WATS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Director - Aviation & Defence, Training Solutions, Seeing Machines
- Director of Aviation
Alexander Robinson is the Director of Aviation and Defence - Training Solutions at Seeing Machines, where he leads the development and growth of aircrew monitoring and training solutions through Seeing Machines' computer vision expertise. Alexander previously worked within Seeing Machines' road freight division, progressing driver monitoring systems. Alexander is a co founder of private aviation service provider Airly, and began his career as a pilot trainee with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). He holds a Bachelor of Business and Master of Business Administration from the University of New South Wales, a Diploma of Government from the RAAF, and maintains a Private Pilot Licence with several endorsements and ratings.
Job Titles:
- Senior Account Director, GP Strategies
Andy currently serves in the role of Senior Account Director for GP Strategies, a leading workforce transformation partner. While Andy's education is in engineering, he has worked in learning and development with GP Strategies for nearly 25 years. During this time, he has served in a variety of roles including content developer, instructional designer, project manager, operations director, and now account director. Andy has helped clients across many industries solve their workforce transformation issues and, over the past 5 years, he has focused on the aerospace and defense industry. Outside of his job with GP Strategies, Andy co-owns a non-profit with his wife focused on helping disadvantaged and marginalized children.
Job Titles:
- Organisational Development Consultant, Angeline Ram Consulting
Angeline Ram is an aviation professional with 18 years of industry experience in Canada, the Middle East and conflict zones within commercial and business aviation and MROs. She has worked in various roles within the field of aviation, progressing from cabin crew, to training design and facilitation, to QA auditing and SMS system design and implementation. In 2018 Angeline completed her MSc in Air Transport Management at Cranfield University. Now, she is a published academic and Ph.D. Candidate at the University of Waterloo researching how perceptions of identity shape employee safety reporting behaviour in air transportation. She is also completing a Certificate in University Teaching while facilitating workshops at the University's Centre for Teaching Excellence. Angeline has taught aviation safety at the university level and is an SMS consultant specializing in SMS design and implementation for small-scale operations in the EU. She has presented her transdisciplinary work at high-profile conferences in safety culture, labour geography and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Job Titles:
- Program Analyst, Training and FSTD Policy Development Section
With over 20 years of experience in aviation, Ms. Adams is currently serving as a Program Analyst in the Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) Air Transportation Division, Training and Simulator Group, and has held several FAA positions within the FAA's Flight Standards Service, Aircraft Certification Service, and the Office of Accident Investigation.
Ms. Adams has both led and been a team member of numerous rule projects to include the rule that revised the Airline Transport Pilot requirements, the most recent update to the part 60 simulator requirements which enabled the extended envelope training to be conducted, the rule that established the remote pilot certificate, and the Special Federal Aviation Regulation that provided relief to the general aviation community during the pandemic.
Ms. Adams has served as a subject matter expert for numerous pilot qualification and training-related aviation rulemaking committees (ARC) and currently serves as the Designated Federal Official (Co-Chair) for the Air Carrier Training ARC. She is also the U.S. Member to the ICAO Personnel Training and Licensing Panel and a subject matter expert to the Airman Certification Standards Working Group under the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee.
Ms. Adams has more than 2,200 hours of flight experience. She was a first officer for a part 121 regional airline and previously worked for an aviation advocacy organization. Ms. Adams earned a BBA in Aviation Management and a MS in Aviation from the University of North Dakota.
Job Titles:
- Head of Air Operations and People, Joby Aviation
Prior to joining the team at Joby, Bonny held several operational and strategic roles at JetBlue within Flight Operations, System Operations, People, Airports, and Customer Support. Most notably, she founded and let JetBlue Technology Ventures. As a pilot, Bonny has commanded Boeing, Airbus and Embraer aircraft at both United Airlines and JetBlue Airways. Bonny holds degrees from Stanford University and Regis University. She is an Emmy-nominated sports reporter and a 3-time Olympian in the sport of Luge and Bobsled.
Job Titles:
- Senior Airline Manager / Airbus Check Captain / Senior Lecturer Aviation, University of Southern Queensland & Jetstar Airways
Job Titles:
- Executive Director of the Professional Aviation Board of Certification
- Executive Director, Professional Aviation Board of Certification
Captain Wolfe has served as the Executive Director of the Professional Aviation Board of Certification since retiring from Southwest Airlines in 2002. He is active with ICAO's NGAP and IPTC initiatives, the Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI), a Fellow in the Royal Aeronautical Society and a Liveryman in the Honorable Company of Air Pilots.
At Southwest, he flew the line, headed the Human Factors/CRM program and served as the Chair of the Air Transportation Association Human Factors Committee. He served for ten years with a regional airline as a line pilot, check airman, Director of Flight Operations and VP/Personnel. A retired USAF colonel, he flew the F-4 Phantom and held a wide range flying, safety, maintenance and training posts during his career. He has logged over 18,000 flight hours and holds a Master's degree from the University of Illinois in Public Administration.
Captain Philip Adrian FRAeS has served the global aviation industry for over 30 years and is considered a Subject Matter Expert on Aviation Training, Simulation, Operational Suitability, EBT/CBT, UPRT and world-wide operational regulatory affairs.
He currently serves as the CEO of MPS, the leading Fixed Base Simulator manufacturer for the Airbus A320 and Boeing B737 series as well as ancillary tools for the professional flight training industry. He leads two factories, one in the Netherlands and one in Germany as well as an innovation team in the Netherlands. MPS partners with airlines, training organizations, OEMs and TDMs to provide tailored and innovative solutions for all training needs.
Philip started as the MPS CEO in May 2018 after 11 years at Boeing, where he fulfilled multiple roles. He joined Boeing as an airplane instructor on 737, 777 and 787 in August 2007 and further served as Boeing's 737/737 MAX Chief Technical Pilot, Assistant Chief Pilot, Chief Pilot Regulatory Affairs and lastly as Chief Pilot Regulatory Strategy. He was responsible for setting and coordinating global training standards and regulatory EIS support of new Boeing airplanes such as the 787, 737 MAX and 777X ranges. He was also involved in the design and flight testing of all new Boeing products, including the NMA range.
Prior to his roles at Boeing, Philip was an airline Captain, Instructor/Examiner and served as Head of Training as well as in other management and executive positions for a major European airline. He joined the airline in 1992 after Officers and Flight training in the Royal Netherlands Air Force, where his career started, and serving as a Flight Instructor.
During the entirety of his career, Philip has operated, flight tested and instructed for over 13.000 flight hours. He holds 737, 777 and 787 Type Ratings, and has instructed on all those types. Philip has also served on numerous rulemaking tasks in the industry, including FAA ARCs, EASA RMTs and many boards regarding Flight Safety, Aviation Security and Crew Resource management. He co-chaired the FAA ARC regarding UPRT and chaired the ICAO LOCART initiative and EASA RMT.0581/0582 on UPRT.
Currently, Philip chairs the EASA RMT.0599 regarding EBT and Performance Based Rulemaking, leads the EASA ABLE (Aviation Blended Learning Environment) task while also serving as a Team Leader of the Training Expert Group supporting EASA RMT.0196. In addition, he is the current Chair of the RAeS Flight Crew Training Group.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Commercial Training Solutions for Boeing Global Services
Chris Broom is the vice president of Commercial Training Solutions for Boeing Global Services, leading with responsibility for the people, processes and tools tp provide training solutions and services to all markets served by Boeing. Broom and his team are driving transformational innovation into the next generation of learning solutions across Boeing's full training portfolio, and ensuring high-quality, efficient, repeatable delivery with a continuous focus on enhancing aviation safety.
Broom joined Boeing in April 2021 after a 27-year career with American Airlines culminating as managing director of Flight and Training Administration where he had oversight of American Airlines' Training Centers in Dallas/Ft. Worth and Charlotte, Simulator Engineering and Support, Pilot Recruiting and Development, Flight Communications, Flight Training Support, and Hotel and Transportation contracts for all pilot and flight attendant travel.
Prior to that role, he served in a variety of others including managing director of Flight Training, manager of Flight Training Operations, other roles in DFW airport operations and within System Operations Control.
Before joining American Airlines, Chris worked at a start-up airline, Skybus, and flew various aircraft from small instructional planes to Cessna Citations.
Broom holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in General Business from the University of Central Oklahoma and has earned multiple FAA certificates including dispatcher, advanced ground instructor, single and multi-instrument land, instrument, commercial, certified flight instructor, certified flight instructor instrument, and multi-engine instructor.
Chris currently serves on the St. Mark's Alumni Association Board of Directors and the USS Yorktown (CV-10) Association Board of Directors. He previously served as Member, Vice-President, and President of the Susan G. Komen - Dallas Board of Directors for many years and was involved with the American Airlines' Race for the Cure team efforts for over 20 years.
Job Titles:
- Head of Airbus Worldwide Maintenance Trianing - MTO, Airbus Training Services
Job Titles:
- Market Director of Commercial Training Solutions for Boeing Global Services
Christine Bohl is market director of Commercial Training Solutions for Boeing Global Services, responsible for the market assessment and development, growth strategy, digital transformation and customer engagement activities related to the commercial training market. Bohl's responsibility incorporates new product and process launches to digitally enable the business, go-to-market planning and customer experience, and optimization of the footprint of the business through direct investment, acquisition and partnerships.
Bohl has over 32 years of experience in the aviation industry. Her experience at The Boeing Company includes various roles focused on business development, growth and strategy. She has been an integral part of Boeing's international presence having led the identification and execution of the stand-up or acquisition of capabilities in more than 15 countries.
Previously, Bohl held roles in Finance, Corporate Development (mergers & acquisitions) and Business Consulting with a focus on supplier development, international joint ventures, research and development and Boeing's initial services strategy in the late 1990s.
Bohl holds a Bachelor of Arts in business administration with a focus in accounting from the University of Washington and a Masters of Business Administration from Seattle University with a focus on international business and law.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director of the Aviation Technician Education Council
- Executive Director, Aviation Technician Education Council
Crystal Maguire is Executive Director of the Aviation Technician Education Council, the trade association that represents educational institutions with aviation technical programs, and oversees day-to-day operations and strategic initiatives for Choose Aerospace, a charitable organization that promotes careers in aviation maintenance through development of aviation maintenance curriculum.
Maguire also provides operational management for the Aerospace Maintenance Council, a non-profit group that raises awareness about aviation maintenance technician careers through its annual Aerospace Maintenance Competition, and serves as Of Counsel for Denver-based firm, Davis Graham & Stubbs LLP, where she provides legal services to aviation maintenance organizations.
Maguire spent twelve years at Obadal, Filler, MacLeod, & Klein, P.L.C. where she counseled companies on aviation maintenance regulatory compliance. There she also held various positions with association client organizations including vice president of operations for the Aeronautical Repair Station Association and director of government affairs and Washington counsel for the Associated Equipment Distributors.
Maguire graduated with a B.A. in management from the University of Tulsa. She received a J.D. from American University, Washington College of Law and is a member of the Virginia and Oklahoma State Bars. She is the recipient of AMT Magazine's Next Gen 40 Under 40 Award, and ARSA's Leo Weston Award for Excellence in Government Service.
Job Titles:
- Curriculum Writer, Empower Communications Group
Darryl Owens is a 32-year veteran of the Boston Police Department. He is the Curriculum Writer for Empower Communications Group. In his assignment as an academy instructor he teaches Defensive Tactics, Use of Force, Effective Communication Strategies and Active Bystandership. He has trained over 5,000 police officers and hundreds of civilians. He is a highly respected law enforcement officer holding state and nationally recognized certifications as a police trainer with a dedication to excellence that is acknowledged by his peers in law enforcement. In early 2021, as a response to the building number of unruly passenger incidents that were occurring in the airline industry, "Communication Strategies for Airline Professionals" was created by Darryl Owens and Jose Alfonso. The course is currently being taught to both new and veteran flight attendants and guest service agents working with Spirit Airlines.
Job Titles:
- President, Aviation Accreditation Board International ( AABI )
Dr. Guy Smith is in his third career position as president of the Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI). Guy completed his first 21-year career as a US Navy flight officer, flying the S-3A "Viking" anti-submarine aircraft on five aircraft carriers in all the world's oceans. His second career, 27 years as a college professor and administrator, began with completing his doctorate in Adult and Higher Education at Montana State University in 1994 and concluded as a professor emeritus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He is in the second year of his "retirement" career as president of AABI. Guy has authored an extensive list of publications, including four iterations of the Pilot Source Study in 2010, 2012, 2015, and 2018. Guy is married to Dr. MaryJo O Smith, President and Senior Research Scientist for Ypsilon Associates, an aviation research consulting firm.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President of Centura College
- Executive Vice President, Aviation Institute of Maintenance
Dr. Joel English is the Executive Vice President of Centura College, Aviation Institute of Maintenance, and Tidewater Tech, where he supervises all operations over the 20 campuses across the United States. Dr. English is a board member for Choose Aerospace, the FAA's Youth in Aviation Committee, and The Safe House Project. He is a former board member of Aviation Technician Education Council (ATEC), Career School Private Education Network (CSPEN), and the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC). Dr. English oversaw distance learning and school operations at several campuses as a Regional Director and Executive Director at Centura College, and he was formerly an Assistant Professor of English and Distance Learning at Old Dominion University. Dr. English is the author of Plugged In: Succeeding as an Online Learner. He holds a Ph.D. in Rhetoric and Composition from Ball State University, an M.A. in Technical and Expository Writing, and a B.A. in English from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
Job Titles:
- Senior Human Factors Engineer, Quantum Improvements Consulting
Dr. Julian Abich IV is a Senior Human Factors Engineer at Quantum Improvements Consulting. He has 15 years of experience applying human factors & ergonomics (HF/E) principles, modeling & simulation (M&S) approaches, and instructional design methodology to assess, predict, and improve human performance. His work focuses on taking a user-centered approach to design, develop, and assess innovative training solutions. He has extensive experience working side-by-side with end-users evaluating training solutions to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their application. These training solutions span mobile, immersive, and emergent technological platforms, such as augmented, virtual, and mixed reality. He continues to serve the research community through his publications and presentations, journal reviews, and participation in conference program committees, currently as the Program Chair for MODSIM World 2022. He previously served on the UCF faculty but continues to support the Modeling and Simulation graduate program as a Graduate Faculty Scholar. He also advocates for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) outreach efforts by encouraging public support and fostering posterity's interest within these domains.
Job Titles:
- Senior Human Factors Engineer, Flight Deck Human Factors
Kathy Abbott, PhD, FRAeS, has over 40 years of experience specializing in aviation human factors. She currently serves as the Chief Scientific and Technical Advisor for Flight Deck Human Factors to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on human performance and human error, systems design and analysis, flight crew training/qualification, and flight crew operations and procedures. Dr. Abbott has led the integration of human engineering into FAA/international regulatory material and policies. She has been involved extensively in accident, incident, and other safety data analysis. She serves as the FAA liaison to industry and other government and international agencies dealing with human factors.
Dr. Abbott has extensive experience speaking at conferences, workshops and seminars. She has spoken at WATS in previous meetings, and has spoken at many US and international venues.
Job Titles:
- Director of Gateway Programs at JetBlue
Dr. Nancy Hocking is Director of Gateway Programs at JetBlue where she oversees all of the pathway programs that guide aspiring aviators and technicians towards roles at the airline. She holds a Ph.D. in aerospace sciences from the University of North Dakota, a master's degree in education from Harvard University and a master's degree in aeronautical science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Nancy is also a multi-engine instrument-rated pilot and holds an aircraft dispatcher certificate.
Nancy's experience in the aviation industry, includes time at Endeavor Air where she was Director of Pilot Sourcing and Industry Outreach, and Cape Air where she was Vice President of Training and Employee Development. Dr. Hocking has also worked extensively in education where she has taught students at both the secondary and post-secondary level.
Nancy's expertise in pilot sourcing, hiring and performance has been utilized by government and private institutions alike. She is a board member of the Aviation Accreditation Board International (AABI) and was recently appointed by the US Secretary of Transportation to the Youth Access to American Jobs in Aviation Task Force, which will develop and provide recommendations to the FAA to facilitate and encourage high school students to seek careers in aviation.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Administration
- Vice President of Administration, Aviation Institute of Maintenance
Dr. P. Michael Lanouette is the Vice President of Administration and Academics for Centura College, Tidewater Tech, and Aviation Institute of Maintenance. Dr. Lanouette also has served as a Team Leader and two-term Commissioner for ACCSC. He has over 30 years of educational and operations experience in the post-secondary college sector. He has presented and stirred people up in numerous seminars across the country such as the annual Career College Leadership Training Conference and the International Conference on Retention. In 2010, he was named as one of career colleges' most influential people and was also named the ACCSC Team Leader of the year in 1999. He holds a Ph.D. and Master's degree in Instruction Design from the University of South Alabama and a Bachelor's of Science in Oceanography from the Florida Institute of Technology.
Job Titles:
- Human Factors Specialist, Emirates Flight Operations Training
Dr. Patrizia Knabl-Schmitz is the Human Factors Specialist for Emirates Airline Flight Training. She holds a PhD in psychology from the Technical University of Brunswick, Germany. Before joining Emirates in 2016, Patrizia worked as a research scientist for the German Aerospace Center (DLR) Institute of Flight Guidance. Thereby, her work mainly focused on human factors aspects with helmet-mounted displays and synthetic vision systems for military helicopter operations. At Emirates, she primarily focuses on the development of CRM, integrating human factors in pilot training, pilot coaching, as well as conducting research. Her latest project concentrates on the implementation of eye tracking technology in pilot training. Besides Human Factors, Patrizia is also responsible for Flight Training's digital transformation and implementing data analytics in the scope of EBT. She has been a speaker and co-organiser at various international conferences. In 2014 she received the Amelia Earhart fellowship for women demonstrating a superior academic record in the field of aerospace-related sciences. She is a member of the European Association for Aviation Psychology (EAAP).
Job Titles:
- Chief Learning Officer
- Chief Learning Officer, Defense & Security
Dr. Regan J. Patrick is the Chief Learning Officer for CAE Defense & Security, based in Washington D.C. He is responsible for identifying, developing, and applying scientific methods, instructional strategies, and learning technologies in the design, implementation, and delivery of global training solutions. He is also responsible for assessing and establishing CAE's Defense and Security multi-domain training strategies.
Dr. Patrick retired from the US Air Force after a 26-year career as an officer and HH-60G Pave Hawk helicopter pilot. He served multiple command and leadership tours, and has over 2,400 hours of flight time in the T-37, UH/TH-1H, HH-60G, CV-22, MC-130H/J and F-16D. He participated in multiple contingency operations around the world, including Operations DESERT STORM, SOUTHERN WATCH, ENDURING FREEDOM, IRAQI FREEDOM, and Joint Task Force-KATRINA.
Dr. Patrick joined CAE in 2018 as Program Manager for the $250M KDAM ATARS contract, leading a team of over 300 employees to provide academic instruction and simulator training to 1,800 USAF aircrew students annually. He brings both an operational and academic perspective to CAE's D&S team, focused on synthesizing innovative instructional design with leading edge educational technology to satisfy customer requirements in demanding, complex training environments.
He holds a Doctor of Education in Organizational Change and Leadership from the University of Southern California (USC), a Master of Aeronautical Science Degree from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from San Diego State University. He is a graduate of the USAF Air War College and a former Air Education and Training Command (ATEC) Master Instructor. Dr. Patrick taught as adjunct faculty at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Worldwide Campus for 11 years. He is an IRONMAN triathlete.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Professor in the Aeronautical Science Department at Embry - Riddle Aeronautical University 's Daytona Beach
- Assistant Professor, Aeronautical Science Department, Embry - Riddle Aeronautical University
- Managing Director - Aviation Safety, United Airlines
Dr. Robert "Bob" Thomas is an Assistant Professor in the Aeronautical Science Department at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's Daytona Beach campus. He teaches coursework in pilot training, aircraft performance, aviation instruction, curriculum design, and photography using Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Additionally, Bob serves as the Chief Ground Instructor and a Flight/Check Instructor for ERAU's 14 CFR 141 Pilot School Certificate. Bob's research focuses on augmenting and improving flight training methods, education technology, virtual reality training, active learning, and assessing learner knowledge.
Robert formerly served as the Human Factors & Training Chair at the Air Line Pilots Association, where he represented the pilot training and HF interests of more than 61,000 pilots across 35 airlines in the U.S. and Canada. In addition, Robert served as the Chair of the Pilot Profession Working Group, which consists of 43 subject matter experts from 17 countries working to review, study, and collaborate in the development of aviation regulations and oversight related pilot training and licensing, automation, and flight simulation, as well as the policies affecting representation of women, minorities, and ethnic minorities in aviation. International efforts as an ICAO Advisor to the Personnel Training and Licensing Panel were conducted on behalf of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations, representing 100,000 pilots in nearly 100 countries world-wide.
Robert has a demonstrated ability to develop collaborative relationships and lead high performing, multidisciplinary teams. He has experience working on domestic and foreign aviation policy while collaborating to enhance aviation safety through efforts with FAA, EASA, ICAO, aircraft manufacturers, training providers, industry, labor, and regulatory groups. Robert flies as a Captain on the Airbus A320 for a major U.S. airline, with previous experience on the SF340, CL65, and B787.
Job Titles:
- Aerospace Engineer
- President, International Development of Technology B.V
Dr. Sunjoo Advani is an aerospace engineer with 35 years experience in flight simulation development and operates the company International Development of Technology. Previously, an assistant professor in the Aerospace Department at the Delft University of Technology, his research focused on pilot-vehicle interactions and manual flying. In 2009, he founded the International Committee for Aviation Training in Extended Envelopes, which defined the requirements for Upset Prevention and Recovery Training. These are embodied in ICAO Manual 10011, and recent regulations, including EASA. Currently, he supports several airlines in developing their UPRT programs and applying UPRT to their pilots and instructors.
Job Titles:
- Founding Director, Waterloo Insitute for Sustainable Aeronautics ( WISA ) / Associate Professor, University of Waterloo
Dr. Kearns is an aviation academic with a focus on education and improving pilot performance. Her research explores how to optimize the next generation of aviation professionals (NGAP) by analyzing processes to attract people to the field of aviation. An accomplished educator both in the classroom and through electronic courseware, she has taught thousands of aviation professionals worldwide. She is a former airplane and helicopter pilot and is internationally recognized within the aviation industry.
Dr. Kearns is the author or co-author of six books, including the textbook "Fundamentals of International Aviation" which is used around the world in multiple translations. In 2021 she founded the Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA), a research institute at the University of Waterloo which she leads as its Director. WISA includes more than 70 faculty members and has a mission to become the world's leading hub for sustainable aeronautical research, technology, and education.
Job Titles:
- CEO of Management & Excellence SA
- CEO, M & E
Dr. William Cox is CEO of Management & Excellence SA (M&E) in Madrid and M&E Global Inc., in New York. M&E was established in 2001 with the support of the IE Business School, Madrid, and has pioneered calculating the financial impact of human processes on the risk and return of companies. These processes include everything from pilot and maintenance training in aviation to customer services and digital upgrades in banks and industrial companies. M&E´s SMART ROI™ service has been successfully applied in over 140 corporate client projects in most sectors, including for Pratt & Whitney, Hartford and Airbus. M&E is partnered with Salient in the calculating the ROI of EBT training for pilots.
Cox is author of six books and several hundred articles. He received his Ph.D. from the London School of Economics, a graduate degree in finance from the University of Oxford, two degrees from Boston University and a Certificate in Finance from Harvard Kennedy School. He was a Visiting scholar at Georgetown and Freiburg Universities. He is a member of Who´s Who Germany, Austria, and Switzerland.
Job Titles:
- Senior Innovation Manager, Global Fleet Operations, EVE
Currently, Furuzawa is responsible for the development of strategic vision for the eVtol's global fleet operations at Embraer and EVE.
With more than twenty years of experience in aviation industry, Furuzawa worked as a manager of three teams at Embraer which are the following: Performance Software and Solutions, Flight Operations Publication and Airline Operations Support teams, as well worked as a Flight Operations Liaison for Embraer customers in Asia, North America and Middle East. He also worked as a Flight Operations Engineer for two Brazilian airlines which are Vasp and Itapemirim.
Furuzawa has a bachelor degree in Aeronautical Engineering and Master in Science in Transport Engineering.
Job Titles:
- Partner
- Partner, Transportation and Operations, Oliver Wyman Consulting
Geoff Murray is a Partner with Oliver Wyman, a leading $2B global management consulting firm. From 2014 through 2019 he served as Oliver Wyman's aerospace practice leader and led projects for Boards of Directors and senior leaders at airlines, OEMs, suppliers and financial sponsors. His principal focus is on operations improvement across civilian operations and revenue growth in aftermarket and services. As part of his work in aftermarket and services, Dr. Murray is the author of Oliver Wyman's pilot shortage forecast and associated Flight Operations BRIEF, an annual survey of global flight operations leaders. Dr. Murray began his career at McDonnell Douglas as an aeronautical engineer and original member of the US Navy T-45A Goshawk experimental flight test team; he was a CRJ-200 line pilot for Atlantic Coast Airlines where he also served on the ALPA Safety Committee.
Dr. Murray is an alumnus of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University's aeronautical engineering program and served as the Chair of the institution's President's Advisory Board between 2012 and 2017. He holds a Ph.D. in civil and industrial engineering (mathematical optimization) from Northwestern University and was a finalist for the George B. Dantzig Dissertation Prize. Dr. Murray is a trustee of the National Aviation Hall of Fame where he is a member of the Development committee.
Dr. Murray is widely-referenced on topics related to aviation and aerospace and his perspective has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, CNBC, NPR's All Things Considered, CNN and NBC News. Dr. Murray is an active pilot and flight instructor with over 4,000 hours and holds Airline Transport Pilot and Certified Flight Instructor certificates.
Job Titles:
- Senior Manager Tech Ops Training, Spirit Airlines Inc
George Perrin has been in the Part 121 industry since 1976 (Station Agent, Station Manager), receiving his A&P Certificates in 1978 and his IA endorsement in 1981. He then transferred his A&P technical school credits to Macomb Committee College to complete his Associates Degree of Applied Science, and then transferred the Associates Degree Credits to Wayne State University to complete his Bachelor of Science, and once again moving credits to Baker College toward a Master's (all while working full time as an Aircraft Technician).
After working several years in General Aviation (1978-1982) for a Part 145 Repair Station (A&P, Lead, IA, Acting Director), he then jumped ship and joined a Part 121 Legacy Carrier in 1982 and continued service until retirement in 2012 (A&P, Avionics Tech, R&T Examiner, Lead, Inspector, Manager). After his retirement he transitioned over to Instructing at a Part 147 A&P school in Detroit for a couple years. In 2015 he joined Spirit Airlines as an Operations Manager and after about a year in that position, he moved back over to Technical Operations as an Instructor.
Currently he is the Senior Manager of Technical Operations Training for Spirit Airlines based out of Detroit.
Job Titles:
- President, European Aviation Maintenance Training Committee
Hans R. Mayer looks back to more than 40 years in aviation. Working as a licensed Maintenance Technician he became quickly aware that working in aviation means lifelong learning.
Consequently, he moved on to become a Technical Instructor and alongside graduated as Master in Pedagogy with a focus on adult learning.
In his philosophy learning is closely linked with Quality and he also successfully accomplished the studies in Quality Management.
As the responsible senios person of Lufthansa Technik for the EASA Part-66 License issues with German NAA he manages the qualification and authorization system.
Job Titles:
- Lead Cabin Crew Training Designer, Air Canada
Ian began his aviation career as a flight attendant with Wardair Canada in 1988. In 1990 Canadian Airlines International bought and merged with Wardair. In 1994 he joined Air Crew Training at Canadian Airlines as an Instructor/Developer. After a few years in this position, he discovered his real passion was for training design. When Air Canada bought Canadian Airlines in 2000, the training department was reorganized, and he became a training designer. Since then, he has served as lead training designer for numerous training programs and other training initiatives.
Job Titles:
- President of Inflight Innovations Inc
- President, Inflight Innovations Inc. & Director, Inflight Institute.Com
Ivan Noël is the president of Inflight Innovations Inc. and the director of the Inflight Institute.com. With a focus on efficiency, his company produces some of the world's most innovative programs through the invention and implementation of advanced training technologies.
Starting his career in aviation on the front lines as a Cabin Crew member has provided him with a unique perspective of the industry and the opportunity to effect change by developing advanced learning methods, interactive training techniques and the refinement of emergency procedures. He is known as the architect of Pre-qualification training for Cabin Crew with member airlines worldwide and has influenced hundreds of thousands of crewmembers over the past two decades.
Job Titles:
- Global Sales Leader, Commercial Aircraft Maintenance Training
Jim Cairns oversees Commercial Aircraft Maintenance Training for CAE. A seasoned industry professional, Jim brings over 45 years of experience in aviation maintenance to his role. Jim began his career as an Avionics Technician with Air Canada and ascended to the position of General Manager of Technical Training. Prior to CAE, he was VP of Maintenance Training for Pelesys Aviation Maintenance Training. Jim also served as the Transport Canada Person Responsible for Training and an EASA Part 147 Accountable Manager. Currently, Jim is CAE's Global Sales Leader for the commercial aircraft maintenance training side of the business.
Job Titles:
- Operations Manager, Empower Communications Group LLC
Jose Alfonso is a retired 30-year veteran of the Boston Police Department and is the owner and founder of Empower Communications Group. He is a highly respected retired law enforcement officer holding state and nationally recognized certifications as a police trainer with a dedication to excellence that is acknowledged by his peers in law enforcement.
Mr. Alfonso completed his career as a Boston Police Officer assigned to the Boston Police Academy from August 10th, 2004 to June 4th, 2021. While assigned as an academy trainer, he participated in several committees for the Municipal Police Training Committee in Massachusetts researching and developing training curriculums for both recruit and veteran officer in-service training.
As a law enforcement trainer, he holds several instructor certifications in disciplines such as use of force/defensive tactics, patrol response to active shooter events and S.P.E.A.R (Spontaneous Protection Enabling Accelerated Response). In early 2021, as a response to the building number of unruly passenger incidents that were occurring in the airline industry, "Communication Strategies for Airline Professionals" was created by Jose Alfonso and Darryl Owens. Mr. Owens is a veteran Boston police officer and law enforcement trainer holding state and nationally recognized certifications working at the Boston police academy. This program is currently being taught to airline professionals to include both new and veteran flight attendants and guest service agents working with Spirit Airlines.
Job Titles:
- Role of Senior Fleet Engineer at Eve Air Mobility
- Senior Fleet Engineer, EVE Air Mobility
José Fregnani has the main role of Senior Fleet Engineer at Eve Air Mobility, a spin off company from Embraer Group. Since July 4 th, 2021, he is responsible for developing the capabilities of EVE vehicle on the Fleet Operations stream, unlocking the full potential of the industry on Urban Air Mobility (UAM) needs and supporting the development of UAM's Concept of Operations and respective simulations worldwide. He is currently home based in São José dos Campos (Brazil).
He has graduated as BSc on Mechanical Engineering at University of São Paulo (Brazil,1993), MSc on Air Transport at Technological Institute of Aeronautics/ITA (Brazil,2007), MBA on General Business Management at Coventry University (UK, 2012) and in 2020 concluded his PhD studies in the field of Aircraft and Network Design optimization, also at ITA. Recently concluded its second MBA in Data Sciences at Business School Sao Paulo (Brazil, 1Q 2021).
Accumulated a wide work experience during more than almost thirty years in the Flight Operations domain, in roles of light Operations/Performance Engineer, Researcher and Airline Pilot at several airlines and renamed OEMs. In this period developed engineering skills in the following domains: fuel conservation, aircraft high and low speed performance, weight and balance, aircraft performance monitoring, emissions, noise, PBN procedures design, ATM and, recently, Urban Air Mobility. In addition, it is worth mentioning that prior to his engineering career he has flown for fourteen years as airline transport pilot, accumulating more than 7000FH experience, type rated as Boeing 737-300/400/NG and EMB120 as First Officer, ERJ145/Legacy 600/650 and Single/Multi Engine general aviation aircraft as Captain.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director of Government Affairs for the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association
- Executive Director of Government Affairs, Aircraft Mechanic Fraternal Association ( AMFA )
- Member of the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ) Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee
Justin is the Executive Director of Government Affairs for the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), where he advocates for AMFA's membership and the aircraft mechanic craft as a whole. In addition to developing and implementing the Association's legislative agenda, he advises the executive leadership team on all things related to government affairs. He also acts as a liaison between the Association and its essential relationships.
With almost three decades in the industry, including a successful enlistment and honorable discharge from the Marine Corps, Justin started his commercial aviation career with Trans World Airlines in the 1990's and continues to work in the industry as a practicing aircraft mechanic at Southwest Airlines. Justin has always felt a strong duty to serve, and during his career has held several union leadership positions at the local and executive levels.
Justin is currently a member of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee (ARAC) by appointment of the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, as well as participates on the following ARAC working groups: Airman Certification Standards (ACS) and Part 145. Justin is also a member of the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Aviation Security Advisory Committee (ASAC), having been appointed by the TSA Administrator to multiple terms. He is active in aviation's emerging technologies space, most notably with NASA Aeronautics Research Institute (NARI) and their mission to safely incorporate Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) operations in the national airspace system.
Job Titles:
- Program Manager
- Program Manager, Open Doors Organization
As Program Manager, Katy has thorough knowledge of best practices related to accessibility and design. In addition to planning ODO's industry events, Katy has co-authored and contributed to multiple accessibility research projects through the Airports Cooperative Research Program and non-aviation initiatives with the Department of Transportation. She is the lead trainer for ODO's Complaints Resolution Official training and serves as lead C.R.O. for multiple U.S. and foreign carriers.
Prior to joining ODO, Katy was a Recreation Therapist, working directly with youth and adults with disabilities in community-based recreation settings.
Job Titles:
- Lead Systems Architect, Avion Group
Mark is currently employed as Lead Systems Architect at Avion Group since October 2018 with over a decade of experience with Full Flight Simulators. He held several Lead Engineering positions at CAE Commercial Flight Training B.V. (former Sim Industries / Lockheed Martin Commercial Flight Training), including Product Owner for all Airbus platforms (A320 / A330 and A340) as well as the Boeing 767 and 777 platforms.
As Lead Systems Architect, Mark leads the product development and oversees the product delivery process and design process of Avion's Flight Simulator Products.
Job Titles:
- Special Advisor at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security 's ( DHS ) Blue Campaign
- Special Advisor, COR III, DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking ( CCHT )
Michael E. Camal currently serves as a Special Advisor at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Blue Campaign, the Department's national public awareness campaign to combat human trafficking. In this role, he leads the Blue Lightning Initiative (BLI) to address human trafficking within the aviation industry. Under his leadership, BLI has tripled in size, expanded its reach to airports, aviation businesses, and the general aviation community. BLI has trained over 200,000 aviation staff on trafficking indicators and how to report the crime. Michael also supports the newly established DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT), where he coordinates across 16 DHS Components to further support the Department's anti-trafficking mission.
Michael holds a Contracting Officer Representative Level III Certificate from the Federal Acquisition Institute, executing procurement efforts for DHS marketing and training contracts valued at over $40,000,000. He has been with DHS for five years and is currently located at DHS Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Prior to his work at DHS, Michael has worked in several federal agencies including the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. Michael is originally from New Jersey and holds a bachelor's degree in Sociology with a concentration in Criminal Justice from University of Rhode Island.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President, Simulation Systems, FlightSafety International
Michael Vercio serves as Senior Vice President, Simulation Systems, at FlightSafety International. He is responsible for design, manufacturing and support of FlightSafety's simulation, visual systems and display products.
He has more than 15 years of aviation industry experience in engineering, manufacturing and product support. Michael joined FlightSafety from Textron Aviation where he most recently served as General Manager of Able Aerospace and McCauley Propeller Systems. He previously held other positions of increasing responsibility with Textron Aviation, including Director of Experimental Operations, Vice President of Global Product Support and Director of Engineering.
Michael holds a Master of Arts in Economics from Wichita State University, and a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Walla Walla College.
Job Titles:
- Maintenance Instructor, Ascent Aviation Services
My name is Michelle Arredondo, and I am currently the Maintenance Instructor of Boeing 737 NG, 737 MAX, A320 and CRJ700/900 aircraft. I have been with Ascent Aviation Services since February 2021, and it has been a challenging experience that drives my passion for aviation. I grew up in Mexico. I got a bachelor´s degree from Instituto Politecnico Nacional in Mexico, and I got a master´s degree in Aeronautical Management from Universidad Autonoma de Barcelona in Spain. I have worked in several areas of aviation such as airport safety management, airport customer service, dispatch, and airport operation management, and in roles as a maintenance technician, and maintenance instructor. I hold a maintenance license and I am working to get my A&P/FAA license. I have more than 2000 hours as Maintenance Instructor.
Job Titles:
- Empower Communications Group
Michelle Salfity has over 20 years of experience at Boston EMS and her current assignment is a Captain in the EMS Research, Training and Quality Improvement Division. Michelle is also a communication strategies instructor with Empower Communications Group. She has served as an EMT in the field, as a certified dispatch operator in the 9-1-1 EMS dispatch center, as an educator within the Boston EMS academy and Training Division and as an instructor in Boston EMS community EMT course. She is a Massachusetts EMS Examiner as well as an Instructor/Coordinator. She is a veteran of the US Army Reserve and is a proud resident of the city of Boston.
Job Titles:
- Director - Sales and Business Development, EDM Limited
- Director of Sales and Business Development
Director of Sales and Business Development Mick Bonney joined the company in 2005.
Prior to this Mick spent a number of years at THALES as the regional manager for military and civil simulators in India and South East Asia.
Before joining THALES Mick spent 22 years with BAE SYSTEMS working in various part of the world.
Mick is an ex British Aerospace apprentice and has worked on Jaguar, Tornado, EAP and Typhoon before moving into management roles, heading the training and simulation department at Warton and eventually ending up as part of the Hawk Sales team with extensive involvement in a number of Hawk export sales including Australia, India and South Africa.
In his early career Mick was a technical instructor teaching maintenance technicians how to operate and maintain Tornado fighter aircraft in the UK and in Saudi Arabia.
Mick has used his wealth of international experience to help EDM grow its business globally in both defence and commercial aviation sectors.
EDM Ltd is a specialist engineering company which provides training and simulation equipment to the aerospace, defence and rail industries, with an impressive portfolio of clients worldwide. Recently certified to produce parts and assemblies for aircraft, EDM is now involved in the latest BAE SYSTEMS development fighter aircraft project known as Tempest.
EDM successfully exports to a number of international markets including China, Japan, Indonesia, the Philippines, North America and Africa. The company's most recent export achievements have been in Vietnam and Hong Kong.
Director of Sales and Business Development Mick Bonney joined the company in 2005.
Prior to this Mick spent a number of years at THALES as the regional manager for military and civil simulators in India and South East Asia.
Job Titles:
- Chief Technology Officer, Paladin AI
- Cofounder and CTO of Paladin
Mikhail Klassen is the cofounder and CTO of Paladin AI, a Montreal-based technology startup building adaptive learning technologies for simulator-based aviation training environments. He received his Ph.D. in computational astrophysics in 2016 from McMaster University and also holds a B.Sc. in applied physics & applied mathematics from Columbia University.
In the course of his career, Mikhail has previously specialized in computational fluid dynamics simulations and built many custom data visualization and analysis pipelines. His research has been published in peer-reviewed journals. He is an expert in machine learning and artificial intelligence. In 2019, he co authored an influential book on data mining published by O'Reilly Media. He founded Paladin AI in 2013 together with Adolfo Klassen. There he leads the data science team and guides product development.
Job Titles:
- Chief, Global Aviation Training, ICAO
Mr. Diego Martinez worked as civil servant in the Government of Madrid, Spain, with management responsibilities and was promoted to the position of Secretary General in Educational and Cooperation Sector in 1991. He acquired his Master's degree in Public Administration from the Universidad Complutense of Madrid. He joined ICAO in 1997 as TRAINAIR expert in North America, Central America and Caribbean Region. He was also the International Coordinator of the ICAO Office in Cuba in charge of national and regional capacity building projects. As Technical Cooperation (TCB) Officer (2001) and Chief Field Operations (2007), he managed training and Human Resources Development projects in Americas Region. He has been TCB focal point for, airport planning and building projects, organization and institutional change, development of intermodal transport projects, management of programmes with Civil Aviation Authorities and Ministry of Transports in coordination with ICAO Regional Offices in Mexico and Peru. He was responsible in the ICAO Technical Cooperation Bureau for the institutional cooperation with the European Union. In December 2009, he received the mandate from ICAO secretariat to revamp the ICAO TRAINAIR Programme and was promoted to the position of TRAINAIR PLUS Programme Manager in the Air Navigation Bureau (ANB). He is an Instructional System Design (ISD) specialist, training assessor, senior validator and instructor leader of the Programme. Since December 2019, he is the Chief of the Global Aviation Training (GAT) Office under the Technical Cooperation Bureau (TCB) and is in charge of the ICAO Civil Aviation Training Policy implementation.
Job Titles:
- Consultant, Open Doors Organization
Pat is a consultant with Open Doors Organization (ODO) focusing on blindness related issues such as web and mobile accessibility and the air travel experience for travelers with vision loss and those with service dogs. Pat has worked closely with ODO to test airline and airport websites and mobile apps for accessibility, provided guidance to travelers and industry representatives alike on how to best travel as and assist travelers with vision loss and service dogs, and took part in multiple Transportation Research Board projects focused on accessibility in air travel including ACRP Report 210 Innovative Solutions to Facilitate Accessibility for Airport Travelers with Disabilities and ACRP Report 177 Enhancing Airport Wayfinding for Travelers with Disabilities and Older Adults.
During Pat's career, she served as Executive Director of the Texas Governor's Committee on People with Disabilities and as a Presidential Appointee to the National Council on Disability, where she impacted various disability research projects and issues. She has been involved in technology, using various screen readers and devices over the past thirty years.
Job Titles:
- Senior Advisor, CEFA Aviation
After the Swiss Air Force Academy in 1980, Pierre got his pilot wings and for 30 years flew combat jets and high-performance trainers in the Swiss Air Force until his 50th birthday, in parallel to his civil job of airline pilot. In 1983, Pierre started at the Swiss Aviation School and got hired thereafter by Swissair (now Swiss International Airlines), at the end of his career, he flew as Instructor-Captain on the A330/A340.
Pierre likes to share his experience and know-how since the very beginnings: in 1991 he became a copilot instructor, first on the A310, then as part of the core team responsible for the introduction of the A320 at Swissair. He was also a co-designer & trainer of the four Modules Crew Resource Management Course dedicated to the introduction of the A320.
Pierre is also keen on new challenges and chooses to continuously improve his knowledge, being an acceptance pilot for flight simulators, delivery flights, tests after HMV, initial acceptance and phase out flights.
Pierre Wannaz definitely wears several hats as he also collaborated with the Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) as an external auditor and examiner for MétéoSuisse Swiss weather forecasters and meteorological advisers, but also teaches about the risks of automation of the aircraft. He is a reckoned legal expert as well in incident and accident investigations, he was named aeronautical expert for several major accident. He is also the co-writer of "Escadrille 2", a book about squadron 2. During his leisure time, Pierre is an amateur photographer. He likes to go on treks and discover new countries and new cultures, besides his "on-duty" trips!
Job Titles:
- Vice President Training & Business Development, Aviation Performance Solutions, LLC
Mr. Brooks currently provides Upset Prevention and Recovery Training for a broad range of military, airline, and general aviation pilots. Randall has provided all-attitude/all-envelope flight instruction for over 30 years in over 40 types of jet, propeller, and glider aircraft. Mr. Brooks holds an Airline Transport Pilot Rating with over 14,000 hours of flight experience and type ratings in multiple jet and turboprop aircraft.
Randall's many past flight operations roles have included director of operations, director of training, production flight test, simulation flight test, marketing demonstration and display pilot, corporate pilot, and ten years as a member of formation aerobatic demonstration teams.
Mr. Brooks holds a B.S. degree in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Colorado.
Job Titles:
- VP of Aviation Training & Products, MedAire Worldwide
- VP, Aviation Training & Products
Richard Gomez is VP, Aviation Training & Products Worldwide for MedAire. He has 30 plus years of aviation experience including, crew member training, regulatory compliance, quality assurance, cabin crew management and above and below the wing operations. Richard joined MedAire in 2005 to lead it global aviation training platform. Today, he oversees MedAire's suite of products and services including Crew Medical Training, Aircraft Medical Kits and medical services for crew while on duty. Richard is committed to safety and is supports airlines around with the mission of continues improvement.
Robin Pijnaker is CEO of Flame Aviation, a Netherlands-based technology company developing fire training solutions for airlines and training centres around the world.
Robin holds a bachelor degree in aircraft avionics and in business administration.
After serving in the Royal Netherlands Air Force, Robin joined Schreiner Aviation Training in 1993. In 2001, he joined CAE's newly formed commercial aviation training division. In 2005 Robin was co-founder of Flight Simulation Company, developing and delivering flight and cabin crew training to over one hundred commercial airlines.
Since 2015, Robin is focussing on reducing the risks of cabin fires through better training. He gained extensive knowledge about fire incidents by looking for experiences of airlines worldwide. Adequate training programs and equipment have emerged from this worldwide search, that increase the knowledge, skills and confidence of cabin crew.
Job Titles:
- Vice President, Maintenance Workforce Development, AAR
Ryan Goertzen, Vice President, Maintenance Workforce Development, AAR, a leading aviation services provider to commercial airlines and governments worldwide. He oversees AAR's various workforce based initiatives and was responsible for the development of the EAGLE Career Pathway Program. Mr. Goertzen is also the President of Choose Aerospace, whose purpose is to unite the aerospace industry to implement solutions to the workforce shortage.
Mr. Goertzen started with Spartan College of Aeronautics and Technology in 2011, holding the positions of vice president of education, president of Spartan's Tulsa campuses and corporate officer. Goertzen previously spent three years at AAR Corp managing the training and ASAP programs in Oklahoma City. He began his career as a pilot instructor for Air Wisconsin Airlines Corporation where he was responsible for Air Wisconsin's first learning management system and e-learning content used in recurrent pilot training. In 2005 Mr. Goertzen transitioned to the maintenance side of the airline as Air Wisconsin's Manager of Maintenance Training and ASAP Manager.
Goertzen was ATEC president from 2014-2018. He holds a B.S. in Aviation and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. Goertzen is married to the love of his life Jenny and has three sons, Jacob, Joshua and Jack.
Samie Al-Achrafi is recognized as one of the world's leading voices on values and culture change. He began his career over two decades ago at Walt Disney World Orlando before moving into aviation, where he trained tens of thousands of crew from 150 nationalities in Leadership, Service and SEP. In 2019, he presented a TED talk on Why Business Needs Our Humanity, and the following year authored the bestselling book #Time4Humanity.
Samie now works with governments and organizations around the world to deliver on their ambitions. He has been named Most Visionary Business Transformation CEO in the Global CEO Excellence awards, voted Game Changer of the Year by ACQ Global, and Most Influential CEO of the Year by CV Magazine.
Samie has a Master's in Air Transport Management and is a Fellow of the RSA, Chartered Fellow of CIPD, ILM and ITOL, and a Chartered Manager with CMI. He is also an NLP practitioner, systemic and executive coach, and an assessor with the British Psychological Society.
Job Titles:
- Regional Sales Director - Americas, Commercial Aviation, L3Harris
Based out of Phoenix, Arizona Sarah began working at L3Harris in September 2018 following more than 25 years in the aerospace industry and the United States Air Force (USAF).
Job Titles:
- Head of Training Software, Airbus Simulation and Training Solutions
Shane is an Airbus A320 Captain with over 10,000 hours experience flying in Europe and Asia. He is also an experienced Type Rating Instructor and Synthetic Flight Instructor.
He began his flying career in 1999, aged 19, as an Aer Lingus cadet pilot. He was upgraded to Captain within Aer Lingus in 2009.
From 2011 he had been based in Asia; working from Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Ho Chi Minh City.
In late 2016 Shane began work in earnest on the VR Trainer through his startup; winning a place on Airbus BizLab (Toulouse) hybrid accelerator from October 2017.
Since Airbus acquired his startup in August 2019 he has been leading a pioneering team creating the next generation of training software in both Dublin and Toulouse.
Job Titles:
- Director of Training
- Director of Training Design
Steve Dennis is the Director of Training Design for CAE. He is responsible for evolving the company's civil aviation training programs from traditional task based training to competency based training and assessment. Mr. Dennis and his team execute the training needs analysis and design of CAE's business jet, commercial jet, helicopter and advanced air mobility/eVTOL training programs.
He joined CAE in 2012 after 10 years of freight and fractional flying with AirNet and NetJets. Prior to his current position, Mr. Dennis served as CAE's FAA Global Head of Training with the mandate of ensuring quality and compliance of all flight training activities conducted under the Part 142 certificate globally. He has also held positions as a courseware manager and a training manager, where he oversaw the Hawker, Sikorsky and Advanced Airmanship programs.
Mr. Dennis holds a bachelor's degree in Commercial Aviation from the University of North Dakota and lives in New Jersey with his wife, three kids and enormous berniedoodle.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Director, Technical Operations Training and Development, Hawaiian Airlines
Steve Platt has served as the Director for Technical Operations Training and Development at Hawaiian Airlines since October 2018.
In his current role, Steve oversees the training and development for over 550 mechanics and staff of Hawaiian Airlines Maintenance, Engineering, and Supply Chain Management teams, in addition to Repair Station activities under Hawaiian's Part 145 certificate and Vendor maintenance.
Steve previously served over 20 years in U.S. Navy and has extensive experience in aviation operations and training, maintenance programs and strategic planning. He served as Chief of Staff, Patrol and Reconnaissance Wing 2 and Operations Officer of both Sea Control Squadron 29 (S-3B Viking) Patrol Squadron 47 (P-3 Orion).
Steve holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from U.S Naval Academy, Annapolis, MD. He currently resides in Kailua, Hawaii, with his wife and two daughters.