Conor Neil, TaxiJet
After receiving degrees in Artificial Intelligence and Psychology from the University of Nottingham, Conor Neill went on to pursue a bilingual MBA from IESE Business School in Barcelona. Presently, Conor is the CEO and partner of Taxijet, an air taxi company utilizing Eclipse 500's and based out of Sabadell airport in Barcelona. Conor also collaborate with multiple departments within IESE facilitating interview skills programs and managerial communications courses. Conor has business experience in advertising, e-commerce and the high-tech industry and have been privileged to travel to every continent on the globe and throughout more than 30 countries.
Matthijs de Haan, ETIRC
After graduation in Business Economics at Groningen University in the Netherlands, Matthijs worked for Unilver and Akzo Nobel in various Commercial and Business Development roles for 10 years. In 2002, after his MBA graduation from the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM), he started working on several entrepreneurial projects and ventures within aviation. He was involved in a direct ticket sales project for a Dutch charter airline DutchBird and responsible for the start-up of Denim Airways in Germany. His aviation experience became stronger with the attempt to re-start the Fokker 70 & 100 Aircraft manufacturing within REKKOF AIRCRAFT. Since end of 2005 Matthijs has served as Managing Director of ETIRC AVIATION involved in the development of Air Taxi businesses within Europe, and the sales of the ECLPSE 500 in the former Eastern European countries. Besides his professional career within aviation, he holds a Commercial Pilot License, is a designated pilot instructor and examiner. In his spare time he is a demo-pilot with his 1932 DeHavilland Tiger Moth.
Paolo Sommariva, AirCab
Mr. Paolo Sommariva has detailed experience as a consultant, manager, and entrepreneur in technology innovation (including telecom, software, medical imaging). He worked with both small and large companies including General Electric, Fiat, Apple Computer, Telecom Italia.
Mr. Sommarvia has been active in aviation since 2000 to fulfill his true passion. He served as CEO of small seaplane organization where he turned around operations, tripled flown hours, cleaned balance sheet, brought profitability, acquired self-financed new aircraft to double fleet. His experience includes founding Navigando Airlines, a seaplane airline to serve island markets in Italy with C208. Opperations for Navigando Airlines started in 2007. Mr. Sommarvia sold the company after securing initial financing and core competence team. Mr. Sommarvia also founded RegionAli, regional airline operating wet-lease F50 on Vicenza-Rome route. He secured local entrepreneurs funding and support. RegionAli reached profitability in first month of operation. Italian Government then decided to 'give away' the Vicenza airport to the U.S. as an AFB, de facto eliminating survival conditions.
Mr. Sommariva is extremely connected in the air taxi world of financing, high-technology, and communications and serves as an industry leader. In finance, he introduced the Air Taxi Association to the aircraft financers of DayJet at NBAA 2007.
Peter H. Leiman, Blink
Peter H. Leiman is a co-founder of Blink and has been a Managing Director since its inception.
Peter's multi-faceted background includes finance, aviation, and government. As a mergers and acquisitions investment banker at UBS Warburg in London, Peter advised FTSE 100, Fortune 500, and an array of other international companies on their financial and operational strategies. In 2003, Peter led a team involved in the start up of an Asian low-cost airline developing the strategic and operational business plans. He also worked at The White House on President's Clinton's advance staff in 2000 and at the US Embassy in Paris in 1999. Most recently, Peter was a principal investor with 717 Partners, an investment firm in New York City led by the former Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs.
He received a B.S. in International Political Economy, cum laude, from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and an MBA degree from the Harvard Business School.
Patrick Margetson-Rushmore
Married with 3 delightful children, Patrick has two passions – family and aviation. Along with 2 partners, Patrick set up London Executive Aviation some 11 years ago and we have grown from a 1 Piper Seneca, 2 employee firm to the largest private business Jet Operator in the United Kingdom and one of the largest in Europe. By the end of 2008 we will operate 30 Business Jets including 10 Mustangs – we will be the first VLJ/Air Taxi operator to the market by February 2008.
Stefan Vilner
Stefan Vilner was previously CCO at Sterling Airlines for four years where he was responsible for the airline's revenue and yield management, advertising and branding, distribution and product development. Stefan headed the airline's commercial efforts as they turned a business with combined losses of €120 million into a profitable company. Joining Sterling, Stefan was involved in the start up and running of the London based, BA owned Low Fares airline GO-Fly Ltd. Stefan was also President, and later Chairman, of the Executive Committee in ELFAA, the European Low Fares Airlines Association.
Winfried Boeing
Winfried Boeing is a 50 year-old German national and the Co-Founder and CFO of byJets, an air taxi operator based in Geneva, Switzerland. Winfried also serves as Dean of the International University of Geneva and whenever possible, gives lectures on finance, accounting, and entrepreneurship. His education and work experience has enabled him to author several books covering such topics as Internal Budgeting in Hospitals and an in-depth look at Highly Secure Office Automation Systems. Winfried have been fortunate to be able to travel extensively throughout all six, non-ice-covered continents and have benefited greatly from the cultural exposure and exploration.
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