines.

Jet Support Services, Inc. recently welcomed Francisco Camoes as Director of Business Development-Helicopter Services. Mr. Camoes previ-ously served as International Business Development/GS Latin America for Rockwell Collins.

JetBlue Airways promoted Angelica Rampersad from Senior Financial Analyst, FP&A to Manager, Financial Planning & Analysis.

The Kansas Department of Transportation selected Robert Brock to take on the role of Interim Director of Aviation, succeeding Merrill Atwater. Brock served over 22 years in the U.S. Air Force and retired as a Lieutenant Colonel, and was most recently Kansas’ first Director of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Brock will continue to work closely with the FAA and aviation stakeholders and across the nation to sup-port Kansas aviation. He will also oversee the Kansas Airport Improvement Program, Unmanned Systems Program, and Science, Technology, and Aviation Resource (STAR) Program.

On The Move, Continued...

On The MoveNorwegian, the low cost Norwegian airline, has announced a management shake-up, including the appointment of a new CFO. Geir Karlsen joins the carrier from London-based shipping firm Navig8 Group, with Norwegian’s acting CFO, Tore Ostby, shifting into a new position as EVP Strategic Development. Kurt Simonsen also joins Norwegian as Chief Information Officer. Simonsen has spent the past 17 years as a partner and co-owner of the consulting firm Infocom Group.

Pratt & Whitney promoted Jacelyn Lopez to General Manager-West Palm Beach Center. Jacelyn has been with Pratt & Whitney since 2005 and most recently served as Assembly & Test Operations Manager.

PSA Airlines promoted Michael Bruhn to Vice President of Finance. Michael had served as Director of Finance since 2016.

Raytheon welcomed Ben Durrance as Program Chief Engineer. Durrance had most recently served as Director of Quality-Army Fleet Support with L3.

Republic Airline welcomed Cherie Olson as Manager of Financial Planning & Analysis. She joined from Wessler Engineering where she held the position of Controller.

Silver Airways promoted Dawn Cilley to Director-Customer Service Standards & Call Center/Interim AOSC. Dawn previously served as Manager-Airport Customer Service Standards & Training/Interim AOSC.

Southwest Airlines named Rich Elwell Regional Leader-Airport Affairs. Rich joined from Virgin America where he had served as General Manager-Dallas Love Field since 2014. Michael Sikes was promoted to Director, Operations Planning-Inflight. He was formerly the Senior Manager-Commercial Initiatives and has been with Southwest since 2008.

Spirit Aerosystems, Inc. named David Dell as Program Manager-Supplier Development. David had previously worked for Lee Aerospace as Plant Manager & Program Manager. Derek Patterson was promoted to Senior Manager, transfer of Work SCM. John Coleman was promoted to Senior Procurement Manager. John had served as Procurement Program Manager since 2013.

Sunvair, Inc. announced the appointment of Dale Roberts as Chief Operations Officer. Dale worked for Erickson Aircrane since 2003 and most recently served as Senior Director of Plant Operations.

SuperJet International welcomed Stewart R. Cordner as Senior Vice President, Commercial. Mr. Cordner most recently served as Director of International Sales & Marketing with Ilyushin Finance Co.

Team Aero, LLC appointed Jeff Bardal as Vice President of Operations. Jeff previously served as Vice President of Business Development for AeroVision International.

United Airlines announced the appointment of Kate Gebo as Executive Vice President, Human Resources and Labor Relations. She succeeded the retiring Mike Bonds.

United Technologies promoted Thomas Smith from Senior Supply Chain Manager-Cost Management to Associated Director-Cost Management Supply Chain.

WestJet welcomed Gandeephan Ganeshalingam as Vice President, Lean & Continuous Improvement and joined from GE Canada, where he served as CIO. Stuart McDonald was named Vice President & Chief Technology Officer. Stuart most recently served as Vice President, Strategic Initiatives, and Vice President, Employee Enablement at TD Bank. Scott Groh joined as Vice President, Crew Resources. Scott most recently worked for Qatar Airways as Senior Vice President, Crew Resources, Flight Operations.

_________________________________________A Lion Of A Man (Continued from Page 1)

Jim will be sorely missed by the many people he touched during his time on earth. No doubt, his family will miss him, but the rest of us that knew him, laughed with him, and worked with him to achieve results will miss him just as well. We all lost a great smile, a strong laugh, a sharp wit, a mentor and a very good friend.

He was a lion of a man.Sincerely,

Frank M. JayFrank Jay & Associates | Aviation & Aerospace Executive Search

(281) 359-9040 | www.frankjayassoc.net


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