The Aerospace Executive Podcast

Leading Companies Through Crisis - Hooman Yazhari

Hooman Yazhari is Vice Chairman at Bristow Group and a BOD member with Voyager Aviation as well. During his relatively short career, he has led four companies through very challenging times, including two complete restructurings. His experience and compassion create a great playbook for current and future business leaders. In this episode, we discuss the short and medium-term challenges the aviation/aerospace and airline industry will experience, and how we’ll move beyond the chaos if COVID-19.

 

To come out of the COVID-19 crisis as seamlessly as possible, the industry will have to think holistically about solutions. -Hooman Yazhari

 

Takeaways + Tactics 

• Airline liquidity will be crucial. Cash is king, and in a situation as unprecedented as our current reality, that’s more true than ever. 
  
  
• Governments will need to help the aviation industry. They will be more likely to assist bigger airline companies and flag carriers. Smaller and secondary airlines will be forced to evaluate other options.
  
  
• Less pressing issues, such as carbon footprints will take a back seat to the COVID-19 crisis, but will re-emerge as important topics.

 

Guest Bio

Hooman Yazhari is a transformational CEO. He is the Vice Chairman of the Board at Bristow Group, as well as the Non-Executive Director at Voyager Aviation. Hooman has a tremendous track record of assisting distressed companies through major transformations, and is a key leader in extensive change management. He is an expert in the areas of finance, aviation, private equity and restructuring, among many others. Hooman is also passionate about philanthropic work, and is the Co-Founder and Chairman of the Beyond Capital Fund. 

 

To find out more about Hooman, head to:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/hoomanyazhari

https://www.beyondcapitalfund.org/impactinvestmentfund?lightbox=dataItem-jd3bpkbr 

http://prod-app-01.bristowgroup.com/about-bristow/management/board-of-directors/hooman-yazhari-director/

http://voyager.aero/board

 

Learn More About Your Host:

 

Co-founder and Managing Partner for Northstar Group, Craig is focused on recruiting senior level leadership, sales and operations executives for some of the most prominent companies in the aviation and aerospace industry. Clients include well known aircraft OEM’s, aircraft operators, leasing / financial organizations, and Maintenance / Repair / Overhaul (MRO) providers. 

 

Since 2009 Craig has personally concluded more than 150 executive searches in a variety of disciplines. As the only executive recruiter who has flown airplanes, sold airplanes AND run a business, Craig is uniquely positioned to build deep, lasting relationships with both executives and the boards and stakeholders they serve. This allows him to use a detailed, disciplined process that does more than pair the ideal candidate with the perfect opportunity, and hit the business goals of the companies he serves.

Aviation: From 2020 to Beyond! 30 Minutes with Richard Emery

What is the next frontier in air travel? How can we make long-haul flights more bearable for passengers and what are the risks of not using sustainable fuels in the future? Business Aviation expert Richard Emery shares his views on the future of business aviation. 

The next frontier in aviation is definitely speed. That’s what we should be looking into. -Richard Emery

Takeaways + Tactics 

• The next frontier in aviation is speed. Airplane manufacturers have to start thinking about how they’ll make air travel more time-effective in the future. 
  
• Until we can develop faster travel, manufacturers need to ensure smaller cabins become more comfortable. Prioritizing comfort while maintaining price and performance will be a challenge.
   
• Finding sustainable solutions is vital for the future of aviation. In the coming years, there might not be total bans of airplanes using non-sustainable fuel, but it’s likely there will be penalties.

 

Guest Bio

Richard Emery is the President of Emery Holdings, LLC. Richard has an extensive background in the business aviation space, having served as the COO of Mente Group, LLC, and as the President International and President Americas, respectively, at Hawker Beechcraft Corp. Richard is known for his calm presence in difficult situations and is relied upon for innovative strategic vision and management.

 

For more information on Richard, head to:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardemery2

How COVID-19 Is Impacting Aerospace

The COVID-19 epidemic is a bit like a hurricane.  Let’s get through it together.  

Panicking is more dangerous than hunkering down. -Craig Picken 

Takeaways + Tactics

• Hurricanes are scary, but they do pass and life will return to normal. 
  
• Focusing on one metric or putting your eggs in one basket is never a good thing. 
   
• Airlines are parking airplanes and doing limited maintenance of Safety of Flight only.  But it will get better.
  
• When the airlines do return, they will rebalance on the back of cheap oil and very efficient airplanes. The MAX, A220 and A320-NEO are solid and efficient.
  
• This is a good time to polish up on skills, reading and brushing up our resume so we can hit the ground running when things return to normal.

 

Learn More About Your Host:

Co-founder and Managing Partner for Northstar Group, Craig is focused on recruiting senior level leadership, sales and operations executives for some of the most prominent companies in the aviation and aerospace industry. Clients include well known aircraft OEM’s, aircraft operators, leasing / financial organizations, and Maintenance / Repair / Overhaul (MRO) providers. 

Since 2009 Craig has personally concluded more than 150 executive searches in a variety of disciplines. As the only executive recruiter who has flown airplanes, sold airplanes AND run a business, Craig is uniquely positioned to build deep, lasting relationships with both executives and the boards and stakeholders they serve. This allows him to use a detailed, disciplined process that does more than pair the ideal candidate with the perfect opportunity, and hit the business goals of the companies he serves. 

How to Move Business Aviation Forward in 2020. 30 minutes with Brian Foley

A deep look into industry trends will help anticipate that which is yet to come.  Brian Foley, Forbes contributor and founder of AvStrategies, shares his expert insights on how business aviation will move forward in 2020 and beyond. 

The winners in business aviation will be those with new, innovative products. -Brian Foley

 

Takeaways + Tactics 

• Innovation is vital. To be a winner tomorrow, companies must innovate today.
  
  
• Prioritize efficiency. Any innovations offering fuel efficiency are likely to become popular in the coming years.
  
  
• Pay attention to new players from outside the industry. Tech companies are showing major interest in aviation.
  

Guest Bio

Brian Foley is the founder of AvStrategies and Brian Foley Associates, a consulting company dedicated to guiding aerospace firms and investors in the right direction. Brian began his career as a flight test engineer and marketing manager at Boeing Commercial, before going on to become the Marketing Director at Dassault Falcon Jet. Today, Brian is a regular contributor to Forbes Magazine.

 

To find out more about Brian, head to

https://www.forbes.com/sites/brianfoley1/#670d1b802c2e

https://www.brifo.com/

 

Learn More About Your Host:

Co-founder and Managing Partner for Northstar Group, Craig is focused on recruiting senior level leadership, sales and operations executives for some of the most prominent companies in the aviation and aerospace industry. Clients include well known aircraft OEM’s, aircraft operators, leasing / financial organizations, and Maintenance / Repair / Overhaul (MRO) providers. 

Since 2009 Craig has personally concluded more than 150 executive searches in a variety of disciplines. As the only executive recruiter who has flown airplanes, sold airplanes AND run a business, Craig is uniquely positioned to build deep, lasting relationships with both executives and the boards and stakeholders they serve. This allows him to use a detailed, disciplined process that does more than pair the ideal candidate with the perfect opportunity, and hit the business goals of the companies he serves.

Business Aircraft Sales in 2020 – 30 Minutes with Don Dwyer

The business aviation space saw a slight decrease in transactions in the past year, but there are still ample opportunities in the market. Don Dwyer, Managing Partner at Guardian Jet, shares why he’s bullish on business aircraft sales. 

 

Don’t panic about major changes in the industry just yet. Carbon footprint-related changes in the industry won’t be our reality for some time. -Don Dwyer

 

Takeaways + Tactics 

• Don’t panic over slight market drops - although there was a small decrease in the number of transactions in 2019, there has been a general trend of stabilization over the past 3 years. 
  
• There is a lot of competition. Be smart and respond to exactly what the customer wants. 
  
• Aircraft buyers and sellers must be willing to negotiate. With ample competition, sophisticated buyers are able to take their business elsewhere.

Serving the New Generation of FBO Clients w/Anthony Banome

The new challenge in Business Aviation is catering to a new generation of aircraft owners and flyers. On this episode, FBO Director of Sales for Fontainebleau Aviation, Anthony Banome shares his thoughts on keeping the FBO flourishing in the future.

Focus on speeding up your responsiveness- younger owners are typically pretty savvy with communication and response time. -Anthony Banome

Takeaways + Tactics 

• Be more communication savvy and offer quicker response times. The younger generation of aircraft owners tend to expect faster results.
  
• Mimic the format of larger FBO chains but take advantage of their weaknesses. Clients are accustomed to bigger FBO chains, but there’s always room for improvement. 
   
• Work with the client’s preferred mode of communication in mind. There are so many ways to communicate today, that it only makes sense to tailor our interactions to the clients’ needs and desires.
  
  

On this episode, we spoke about the importance of building and maintaining relationships in an FBO business. After discussing how to interact with new clients, we also discussed how business aviation can impact our clients’ lives- both in terms of their businesses and with regard to family life. 

We also discussed:

• Why word-of-mouth advertising will always have tremendous value
• That we need to stop comparing ourselves to competitors and strive to be the best
• The key changes in the business aviation and FBO space
  

Guest Bio

Anthony Banome is the FBO Director of Sales for Fontainebleau Aviation. Banome joined the company in 2017 to help manage, grow, and overlap all aspects of Fontainebleau’s brand new facility and services. Building a strong network and providing first-class hangar, office, and fuel services are the primary focus.

Anthony received his education from Saint John’s University Tobin College of Business in New York City. Before breaking into the corporate world, he taught Mathematics for the New York City Department of Education. After teaching, he honed his FBO management and aviation skills during his ten years as Director of Sales at Meridian – located at Teterboro Airport. Anthony was presented the “40 under Forty” award by Airport Business in 2013 for being one of “the best and brightest” in the industry. He looks to bring the same passion and analytical approach to Fontainebleau Aviation.

 

Banome is also a volunteer and active member in Humble Heroes; a group of committed volunteers joining forces with members of the FDNY to achieve one common goal-  to lift the spirits of ill and grieving children. Disguised as the most infamous superheroes of our time, they visit local hospitals and grief centers to bring joy and inspire kids to keep fighting life’s injustices.

 

To find out more about Anthony, visit:

https://fontainebleauaviation.com/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-banome-39036341/ 

You can also call him on O.(305) 685-4646 or C.(718) 344-3638

 

Learn More About Your Host:

 

Co-founder and Managing Partner for Northstar Group, Craig is focused on recruiting senior level leadership, sales and operations executives for some of the most prominent companies in the aviation and aerospace industry. Clients include well known aircraft OEM’s, aircraft operators, leasing / financial organizations, and Maintenance / Repair / Overhaul (MRO) providers. 

 

Since 2009 Craig has personally concluded more than 150 executive searches in a variety of disciplines. As the only executive recruiter who has flown airplanes, sold airplanes AND run a business, Craig is uniquely positioned to build deep, lasting relationships with both executives and the boards and stakeholders they serve. This allows him to use a detailed, disciplined process that does more than pair the ideal candidate with the perfect opportunity, and hit the business goals of the companies he serves.

Resolutions: What Happens When You Stick to Them?

It’s the end of New Year Resolution Season. How are yours coming along?  On this episode, we talk about eliminating resolutions and substituting them with small, actionable habits and routines that get results.  

Tie your goals to a metric- it gives you something more concrete to work on. -Matt Johnson

 

Takeaways + Tactics 

• Resolutions are thoughts and wishes, while habits are action. Create simple habits. 
  
• Results require commitments. Commitments require conscious decisions. Be intentional!
  
• Tie your goals to easy actions in order to achieve metrics which give you something concrete to work towards. Everyone can walk 100 more yards or make 3 more phone calls a day.
  

 

Learn More About Your Host:

 

Co-founder and Managing Partner for Northstar Group, Craig is focused on recruiting senior level leadership, sales and operations executives for some of the most prominent companies in the aviation and aerospace industry. Clients include well known aircraft OEM’s, aircraft operators, leasing / financial organizations, and Maintenance / Repair / Overhaul (MRO) providers. 

 

Since 2009 Craig has personally concluded more than 150 executive searches in a variety of disciplines. As the only executive recruiter who has flown airplanes, sold airplanes AND run a business, Craig is uniquely positioned to build deep, lasting relationships with both executives and the boards and stakeholders they serve. This allows him to use a detailed, disciplined process that does more than pair the ideal candidate with the perfect opportunity, and hit the business goals of the companies he serves.

Everything Has a Shelf Life - Make Yours Unlimited

The abrupt dismissal of Boeing CEO, Dennis Muilenburg, proves that all jobs have a shelf life. How can we extend ours and is there any risk in having conversations with other industry players? On this episode, we share the power of networking and how to make our career opportunities unlimited.

Go to conferences, and pay your way if need be. See what’s out there and learn something. -Craig Picken

 

Takeaways + Tactics 

• Don’t get complacent. No matter how comfortable you are there is always a chance that could change. Every company is for sale!
  
  
• Conversations, Networking and Industry Conferences are essential to build relationships and learn about career opportunities.
   
• Read, Read and Read some more. Knowledge about your industry is power!

 

Learn More About Your Host:

Co-founder and Managing Partner for Northstar Group, Craig is focused on recruiting senior level leadership, sales and operations executives for some of the most prominent companies in the aviation and aerospace industry. Clients include well known aircraft OEM’s, aircraft operators, leasing / financial organizations, and Maintenance / Repair / Overhaul (MRO) providers. 

Since 2009 Craig has personally concluded more than 150 executive searches in a variety of disciplines. As the only executive recruiter who has flown airplanes, sold airplanes AND run a business, Craig is uniquely positioned to build deep, lasting relationships with both executives and the boards and stakeholders they serve. This allows him to use a detailed, disciplined process that does more than pair the ideal candidate with the perfect opportunity, and hit the business goals of the companies he serves. 

Call-to-Action - For more aerospace industry news & commentary: https://goo.gl/3piJkw. To learn more about Craig Picken and the NorthStar Group, visit http://northstaresg.com/.

How to Treat Your Business Like a Bicycle w/Rich Allen

Creating a better team, with a clear vision, is like riding a bike. It’s a simple matter of ensuring everyone gets a smooth and comfortable ride. Rich Allen, author, speaker and business advisor at Tour de Profit, Rich Allen, shares why building a business is like riding a bike.

If any function of a bike goes down, it becomes unrideable. No part is more important than another - whether on a bicycle or in a business. -Rich Allen

 

Takeaways + Tactics 

• Business is like a bike. If one component of a bike stops working, it’s trouble ahead. For a smooth ride, every team member has to be the right fit.
  
  
• Set the vision and steer the business. It’s impossible to arrive at the right destination if we don’t know where we’re going.
   
• Think of hiring processes and onboarding programs to the business like a bicycle seat. Make it as comfortable as possible for new talent to join our ranks.

We also discussed:

• How to motivate team members
• Why we need stricter hiring processes in place
• When culture is more important than skill

 

Guest Bio

Rich Allen is a business advisor at Tour de Profit with a mission to put an end to small business failure. As an engaging speaker focused on inspiring businesses and helping them strategize new ideas, Rich is passionate about helping small business owners tackle the challenges they face in a competitive marketplace. In his sessions, he teaches business owners how to create profitable, sustainable businesses driven by precision-selected, high performance teams.

To find out more about Rich and Tour de Profit, head to 

tourdeprofit.com/aerospace

 

Learn More About Your Host:

Co-founder and Managing Partner for Northstar Group, Craig is focused on recruiting senior level leadership, sales and operations executives for some of the most prominent companies in the aviation and aerospace industry. Clients include well known aircraft OEM’s, aircraft operators, leasing / financial organizations, and Maintenance / Repair / Overhaul (MRO) providers. 

Since 2009 Craig has personally concluded more than 150 executive searches in a variety of disciplines. As the only executive recruiter who has flown airplanes, sold airplanes AND run a business, Craig is uniquely positioned to build deep, lasting relationships with both executives and the boards and stakeholders they serve. This allows him to use a detailed, disciplined process that does more than pair the ideal candidate with the perfect opportunity, and hit the business goals of the companies he serves.

Effective Negotiation: Remaining Calm and Nimble During Difficult Conversations - Derek Gaunt

Negotiations can be uncomfortable, difficult and even contentious. Former Hostage Negotiator Derek Gaunt, author of “Ego, Authority, Failure”, teaches business leaders to gain trust and negotiate evenly when emotions are running high. 

Every difficult conversation is a guided discovery process. -Derek Gaunt  

Takeaways + Tactics 

• A negotiation is nothing more than a difficult conversation. Discomfort and negative emotions impede our ability to cognitively process that which is in front of us.
  
• Awkwardness promotes accelerated learning because it forces the brain to focus more. When feeling awkward, our brain is telling us there’s no synaptic connection developed for the skill. 
   
• Most of us are intermittent or rebuttal listeners. We get so focused on the threat, demand or request, that we don’t try to find out which is driving it. 
  
• It is impossible to be angry and afraid if you’re genuinely curious about what the other side has to say.
  

Guest Bio 

Derek is a lecturer, expert negotiation trainer, coach at Black Swan Group and author of Ego, Authority, Failure: Using Emotional Intelligence Like a Hostage Negotiator to Succeed as a Leader. 

He has 29 years of law enforcement experience - 20 of which as a team member, leader, and then commander of hostage negotiations teams in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. He is a hostage negotiation and incident command subject matter expert who frequently speaks at hostage negotiations and SWAT conferences across the country. As a member of the Black Swan Group, he is a negotiation trainer and personal coach. Derek has trained throughout the US and around the world, instructing business organizations on how to apply hostage negotiations practices and principles to their world. Derek presents seminars and in-house training programs in a variety of environments. His presentations are engaging and filled with useful techniques for understanding human behavior and navigating difficult conversations. His training has helped leaders and their organizations increase their performance by changing the way they think about communicating one person to another. 

For more information visit https://www.blackswanltd.com/ and buy his book Ego, Authority, Failure: Using Emotional Intelligence Like a Hostage Negotiator to Succeed as a Leader here.

 

Learn More About Your Host:

Co-founder and Managing Partner for Northstar Group, Craig is focused on recruiting senior level leadership, sales and operations executives for some of the most prominent companies in the aviation and aerospace industry. Clients include well known aircraft OEM’s, aircraft operators, leasing / financial organizations, and Maintenance / Repair / Overhaul (MRO) providers. 

Since 2009 Craig has personally concluded more than 150 executive searches in a variety of disciplines. As the only executive recruiter who has flown airplanes, sold airplanes AND run a business, Craig is uniquely positioned to build deep, lasting relationships with both executives and the boards and stakeholders they serve. This allows him to use a detailed, disciplined process that does more than pair the ideal candidate with the perfect opportunity, and hit the business goals of the companies he serves.