The Aerospace Executive Podcast (Craig Picken)

The aerospace and aviation ecosystem has reached maturity, and some of the most anticipated innovations and advancements are starting to bear fruit.

What we’re seeing is nothing short of an Industrial Revolution, and we can expect the next unicorn company to come out of aviation.

What’s driving the massive advancements and the evolution of start-ups is the decreased cost of launching satellites - turning billion-dollar ideas into viable possibilities.

What are the biggest innovations the industry is looking forward to? Why is this such an exciting time for businesses in aerospace and aviation? In this episode, I’m joined by aerospace engineer, speaker, and founder and managing director of Starburst, Francois Chopard. He shares the most significant technologies that are revolutionizing the industry.

"Space could be the new frontier, but the business model is still going to be related to earth. We still want to protect the earth and relocalize what’s not good for the earth and could be better in space." -Francois Chopard

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode

• The future of travel Mobility is going to become a bigger theme globally. There’s going to be a bigger focus on going from point A to point B as fast as possible, efficiently and cost-effectively. The enabling technologies behind urban mobility are becoming more accessible to startups which will be a huge boost.
• How AI can revolutionize aviation The autonomous factor is going to play a bigger role in improving aviation going forward, especially at the most challenging parts of flights for pilots. During take-off and landing is when the load on the pilot is the highest and automation and AI can be put in place to reduce it. Automation won’t just benefit aircraft, but also air traffic management.
• Why low earth orbit is going to become more important The opportunity in space is going to be leveraging and innovating in low earth orbit to take pressure off the resources on earth. We will have the opportunity to relocalize certain processes to make the earth better. Data centers are huge consumers of energy on earth, and putting them into low earth orbit is going to save a lot of energy.

Guest Bio

Francois Chopard is an aerospace engineer, strategy consultant, speaker, and entrepreneur. He is the founder and managing director of Starburst, a Venture Capital firm and accelerator dedicated to aerospace and defense startups. With offices in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Montreal, Paris, Munich, Abu Dhabi, Tel Aviv, and Singapore, Starburst Accelerator is the #1 Aerospace Start-up incubator where all aerospace innovation stakeholders gather and network to help galvanize the future of the aerospace industry. For more information, visit https://starburst.aero/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/francoischopard/. 

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.

Most organizations don’t put enough time into the culture and mindset that makes them a great place to work and they miss out on talent because of it.

It’s one thing to post a job and wait for applicants to start rolling in. It’s another thing to proactively make your company a destination - a place people would beat down doors to join.

Maybe it’s HR laziness or an inability to determine your company’s true value proposition, but ultimately, if you’re not thinking about what your company brings to the marketplace, you’re in trouble.

In this edition of Million Dollar Careers, we explore how to make your company stand above the rest when it comes to attracting and retaining talent.

If you’re really good and you can take a company, P&L or territory to new heights, you take the base salary for you to live on and then you work for the upside which you can thrive on. -Craig Picken

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

-How to establish your company as an elite workplace

What would make someone want to relocate and move to your company?

-How to make joining your company a no-brainer

If salary isn’t enough to compel the best people to join your company, what are they looking for? 

-What special force operations teach us about attraction and retention

A lot of military operations aren’t lacking in ambitious people eager to join, what’s their secret? 

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.

2024 was a solid year for business aviation, and 2025 looks even better. But let’s be real—owning, operating, and maintaining private jets is more complex (and costly) than ever.

We all know about the ongoing pilot shortages and talent retention struggles, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

• Aircraft acquisition hurdles
• Rising maintenance costs & longer lead times
• Increasing regulatory & environmental pressures

In today’s market, being a jet broker isn’t enough—you need to be a true advisor who understands the entire ownership lifecycle. That’s exactly what Michael Mikolay set out to do when he launched Mikolay Jet Group.

In this episode of The Aerospace Executive Podcast, we dig into:

- The transition from W2 security to entrepreneurship - How to navigate rising operational costs -  What business jet buyers need to know right now - How to turn a transactional deal into a long-term asset partnership

Tune in for a deep dive into the future of business aviation and what it takes to succeed in this dynamic market.

I sell time, I’m giving somebody an asset that moves them from point A to point B in the furtherance of their business. -Michael Mikolay

Guest Bio

Michael Mikolay is the Founder and CEO of Mikolay Jet Group LLC. In the complex arena of buying and selling business aircraft, Mikolay Jet Group is your trusted, hands-on partner. Leveraging their deep industry relationships on their behalf, they place their clients’ interests first. With clear communication and swift action, Mikolay Jet Group brings order to each transaction and ensures a hassle-free, successful outcome every time.

Website: https://www.mikolayjet.com/ 

https://www.youtube.com/@MikolayJet https://www.linkedin.com/company/mikolayjet https://www.threads.net/mikolayjet https://www.facebook.com/mikolayjet https://www.instagram.com/mikolayjet https://www.twitter.com/mikolayjet

About Your Host

Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association. 

For more aerospace industry news & commentary: https://craigpicken.com/insights/. 

To learn more about Craig Picken, visit https://craigpicken.com/.

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you! 

Everyone wants to have A-players in their teams, but when it comes to recruiting those rockstars, many of us don’t even know where to start. 

Does recruitment look any different when we’re looking to onboard the best of the best? How do top-tier achievers want to be approached, and what could entice them to work with our organizations, over everyone else?

On the flipside, how can recruits present themselves as the kind of talent companies are willing to go the extra mile to bring into their worlds? 

In this episode, executive recruiter and President of MR Fairfax, Robert Houghton and I discuss how to spot (or become!) top talent. 

"The ideal recruit is looking towards a goal, not running away from something." -Craig Picken

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• 5 things that separate A-players from everyone else Is there an easy way to spot the ideal hire, from a distance? 

• The non-negotiables A-players are looking for Why would a rockstar be willing to up and move to another organization? How can we make joining our teams worth their while? 

• How to tell if a rockstar recruit is really interested Are would-be recruits really interested in joining our teams, or could they be easily persuaded to stay where they are now?

Guest Bio-

Robert Houghton is an executive recruiter and the President of MR Fairfax, the #1 recruiter in the Mid-Atlantic region specializing in insurance and financial services. A well-established former CEO of several successful business enterprises, Robert has a unique understanding of executive recruiting in the commercial insurance sector with specialties in employee benefits, property & casualty insurance and risk management. 

To find out more, go to

https://mrfairfax.com/

You can also email him with rhoughton@mrfairfax.com 

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.

Disruptions, crises, and unexpected challenges are inevitable in business. While we may not be able to prevent a crisis, we can control whether it escalates into a full-blown disaster.

The difference between a "disruption" and a "disaster" is more than just semantics. A disruption is a minor hiccup, but without strategic anticipation and planning, it can become catastrophic. The problem with many organizations is that they invest in impressive disaster management plans but fail to implement them effectively.

By making a few key mindset shifts, we can reverse a disaster and even turn it into a strategic advantage.

Why should we view disasters differently? How can we use them to improve our operations?

In this episode, I’m joined by Patrick Hardy, a speaker, trainer, author, and disaster reversal expert. We discuss how to plan for disasters and run a resilient business, regardless of economic conditions.

An earthquake is just the ground shaking. A hurricane is just a severe windstorm. A tsunami is ultimately a big wave of water. It doesn’t become a disaster unless you let it become one. -Patrick Hardy 

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

-Ready, react, respond, recover and reverse

Disruptions are inevitable. Is part of changing the culture of disaster management convincing people to anticipate it? 

-Reactivity vs. resilience

How do we run organizations that can bounce back and improve after a crisis instead of organizations that crumble easily?

-The danger of a single point of failure

A disaster isn’t actually about what’s happening or the size of the disruption. It’s a matter of dependency. What makes organizations more disaster prone?

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.

There are two ways to build company culture:

The first is intentional and proactive. The second is by winging it with the hopes that nothing goes wrong, which never happens.

Culture is more than a set of words that hang on the wall. It is a collection of behaviors that permeate so deeply that people do them automatically, even when no one is looking. Hiring those desired behaviors is the key to installing a culture of excellence.

Instead of forcing a set of values on people, think deeply about the values the organization wants to drive and then hire the people who fit them.

Why are company cultures that are built this way more likely to succeed and have engaged employees? How can organizations get this right?

In this episode, I’m joined by Ann Rhoades who has been instrumental in building cultures at Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, and Double Tree Hotels. She shares why culture matters, how to build it correctly, and what leaders need to be mindful of.

Hire for the right behaviors because 90% of the time, those people will behave that way consistently. -Ann Rhoades

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

-Focus on behavior

Do organizations skip some important foundational steps in creating their culture?

-The power of intentional culture

How can employees become recruiters and gatekeepers of our culture?

-When culture goes wrong

How did a certain embattled aircraft manufacturer go from a quality-focused culture to looking over its shoulder wondering where and when the next shoe drops?

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.

Whether it’s a huge corporation, a small company or a news station, taking a struggling business from dead last to dominant is a unique, yet thrilling challenge for the right person.

When you’re brought in as the fix-it specialist, a lot needs to be done, from driving culture change to motivating your people. What are the most critical pieces of a successful turnaround? In this episode, I’m joined by former TV News Director,  manager and author of political thriller novel, “Fake News”, Troy Wilson. We talk about his recipe for turnarounds and how to set an organization up for success.

As a turnaround artist, you need to have the courage to come in, confront the brutal facts and develop a strategy to put the television station back on the map. -Troy Wilson

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• What it takes to shift a negative company culture How do you change a culture where people feel demotivated and defeated?
• The unique advantage of being a smaller ‘training ground’ type company If your organization is the springboard for talent to go elsewhere, how do you deal with their tenure being really short?
• The path to becoming a giant In order to become number 1, we first have to be the next best thing. How do we position our organizations as a worthy alternative? 

Guest Bio

Troy Wilson is a former TV News Director,  manager and author of political thriller novel, “Fake News” He worked for more than thirty years in medium and small markets all across the country, and managed newsrooms which have won numerous awards and led and mentored hundreds of journalists. His success in doing that he believes is evidenced by their award-winning work, including Emmys, 'Best Newscast' honors, and individual awards. Troy even managed a newsroom which remains the smallest market newsroom ever to win a Polk Award for investigative journalism. But like many, he was dismayed by the direction journalism has taken in America. 'Fake News' is a novel that explores the contemporary media landscape in a unique way.

Buy the book here (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BL3WT22H) and email authortroywilson@gmail.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.

Commercial Airlines in the United States have achieved an amazing accomplishment– 10 years without a major mishap. This is an enviable safety record that is a direct result of professionalism and industry improvements made through the years. Resting on our laurels, however, is not an option.

How do we maintain this stellar record despite massive industry changes?

In this episode, I’m joined by former VP of Flight Ops for Southwest Airlines, Bob Waltz shares what’s behind the improvement of safety and how to keep it that way going forward.

How we’re training pilots is better than it was even a couple of years ago. -Bob Waltz

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

- How to set pilots up for safety: With rampant pilot hiring what training gaps needed to be closed?

- Solving the pilot shortfall: Would it be wise to reduce the 1500 hour rule? 

- Why the human-machine interface is still needed: As aircraft become more complicated, how do we make sure pilots are familiar with the basics?

Guest Bio

Bob is the former VP of Flight Ops for Southwest Airlines. At the core of his experience is leadership in the operational and training arenas of aviation, both in the military and the civilian sectors--but his interests are wider than commercial aviation alone. He enjoys helping others see the value of Safety Management Systems and continuous improvement and bringing these concepts to life in their enterprise. Bob’s skill set translates well across other industries and areas of focus, from unmanned systems to space to formal education and educational administration to venture capital start-ups. His background was forged while attending the U.S. Air Force Academy, leading crews flying combat/combat support sorties in the Middle East and the Balkans, serving at the national level as the head of a recruiting team delivering educational opportunities to the widest audience, and guiding a multi-billion dollar OPEX and multi-million dollar CAPEX team of 10,500 folks through the pandemic while completing his Ph.D. in Aerospace Science / Safety Management Systems.

For more information, head to https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-waltz-1829a51b/. 

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.

The business jet maintenance industry faces a persistent challenge: getting aircraft out on time and on budget seems nearly impossible. At the core of this issue? Labor shortages, high turnover, and a lack of skilled talent.

Hiring new mechanics is costly, the learning curve is steep, and customers ultimately bear the financial burden. While many have tried to solve these issues, Jets MRO took a bold, innovative approach that’s transforming the game.

 What if the secret to better bizjet MRO performance lies in treating mechanics with respect and offering them a compelling reason to stay? By prioritizing technician satisfaction and retention, Jets MRO has cracked the code for delivering top-tier service without the delays and cost overruns.

In this episode, Jets MRO founder and CEO Suresh Narayanan reveals how his company is tackling the labor crisis head-on, building a culture that retains top talent, and reshaping the way bizjet maintenance is done.

Tune in to discover:

• The origin story of Jets MRO.
• The innovative strategies they use to overcome MRO labor challenges.
• Why prioritizing people leads to better outcomes for customers and the industry.

If you're in the aviation or MRO space, this is the must-listen episode for you.

Guest Bio

Suresh Narayanan is the founder and CEO of Jets MRO. He is an accomplished entrepreneur, investor, and visionary leader with deep roots in aviation. With a passion for aviation and an unyielding commitment to people first, Suresh continues to raise the bar in how the industry treats its people. He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and an MBA from Southern Methodist University. A pilot himself, Suresh’s interest in aviation began at a young age in the repair station his parents opened after his father completed his career as a Concorde mechanic. Before incorporating Jets MRO, he worked alongside his brother Raj at Aerospace Quality Research & Development (AQRD), contributing significantly to the growth and success of the aerospace engineering, repair station, and military jet modification firm.

Suresh brings invaluable experience as the former COO of JSX and boasts expertise in aviation mergers and acquisitions, steering ventures towards success. He is a proud member of the YPO-North Texas chapter and serves as a dedicated Board Member at the Frontiers of Flight Museum. With a blend of hands-on experience and commitment to driving innovation in the aviation industry, Suresh is poised to lead Jets MRO towards unparalleled heights of success. To learn more visit https://jetsmro.com/ and 

About Your Host

Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association. 

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you! 

If we think back to the group activities we did in school, there were always a few top achievers who took the lead, while the rest put in the bare minimum. The former were the group’s ‘A-players’, and they’re not limited to school environments: in fact, we often see the same dynamic play out in our organizations today. 

So, what is it that makes some people more likely than others to put in the hard yards? Are some simply more driven to succeed? 

More importantly, how can leaders identify those A-players for their companies, and how can those A-players make themselves known in the first place? 

In this episode, Robert Houghton and I dive deep on the concept of A-players and how to recruit them. 

"If you’re an A-player, you have a better chance than ever before to reach leadership positions." -Robert Houghton

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• How to pinpoint A-players in an interview Some questions are more effective than others at unearthing who really has the drive to go the extra mile. What are they? 

• What A-players need to demonstrate to potential employers Sure, A-players are willing to put in the work, but how can that be articulated to recruiters? 

• The 1 thing likely to keep most A-players truly content Is working for someone else ever going to be ‘enough’ for those with a huge amount of drive?

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.

Our industry has dealt with unbelievable challenges over the last 20 months, but in spite of that, we seem to be holding up relatively well.

The real question is, as we near the 2-year mark of the global onset of COVID-19, what will the long-term effects of these challenges be? What does the future look like for the little players, and how can they position themselves for not only survival, but success? 

In this episode, President of Alderman & Company, Bill Alderman returns to share his thoughts on the state of our industry today and his predictions for the future. 

"The industry is changing, so smart people in it need to get together and think about how they’ll do things differently." -Craig Picken

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• The economic impact we’re seeing on aviation Many of us went into the pandemic anticipating seeing a lot of distressed selling, but that hasn’t really happened on a wide scale. Are people just being optimistic, or is there deeper reasoning behind that? 

• What’s in store for industry veterans Commercial aviation looks set to make its comeback in the next 18 months, but what does that mean for industry veterans planning to retire? 

• 1 thing we need to realize about innovation Is it realistic to expect to see new advancements in aviation in the immediate future?

Guest Bio- 

William ‘Bill’ Alderman is the Founder and President of Alderman & Company. A former investment banker, Bill has always had a passion for aviation, and is both a commercial pilot and aircraft owner. Today, he uses his expertise, coupled with his interests to represent Middle Market Sellers in the Aerospace and Defense industry. 

To find out more, go to: https://aldermanco.com/ 

You can also call or text him on: 

9144144070

Or email him at: 

wa@aldermanco.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.

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.

With the supply chain still recovering from covid, turn time, parts availability and cost sensitivity are the paramount concerns for airlines and leasing companies. That means more organizations are willing to look to creative solutions for complex problems. And, this has created lucrative market opportunities.

What is particularly fascinating is the team creating the solutions and capitalizing on opportunities; They’re young, aggressive, and willing to act fast in a very dynamic market.

Listen to how FTAI Aviation runs a business that moves fast without being reckless. In this episode, SVP and head of CFM & Module Factory at FTAI Aviation, Sam Hammoud shares the company’s unique and impressive approach to the engine MRO.

The CFM56 is such a simple engine in the sense that if you just gain an advantage, vertically integrate and do this right, you can make a very healthy business out of it. -Sam Hammoud

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

-Mitigating supply chain constraints

Why overspend to overbuild when there’s a modular and used parts market to take advantage of? 

-Culture of execution

How can a company move fast in their decision making; not in a reckless way but rather a thoughtful way?

-An interesting balancing act

What challenges are old guard OEMs facing?

Guest Bio

Sam Hammoud is an SVP and head of CFM & Module Factory at FTAI Aviation. He is a seasoned professional with broad-based experience in commercial, technical, and operational domains. Sam is adept at leading diverse teams to achieve strategic goals, capture new revenue, and deliver performance improvement. He has proven success in cultivating and growing strategic partnerships. For more information, head to https://www.ftaiaviation.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 OEMs, 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.

With even award-winning organizations coming up short in terms of employee happiness, is it possible that everything we think we know about leadership is way off base?

What makes the difference between a good working environment and a GREAT one? What can leaders do to create a better atmosphere, and how can employees play a role in effecting positive changes? 

In this episode, CEO of Veritas Leadership Research & Consulting, Dr Steve Merrill shares the 4 pillars that need to be implemented in ANY business to ensure maximum results. 

"The relationship of being able to speak up, knowing you won’t be whacked by your boss for asking a question, is so important. That’s what helps people stay in an organization longer." -Dr Steve Merrill

Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• How to lead effectively without getting mad at everything It can get frustrating when our teams make a mistake, but getting angry isn’t likely to solve anything. What should we be doing instead and what’s likely to happen when we make that shift?

• The TRUE meaning of compassion in a business sense Does compassion mean avoiding hurting people’s feelings at all cost, or could giving our teams a reality check be the kindest action?

• How to stop letting our egos run our organizations As leaders, we tend to think we need to have all the answers, but could that be doing more harm than good? 

• Why we need to re-think trust and micromanagement If you're doing your employee’s jobs, who’s doing the CEO job?

Guest Bio- 

Dr Steve Merrill is the CEO and Owner of Veritas Leadership Research & Consulting. The holder of a Doctorate in Education and Organizational Leadership from Argosy University, Steve has long had a passion for leadership and, more specifically, good leadership. Prior to founding Veritas Leadership Research & Consulting, he served as an Adjunct Professor and Student Success Director at Argosy University. Steve is the Vice President of Exclusive Cleaning, Inc.

To find out more, go to:

https://www.vlrc1.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevensmerrill

You can also email him at 

steve@vlrc1.com

Or call or text him on 3855494148.

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.

We don’t like to talk about it often, but when it comes to safety, business aviation doesn't have the perfect record. Anytime an accident happens, it affects the entire industry. A rising tide of safety keeps more planes in the air and makes the whole industry better.

Raising the bar of safety can feel like a nebulous concept, but it’s a necessary conversation. While it’s hard to pinpoint the areas that need to be addressed, we can start by building the right enforcement mechanisms and environments to correct problems.

How do we raise the safety standard without creating a finger-pointing or witch-hunting environment? What is the Air Charter Safety Foundation doing to bring safety to the entire niche?

In this episode, I’m joined by Sky Strategy columnist, co-chair of the Board of Governors at the Air Charter Safety Foundation and CEO of FlyVizor, Jessie Naor. She talks about how she built GrandView Aviation, and how to make business aviation safer.

We don’t like to talk about it often, but we don’t have a perfect record. If anyone has an accident, it affects all of us. -Jessie Naor

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

-Cutting down on acts of stupidity

Illegal charters are one of the biggest causes of business aviation accidents. How do we create the right enforcement mechanisms and environments to correct the issues?

-Growth makes things easier

How did GrandView Aviation go from a small company to 20 aircraft and 100 pilots? How did management approach growth and ultimately selling the business?

-Progress not punishment

We continue to have accidents in business aviation, and it should be a concern to all of us. How do we create a reporting culture that doesn’t feel like finger-pointing?

Guest Bio

Jessie Naor is the author of the Sky Strategy column in Aviation Week's BCA, Co-Chair of the Board of Governors at the Air Charter Safety Foundation and CEO of FlyVizor, an aviation M&A advisory and business consulting firm. She is a former founder and president of GrandView Aviation. Jessie has years of C-level experience in sales, marketing, HR, finance, data technologies and flight operations management. She is heavily engaged in industry advocacy, having served on multiple FAA Rulemaking committees and trade board groups. She was awarded a Top 40 Under 40 by the National Business Aviation Association and has spoken at events such as Women in Aviation, Corporate Jet Investor, amongst others. Connect with Jessie on LinkedIn. 

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 OEMs, 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.

Transitioning from the military to the corporate world comes with its fair share of difficulties, and it's something veterans need to be prepared for. The question is, where do we start? 

What are the unique challenges faced by former military personnel, and what can be done to overcome them? Is there anything civilians can learn from the transition path veterans need to take? 

In this episode, Founder and President of PreVeteran, Jason Anderson shares how to make a smoother transition from the military to the corporate sector. 

"We need to be more precise when we talk about military transition and how to do it right." -Jason Anderson

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• The problem with government-funded transition programs How can we expect government officials to train veterans for civilian employment when they have no experience in that area themselves? 

• What makes veterans so problematic in the eyes of recruiters Why are veterans more likely to struggle to adapt than non-veteran recruits, and how can we get to the source of the issue fast? 

• The key thing to remember as a veteran transitioning into corporate America Our prior leadership roles may look great on paper, but they aren’t necessarily going to make business leaders sit up and take note. What should vets be talking about in interviews, instead?

Guest Bio- 

Jason Anderson is the Founder and President of PreVeteran, an organization dedicated to helping military veterans make a more seamless transition into their civilian careers. An Air Force veteran himself, Jason knows the struggle of transition all too well, having dealt with the frustration of not knowing the steps to success. Today, he is passionate about helping others find a way forward as they enter a new stage in their lives, through his PreVeteran Beta courses. Jason is the Global Strategy and Foreign Military Sales SME at Collins Aerospace. 

To find out more, go to:

https://preveteran.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/preveteran 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-anderson-preveteran/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2EKGhfxoomB_UenF6Bx40w

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.

Efficiency is mission critical in the high-touch, high-mix, low-volume world of mid-sized MROs. Doing the job right and doing it quickly is the name of the game.

Leaders have to drive velocity and streamline processes and they have to do so while operating in a technical talent-constrained environment.

That’s the job Elliott Aviation’s CEO, Dan Edwards walked into. His perspective: MRO is a fun business. What are some of the concerns he’s balancing as the leader of this organization? How do you balance the legacy play with an ambition for growth?

In this episode, Dan shares what it’s like running Elliott Aviation, how they are finding talent in this environment, and driving up efficiency in a business where it matters most.

The pandemic wreaked havoc on the industry. There’s been so much turnover of talent. Attracting and retaining that talent is the number 1 aspect of having a good business in the MRO world. -Dan Edwards 

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

-Don’t chase squirrels 

It’s really tempting to chase down the industry and try to compete in every space. How does Dan avoid this trap as CEO?

-A good problem for a CEO to have 

How do you find the harmony between the pipeline created by sales and the capacity the operations team actually has?

-The key to a successful MRO business

The shortage of technical talent is a pain many MROs are feeling right now. How is Elliott Aviation filling their immediate talent needs while also thinking of the future?

Guest Bio

Dan Edwards is a seasoned aerospace executive and has led a broad array of businesses in both the government and commercial sectors. His new role as CEO of Elliott Aviation is the latest in a successful history in the aerospace and defense industry. Formerly the CEO of Triman Industries, Dan led the development and execution of the aggressive growth strategy that vaulted Triman to the top of military aftermarket distribution by tripling sales and growing profitability by over 5 times. Dan served over 23 years in the USAF both in active duty and reserve status as a KC-10 pilot and Civil Engineer. He graduated from the US Air Force Academy with a Bachelors of Science in Civil Engineering and later earned his MBA in Finance from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

Go to https://www.elliottaviation.com/ for more information or connect with Dan on LinkedIn. 

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 OEMs, 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. 

As individuals and companies start thinking about how they'll move forward in the coming months, it's time to re-evaluate how we present ourselves.

How can we position ourselves for the roles of our dreams? What can we do to stand out before we even get an interview? 

In this episode, I'm diving into what business leaders care about in ANY market.

"If you really want more money and a better title, quit asking for a job and tell recruiters where you add value to their organization." -Craig Picken

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.

Reinventing your career is something just about everyone will have to do at some point, but what about companies? Can a company that was headed in one direction shift its entire trajectory?

The short answer: yes. With thought and intention a company can change its culture, realign their hiring practices and do what it takes to grow. The only thing is, the leaders have to adapt a specific mindset to successfully do this.

In this episode of Million Dollar Careers, we discuss what it takes to transform a company.

It’s about active listening and then coming up with benchmarks and actions that are mutually agreed upon between staff and management. -Rob Houghton

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

- Why great organizations lose great people Really good people get pigeonholed because they are good at their jobs, how do you provide growth opportunities? 

- The mark of great management Many leaders say they listen to their people, but it’s really in one ear and out the other. How do you really start taking in what they say and taking action on it? 

- When companies say “we can’t find the right people”.. Is the problem the talent in the market or something in the company's practices? 

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.

2020 has been anything but the norm for businesses, entrepreneurs, employees, and customers. Every business has been hit with new challenges. Some businesses have come out stronger. These are the companies that successfully pivoted, kept a focus on their marketing, treated their employees well, and kept going despite the challenges.  Anchor Harvey is an example of a company that pivoted, rolled with the punches, and found a new path to success. How did they stabilize their business and identify new opportunities? In this episode, Anchor Harvey President and CEO, Tom Lefaivre shares how his team is navigating the challenges of running a business in a COVID economy. 

The things you should do for your employees cost money, but there’s always a payback. -Tom Lefaivre 

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• Our clients, prospects, and customers want to hear from us during this time of uncertainty. They want to know that we’re still active and working, and how we’ve shifted operations in response to the pandemic. 
• With more people working from home, website clicks rates and email open rates have increased significantly. This is a great time to intensify our online marketing efforts instead of slowing or shutting them down. 
• For many business owners, the 2020 crisis has been a time to put more into taking care of their employees and boosting morale. When we show our people that we care, especially in tough times, we earn a lifetime of loyalty.

Guest Bio 

Tom is the President and CEO at Anchor Harvey Components. Anchor Harvey is a data-driven aluminum forging company with a century-long legacy in precision manufacturing, engineering, and supply chain management. They’ve modernized the age-old aluminum forging process by introducing sophisticated technology to monitor and control every step of the operation. For more information visit https://anchorharvey.com/ and connect with Tom here https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-lefaivre-8804a013/. 

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. 

Data, data, and more data. The issue isn’t a lack of data but the inability to use it effectively.

It could be a challenge of interoperability, formatting or turning the data into motivation across the organization. The truth is: there’s a real art to utilizing the intelligence a business already has.

What can we do to organize scattered data? How do you use data to not just learn, but to motivate different areas of the business?

In this episode, I’m joined by the CEO of Nowsight™, Michael Schader. We talk about the biggest challenges businesses face in collecting, assessing and leveraging all the data flowing through the organization.

It’s answering the right questions with the right data and providing those answers with the right visualization. -Michael Schader

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

- The real challenge in business intelligence Are companies in need of more data or are they unable to use what they already have?

- Why data gathering has to go deeper than the basics What are the critical stats leaders worry about and how can they easily access that data?

- Data-driven or emotion-driven How do most leaders currently make decisions?

Guest Bio

Michael Schader is a highly sought-after software architect, who brings a unique, elegant approach to solving complex business problems. His company, Nowsight™ stitches together company data-sources to create a real-time, always-on view of the company that you can access 24/7/365. For more information, head to https://nowsight.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.

There’s a general trend taking place at the moment, across industries, where everyone seems to be more concerned with what everyone else is doing, but that’s not going to get us anywhere. Only focus can do that. 

What’s stopping more people from staying dialed in to their own jobs, and what can we do as leaders to make that easier for them?

Is there a way to pinpoint recruits more likely to knuckle down on what they’ve been hired to do? 

In this episode, Robert Houghton and I discuss how to instill a culture of focus in our organizations. 

Focus on whatever it is you've been hired to do and don't worry about anything else. -Craig Picken

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• The importance of setting expectations How can we expect our team members to do anything without communicating what we need from them? 

• How to hold employees accountable to their unique commitments Are we doing enough to encourage our employees to stay focused on their assigned tasks? 

• 1 thing stopping people from staying focused Focus isn’t a particularly difficult concept on paper, so what’s stopping the vast majority from knuckling down in their areas of expertise?

Guest Bio-

Robert Houghton is an executive recruiter and the President of MR Fairfax, the #1 recruiter in the Mid-Atlantic region specializing in insurance and financial services. As a well-established former CEO of several successful business enterprises, Robert has a unique understanding of executive recruiting in the commercial insurance sector with specialties in employee benefits, property & casualty insurance and risk management. 

To find out more, go to

https://mrfairfax.com/

You can also email him with rhoughton@mrfairfax.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.

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.

With the recent Boeing and Textron strikes, it seems the business of manufacturing new planes just can’t catch a break. 

These labor woes are just another challenge clobbering the production and availability of new aircraft, and we have to brace for a challenging few weeks (or months). 

Unfortunately, this could be the tip of the iceberg that can trickle down, but it’s not all bad news for the whole industry. There is a glimmer of hope - the aftermarket. 

Since the pandemic, this side of the business has been white hot, and the strikes are set to make it hotter. That means a strong M&A market, deals at good multiples and a perfect opportunity for owners looking to cash out. 

Why is manufacturing’s loss the aftermarket’s gain? How can we expect strikes to affect every sector of the industry? How did smaller companies get ahead of it? 

In this episode, President of Alderman & Company, Bill Alderman returns for his quarterly M&A update. Today, we discuss the recent strikes and how they will shape the rest of 2024. 

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• You can’t change the rules of capitalism The cash injection of covid was necessary but we weren’t going to escape scot-free. What’s driving the issues in labor right now?
• The beauty of being small and nimble  When inflation puts a squeeze on wages, the big corporations have the hardest time. How were smaller companies able to get ahead of strikes? 
• Production problems = the aftermarket’s advantage  The aerospace and defense strikes are going to hit airplane production with another challenge. Why will this make the aftermarket more lucrative? 

Guest Bio

William H. Alderman (Bill) is the Founding Partner of Alderman & Company. Bill is an M&A specialist in the middle market of the aerospace and defense industry with over $2 billion in mergers and acquisition-related transactions to his name. Prior to founding Alderman & Company in 2001, Bill worked for 15 years on Wall Street and in the Aerospace & Defense Industry, principally on M&A transactions in the middle market. His employers included BT Securities, Fieldstone, and General Electric. Bill is a Securities Principal registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and has four securities industry licenses (Series 7, 24, 63, and 65). Bill is a commercial pilot and owns and operates a Cirrus SR22.

• URL Link: https://www.aldermanco.com/
• LinkedIn - William Alderman https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamalderman/

About Your Host

Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association. 

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you! 

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. 

In complex industries like aerospace, defense, and manufacturing, there’s a dangerous disconnect between the boardroom and the factory floor. Executives focus on margins, growth, and shareholder value—but the employees making daily decisions often don’t understand how their work impacts the bottom line. 

Why? Because no one ever taught them.

In this episode of The Aerospace Executive Podcast, Dr. Kevin Koharki, former investment banker and now finance professor at Purdue University, explains how companies can unlock massive performance gains by teaching finance fundamentals to their workforce.

From engineers and sales teams to HR and operations, when employees understand financial strategy - how cash flow works, what drives ROI, how margin impacts decisions - they become smarter, more aligned, and more effective.

Kevin shares how he's helped Fortune 100 companies, private equity-backed aerospace firms, and industrial organizations build a culture of financial literacy that transforms performance from the ground up.

You’ll learn:

• Why frontline employees often don’t understand P&L ownership
• The ROI of teaching finance basics across the organization
• Why most corporate leaders don’t know how to read financial statements
• The difference between academic finance and real-world business acumen
• How financial education improves decision-making, culture, and cash flow

If you're leading a complex organization and want to align your teams around financial outcomes, this episode is for you.

Guest Bio

Dr. Kevin Koharki is the Associate Professor of Management at Purdue University and the founder of CAE Consulting, LLC, and CAE Investment Advisory, LLC. Kevin has published in leading academic journals including: The Accounting Review, Journal of Accounting and Economics, Review of Accounting Studies, Contemporary Accounting Research, and Management Science. His research broadly focuses on credit rating agencies and financial institutions. Kevin has taught courses on both managerial accounting and advanced financial accounting, as well as accounting and financial statement analysis for Executive MBA students. Kevin also consults with and conducts keynote speeches for firms across various industries (e.g., banking, insurance, aerospace & defense, chemical distribution, to name a few).  Having spent 20 years analyzing hundreds of firms, he is considered an expert in financial statement analysis, capital allocation, and Executive development. He has conducted interviews for Fortune Magazine, Accounting Today, among other publications. Visit https://www.caecoach.org/ to learn more. 

About Your Host

Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association. 

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you! 

If you run a small business, M&As may not be something you pay attention to because they are happening at the big picture level, but they affect the entire landscape of the industry. Whether a company gets snapped up or spun off, these movements create a ripple effect throughout the marketplace.

Even if you’re a smaller operator, the strategic, technical and competitive impacts of company consolidations will be felt by everyone, and the more we keep abreast with it, the better off we’re going to be as leaders.

What purpose does M&A serve to the entire industry? If we’re entertaining merging or being acquired, how do we get things in order? In this episode, aerospace and defense M&A banker Bill Alderman returns to discuss the impact M&A has on the entire industry.

If you’re aware of what’s going on with M&A and the value of your company within its supply chain and customers, you can be a more competitive leader of your business. -Bill Alderman 

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• What M&A means for the industry On a large-scale operational level does M&A really matter?
• The political implications of M&A At what size does an organization get so big it starts to get looked at more closely by the political sphere?
• The truth about many major operators Why are so many major OEMs struggling? 

Guest Bio

William ‘Bill’ Alderman is the Founder and President of Alderman & Company who are aerospace and defense M&A bankers. Bill has always had a passion for aviation, and is both a commercial pilot and aircraft owner. Today, he uses his expertise, coupled with his interests to represent Middle Market Sellers in the Aerospace and Defense industry.

To find out more, go to: https://aldermanco.com/ 

You can also call or text him on: 

9144144070

Or email him at: 

wa@aldermanco.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.

Most resumes, even the ones with the most impressive accomplishments, are nothing more than a list of boring bullet points. If you’re trying to get a great job with a profile that’s devoid of personality and storytelling, it’s going to be really hard to stand out.

Everyone has an incredible story to tell about their lives and careers, the more we tell them, the more people want to bring us into their worlds.

In this episode of the Million Dollar Careers series, Robert Houghton and I talk about what the history of America teaches us about storytelling.

When you’re doing a resume, you’re telling your story and the story has to be informative, inspiring and it has to be entertaining. If it’s just a bunch of bullet points, no one will read it. -Craig Picken 

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• Why we have to create career vignettes How do you transform an accomplishment on your resume into a mini story?
• How to balance humility with pride Can we talk about our proudest accomplishments without coming off braggy and arrogant?
• A storytelling lesson from Bill Gates How did the founder of Microsoft use mosquitoes to tell a memorable story?

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.

The traditional career is dead. Instead of climbing the resume ladder, many people are waking up to possibilities outside the cubicle or corner office.

We don’t live in an age where people stick with one career for decades. One person can have multiple iterations of their career, but it takes courage to make the leap.

How do you decide what your true calling is? How do you pivot before your job sucks the life out of you?

In this episode of Million Dollar Careers, we discuss an interesting WSJ article, and the new reality of careers.

People allow themselves to get stuck in a cubicle and they get the life sucked out of them and then they don’t know how to pivot. -Craig Picken

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

- The courage to reject status What holds people back from leaving the comfy corner office even when it makes them miserable? 

- Getting fired might be the best thing to happen to you What triggers the great awakening that gets people to go after what they really want? 

- The trap too many people fall into A counter offer might just be a one-way ticket to nowhere-ville, how do we avoid taking the bait? 

Read the full article here: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-new-rules-of-success-in-a-post-career-world-3e54b343

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.

The charter space is a high-touch, high-trust business with a lot of moving parts, especially when you’re dealing with the political elite. They aren’t just after a great experience, considerations like security have to be made too.

What are charter businesses doing to stay on the leading edge? How do they ensure the highest level of service, care, convenience, and safety?

In this episode, I’m joined by the founder and CEO of Advanced Aviation Team, Gregg Brunson-Pitts. He talks about his experience working at the White House and how his team handles the demands of such a high-pressure business.

Our clients come to us for an experience, not just a plane and a crew. -Gregg Brunson-Pitts

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

- Managing chaos What did Gregg learn from handling travel for presidents and political campaigns?

- The importance of operational security With everything happening in the world, what security issues do charter businesses and clients need to be thinking about?

- The future of charter businesses Can we expect more consolidations of charter companies? 

Guest Bio 

Gregg Brunson-Pitts is the founder and CEO of Advanced Aviation Team. He has been managing safe and cost-effective charter aircraft solutions for candidates, campaigns, national leaders, heads of state, and government agencies for 15 years. Gregg’s experience with chartering aircraft spans every state in the US, more than 40 countries, and 6 continents. Whether it is a small aircraft for a few passengers or a large airliner for a few hundred, Gregg upholds his reputation for attention to detail, passion for his work, and superior dedication to his clients. For more information, visit https://advancedaviationteam.com/. You can also send an email to charter@adavteam.com or gregg@adavteam.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 OEMs, 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.

If there’s one thing that could characterize our present moment, it’s a general sense of unhappiness. People just aren’t content in their jobs anymore, and as a result, they’re quitting en masse. Thus, The Great Resignation.

What’s behind this general discontent and what can we do about it? 

Is there a simple solution or do we need to dig deeper to reach the roots of the issue?

In this episode, MR Fairfax’s Robert Houghton and I are diving deep into The Great Resignation and what it means for your business.

It’s less expensive and more beneficial to pay a great employee a little more than you want than it is to have them quit and need to replace them. -Craig Picken

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• The true extent of The Great Resignation How many people are really leaving their jobs, or dropping out of the workforce altogether, and why are they doing it? 
• 1 thing employees want more Are we doing enough to ensure our employees are actually happy in our organizations? 
• How to retain top talent against the backdrop of The Great Resignation What will it take to retain the top players on our teams?

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. 

Guest Bio-

Robert Houghton is an executive recruiter and the President of MR Fairfax, the #1 recruiter in the Mid-Atlantic region specializing in insurance and financial services. As a well-established former CEO of several successful business enterprises, Robert has a unique understanding of executive recruiting in the commercial insurance sector with specialties in employee benefits, property & casualty insurance and risk management. 

Rob is the host of the Talent + Trust podcast. 

To find out more, go to

https://mrfairfax.com/

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/talent-trust/id1489738286 

You can also email him with rhoughton@mrfairfax.com

A shift in leadership often brings a shift in economic direction, and with that, a wave of uncertainty for business leaders. Recent changes in trade policy have sparked a great deal of conversation (and concern) around tariffs, trade imbalances, and global supply chains. But what we’re seeing now isn’t the final chapter—it’s part of a broader strategy to reshape the future of international trade and industrial development in the U.S.

The goals are ambitious: addressing the national debt, correcting long-standing trade deficits, bringing key industries back onshore, and rethinking the rules of global commerce. While the path forward may seem unpredictable, there is a long-term vision driving these moves.

The U.S. has long relied on the free market to guide economic outcomes, but certain challenges, like national security and the health of strategic industries, require more than market forces alone. Trade, especially when it intersects with geopolitical and security interests, demands a more hands-on approach.

So, what does this mean for today’s financial leaders? How should CFOs be preparing for the ripple effects of tariffs and other trade measures?

In this episode of the podcast, I sit down with Dr. Steve Horan, Former Managing Director of the prestigious CFA Institute and Finance Professor at UNC-Wilmington, to explore the broader implications of evolving trade policy. We talk about the big picture—debt reduction, onshoring trends, and how leaders can position their organizations for success in this dynamic environment.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The least painful path to reducing the national debt

• Are tariffs a tax or a tool?

• Will tariffs be an effective trade negotiation lever

• What’s really driving interest rates

• The biggest concern for CFOs right now (hint: it’s not what you think)

Guest Bio

Dr. Steve Horan is an Associate Professor of Finance at UNC Wilmington. Throughout his 30 years in the industry, Steve has leveraged his experience as a practitioner, educator and thought leader to engage the investment management profession on key industry issues. Steve’s distinct blend of academic and professional experience has given him a strong strategic sense, and the ability to apply a rigorous analytical framework to any situation. He strives to stay current in his knowledge and progressive in his thinking. Steve has written and co-written numerous articles and books, received several industry awards, and enjoyed a spell as an Financial Times columnist. He continues to provide media commentary, cited in publications from The Wall Street Journal to The New York Times to the South China Morning Post. Steve believes that an industry composed of competent and ethical practitioners is a necessary ingredient to build an investment profession that protects investors and ultimately contributes to a better society. Connect with Steve on LinkedIn. 

About Your Host

Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association. 

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you! 

After the Eagles’ Super Bowl defeat, Jalen Hurts said, ‘you either win or you learn’, and it’s true. Losses and setbacks are the biggest teachers in life, but what if we could learn while we’re winning? Learning doesn’t have to be punitive, it can be something we do proactively.

What if we didn’t get too comfortable and complacent when we’re succeeding, so that we get ahead of failure?

In this episode of Million Dollar Careers, we talk about how to learn while you’re succeeding so you don’t have to learn when things go wrong.

You can win and learn at the same time. -Rob Houghton

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

- Learning doesn’t have to be punitive What’s the biggest misconception about learning? 

-Even if you won the game, you still watch the tape on Tuesday Instead of resting on our laurels, how do we stay hungry and on our toes when things are going well? 

- From self-awareness to self-actualization Can you move towards something and live in the moment at the same time?

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. 

Even the most talented and driven people can find themselves feeling stuck in their careers, dealing with job circumstances that suck the life out of them.

From working with quiet quitters, to feeling like you’ve hit the ceiling in the organization or your capabilities not being noticed, how do you get unstuck?

What actions can you take to keep expanding and building up your profile? In this episode of Million Dollar Careers, we talk about navigating some of the common issues people face in their careers today. 

Curiosity and questions will get you a lot further than confidence and answers. -Rob Houghton

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• How to become the smartest person in the room Why is curiosity such a critical character trait of people with million dollar careers?
• The power of a quiet hiring initiative Do companies rob themselves of valuable talent by favoring external hires over the ferocious players within the organization with the potential to become superstars?
• The smartest way to flex your expertise How do you show your network that you have the mental capacity needed to excel?  

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 OEMs, 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.

Satellites have been around for decades, but thanks to the new affordability of low earth orbit, they're finally more attainable, so it's no surprise that the market is on fire right now. 

The question is, what are all those satellites being used for? 

What opportunities do satellites afford us today, and what can we expect the satellite business to look like in a few years' time? 

In this episode, co-founder of Terran Orbital, Marc Bell shares what he's most excited about in the satellite space.

"If an iPhone has more computing power than a space shuttle, why is anyone still building a shuttle the size of a school bus?" -Marc Bell

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• The truth about space being crowded Is space really at risk of overcrowding, or can the growing traffic be managed effectively?

• How satellite manufacturers hire How are satellite manufacturers identifying the best and brightest minds in the business? What does it take to stand out to these organizations? 

• How satellites will be taken into the future With technology moving at such a rapid rate, it's not uncommon for once cutting-edge innovation to become obsolete in a matter of years. How will the satellite business continue to adapt with the times?

Guest Bio-

Marc Bell is a space entrepreneur, passionate about pushing the needle forward. The co-founder, Chairman and CEO of Terran Orbital Corporation, Marc is at the helm of small satellite innovation. Marc was previously the Chairman and CEO of Globix Corporation, and in addition to countless other ventures including a publicly traded mortgage REIT, he is also a Two-Time Tony Award-Winning Stage Producer. 

To find out more, go to:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcbellmiami

https://www.terranorbital.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.

Economic fragility, long-running supply chain woes, long lead times, and labor. These are just a few forces exerting massive pressure on aviation.

In this highly chaotic market, operators and suppliers have been put through the whipsaw, and that shows no sign of letting up anytime soon. With the new aircraft market still heavily backed up, ripples are being felt across the entire industry - especially in leasing.

Anyone taking delivery of aircraft is making hay while the sun shines, and ultimately, the prevailing market conditions will catch up.

Under such pressure cooker conditions, who wins, who loses and who should be worried?

In this episode, partner at Split Rock Aviation, Andy Mansell returns to share how market pressure is affecting the industry, and what the near future holds.

In our industry, there’s no such thing as an overnight fix. You can implement an overnight fix, but it takes a long time for that to flow through. -Andy Mansell

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

-New aircraft…it gets worse before it gets better

There was major supply chain pressure even before covid hit. What does this mean for the near future of new aircraft?

-The market will resolve itself…

A lot of levers are being pulled to meet the market demands, but will it be enough?

-Freight ain’t for the faint of heart 

Could the cargo market help steady businesses or is it just too challenging a niche to explore?  

Guest Bio

Andy Mansell is a commercial aviation leasing industry veteran with an extensive background in developing, implementing, and executing strategies for aircraft trading and leasing. He is a Partner at Split Rock Aviation and has previously held leadership roles at Charlotte Parker and Associates LLC, Aviation Capital Group, and Boullioun Aviation Services. 

To find out more, head to:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-mansell

www.splitrockaviation.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 OEMs, 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.

The airline industry is renowned for its safety, but the pandemic threw a curveball into the mix. The world was forced to grapple with new realities of travel, and even though it was a challenge, it also presented new opportunities that the industry can go after.

Fleet flexibility, operational efficiency, and paying attention to demographic shifts—these are some ways the industry can adapt and pivot. Airlines have been forced to reimagine their models and rethink how they deliver value to customers, while balancing cost structures and new health and safety protocols.

Former Spirit Airlines CEO, Ben Baldanza, joined me on the show back in 2021 to discuss these critical changes in the aviation industry. He shared his insights on how airlines could navigate the turbulent times ahead, emphasizing the importance of adapting to shifting travel demands, especially as corporate business travel declined and more passengers prioritized low-cost options.

In sad news, Ben passed away recently, and I wanted to take this moment to remember him and the tremendous impact he made on the aviation industry. This episode is a special replay of my conversation with Ben. 

Ben is known for his visionary leadership at Spirit, candid commentary on the future of air travel, and his unwavering commitment to making the industry more accessible and efficient for all travelers. His legacy continues to shape the industry, and we are grateful for the lasting mark he left on it.

The idea is to make flying touchless, with less time spent face to face. The virus will end at some point, but the sense of risk has changed completely. -Ben Baldanza

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• Why the future of flying is touch-free 5 years from now touchless check-ins and minimal personal contact will be a norm and will be worthy investments.
• What the pandemic means for bigger planes It could take a couple of years to build back demand. Smaller, narrow-body aircraft such as the Boeing 737 Max, Airbus A320s, and A321s will have an advantage. 
• How aviation has prioritized safety since the start of the virus From the onset of the coronavirus, the aviation industry has done its part in visible safety precautions, from mask mandates to putting up shields at airports. As an industry, we’ve shown an operational AND biological commitment to safety.

Guest Bio - 

Ben Baldanza was an industry veteran. Previously the CEO and President of Spirit Airlines, and then he served as the CEO for Diemacher, LLC, and was an Independent Board Director at JetBlue Airways. Ben was also a Forbes Contributor, co-host of the Airlines Confidential Podcast, and was featured on multiple platforms including Fox Business News, The Today Show, and CNBC. Ben was an Adjunct Professor of Economics at George Mason University. 

To find out more, go to:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/b-ben-baldanza

https://www.forbes.com/sites/benbaldanza/

https://diemacherllc.com/about

https://airlinesconfidential.com/

Learn More About Your Host:

Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association. 

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to download the Apple Podcast app and leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you! 

Operating airplanes is a TOUGH business! Complicated machines, delicate financing structures, ever changing asset values, and other complexities that can tank even the best run operations. This is why it’s impossible to democratize business aviation.

Because owning a business jet company is sexy, it is easy to become overly emotional and focus on what makes you look good. But, it is a numbers business and operators who don’t stay disciplined will often find themselves in a lot of trouble. The secret according to AirX’s founder, John Matthews? Take let data drive your decisions.

How do you set a charter business up for success?

What are some of the mistakes jet operators are making? In this episode, John talks about the journey the company has taken, from their fascinating beginnings, to picking routes and building a very unique fleet and what it takes to survive and thrive in a tough business.

I became extremely analytical when I started to lose money, and that’s how we started making money. -John Matthews  

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

-Why AirX stopped flying to America

The routes you fly are critical to your success in the charter business. What are the differences between the American and European marketplaces? 

-The only way to survive and thrive

The asset market is going to soften and we’ve seen a sharp rise in the charter jet global inventory. What approach does AirX take to expanding their fleet? What are some of the creative aircraft they’ve assembled?

-Data-driven decisions only

In an industry like charters, it’s really easy to make decisions based on emotion. Why is it critical to be analytical instead?

Guest Bio

John Matthews is the Chairman of AirX. Beginning at the age of 17, John Matthews managed the operations of a 20-plane flying school. At the age of 18, He started a twin piston engine aircraft charter business for the executive charter market. John also earned a contract with Caledonian Airways to manage 13 Tri-Stars and two DC10s around the world, providing all technical ground support and flying critical spare parts to Caledonian in AOG circumstances. By the age of 19, John had advanced his career by starting his own operation with 10-seater twin engine aircraft. Healix, the UK's largest repatriation company, also hired him to fly medical relief flights. AirX was founded because a family-run business purchased the wrong assets during the boom. John took over operations, and within months of his leadership, the company was brought back from the brink of bankruptcy, building a new tier in Malta as the company's new HQ, which began in 2010 since then the annual turnover increased from €8 million to €150 million, with zero EBITDA to €25 million and cash generation of roughly €8 million in 2023, a record year. AirX has grown its clientele to include over 250 notable international celebrities, the majority of whom are return customers, including royal families, politicians, government flights, music tours, sports teams, and mission flights. For more information, go to https://www.airx.aero/. 

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 OEMs, 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.

What happens when the aviation industry faces the gargantuan task of catching up to a constrained supply chain? The opportunity shifts. Everyone has accepted the reality that manufacturing is highly limited and that planes have to fly longer, so the aftermarket is white hot.

If you own IP and you’re driving the aftermarket, you’ll be fine for a while, but is this opportunity being felt across the industry or just limited to this corner?

The truth is there are different things occurring in different sectors. Many sectors are leaving la la land and heading back to normalcy which makes for some interesting developments. Other sectors are in dire need of innovation. What are the biggest areas of concern and opportunity? In this episode, Founder and President of Alderman & Company, Bill Alderman returns for a quarterly aviation check-in. We talk about the commercial supply chain, the aftermarket, defense and business jets.

There is a lack of capacity throughout our entire industry of aerospace and the after market is white hot. -Craig Picken

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

-Never bet against American innovation

Russia’s tech is stale, but the real concern is China. What should this country be doing to shore up our defense industrial base and what’s at stake if we don’t? 

-Biz jets…we’re leaving la-la land

All things related to business jet aviation did really well in the pandemic. Why is the sector continuing to cool off now?

-The white hot aftermarket

There is light at the end of the supply chain tunnel, but it’s a long, long tunnel. How is this going to affect the aftermarket? 

Guest Bio

William ‘Bill’ Alderman is the Founder and President of Alderman & Company which are aerospace and defense M&A bankers. Bill has always had a passion for aviation and is both a commercial pilot and aircraft owner. Today, he uses his expertise, coupled with his interests to represent Middle Market Sellers in the Aerospace and Defense industry. 

To find out more, go to: https://aldermanco.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 OEMs, 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.

Every business leader wants to have an abundance of A-Players but what happens when the “rainmakers” have trouble working with the rest of the team? 

A disconnect between employees often causes havoc in our businesses and once disruption starts it may be hard to contain.  

The question is, however, how do we even begin to find  the solution? Is retaining a rainmaking disruptor really worth losing the other dedicated employees? 

In this episode, Matt Johnson and I share how to deal with employee conflict.

A-players will not tolerate mediocrity being tolerated, so if you’re in charge of how the team is structured, get rid of the C-players. -Matt Johnson

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• Questions to ask when faced with a disconnected team What are the questions we need to ask when disruption occurs? 

• Who to keep on our teams (and who to let go) Is there a ‘right’ way to reshuffle our teams, and who stays? Who goes?

• How to tell when an A-player is more trouble than good Is the cost of a star employee worth the benefit?

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.

CIA Tactics for the boardroom?

Michele Rigby Assad, former CIA undercover operative and author of Breaking Cover, My Secret Life in the CIA shares why human connection is so important and what being a CIA operative has taught her about communication.

Learning how to make connections with others is really fundamental to being successful. -Michele Rigby Assad

Takeaways + Tactics 

• Be prepared!  The more we know about the person on the other side of the table, the more confidently we can engage.
• DO NOT underestimate the value of finding common ground. The more you have, the better the communication.
• Respect is critical.  Treat everyone with respect and train your teams to do the same.

At the start of the episode, Michele explained that the CIA tactics of connecting with people are completely applicable in every business. We also discussed that every meeting is a negotiation we need to be prepared for.

We also spoke about:

• The importance of body language
• Why we should always aim to be the smartest person in the room
• How telling our stories can help us build connections more easily

Regardless of the industry we’re in, if we want to be successful, we have to make connections with people. To build connections with better results, we have to go into meetings armed with information, and know what we have in common with the people we’re meeting. Throughout the process, remember to be respectful; when we’re dealing with human beings, it’s easy to draw conclusions prematurely. But if we can train ourselves and our teams to treat everyone respectfully, we’ll be well on our way to building stronger, more effective connections. 

Guest Bio 

Michele Rigby Assad is a former undercover officer in the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency’s Directorate of Operations. Trained as a counterterrorism specialist, Michele served her country for ten years, working in Iraq and other secret Middle Eastern locations.

Upon retirement from active service, Michele and her husband Joseph (also a former agent) joined a group of Americans who wished to aid persecuted Christians. Their efforts resulted in the evacuation of a group from northern Iraq that was featured on ABC’s 20/20 in December 2015.

Michele holds a master’s degree in Contemporary Arab Studies from Georgetown University. Today, she serves as an international security consultant. She is also the author of Breaking Cover: My Secret Life in the CIA and What It Taught Me about What's Worth Fighting For.

To find out more about Michele, visit:

https://michelerigbyassad.com/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michele-rigby-assad-b25695135/ 

And find Breaking Cover online at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01N79ILGD/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0 

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.

In the aerospace and defense industry, unpredictability is a constant—but there’s a big difference between manageable risk and outright volatility.

With tariff changes, shifting trade policy, and rising political uncertainty, the real threat isn’t just higher costs. It’s the cascading impact these factors have on employment, supply chain stability, and economic confidence across the sector.

But while headlines focus on chaos, the real story is unfolding elsewhere.

Aerospace market fundamentals are solid. Demand is strong. And strategic investors are making big moves—especially in business aviation. 

Behind the scenes, this sector is evolving fast, and the implications for OEMs, MRO providers, and private equity are significant.

In this episode of The Aerospace Executive Podcast, sell-side investment banker Bill Alderman joins us for his quarterly deep dive into the state of the industry.

We unpack why business aviation remains a top-performing segment, how consolidation in the MRO and aftermarket services space signals deeper transformation, and what smart leaders are doing to stay ahead—by focusing on what they can control rather than chasing headlines.

Key Topics Covered:

→ Tariff Whiplash and Aerospace Workforce Planning How rapid shifts in international trade policy could lead to unintended layoffs across aerospace and defense sectors.

→ The Rise of Business Aviation Why record-low inventories, continued demand, and strong order backlogs are fueling growth for business jet OEMs and MRO providers.

→ Private Equity’s Big Bet on MRO What’s driving the surge in M&A activity as investors snap up smaller aerospace maintenance and repair shops.

→ Boeing’s Cultural Crossroads Why Boeing’s biggest challenge isn’t global politics—it’s rebuilding internal morale, leadership credibility, and trust with customers.

Anecdotally, things look good in the M&A market, but I am worried that the noise in the system could lead to layoffs, and that’s not good for anybody. -Bill Alderman

Guest Bio

William H. Alderman (Bill) is the Founding Partner of Alderman & Company. Bill is an M&A specialist in the middle market of the aerospace and defense industry with over $2 billion in mergers and acquisition-related transactions to his name. Prior to founding Alderman & Company in 2001, Bill worked for 15 years on Wall Street and in the Aerospace & Defense Industry, principally on M&A transactions in the middle market. His employers included BT Securities, Fieldstone, and General Electric. Bill is a Securities Principal registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and has four securities industry licenses (Series 7, 24, 63, and 65). Bill is a commercial pilot and owns and operates a Cirrus SR22.

• URL Link: https://www.aldermanco.com/
• LinkedIn - William Alderman https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamalderman/

About Your Host

Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association. 

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you! 

The most conflict-ridden, unproductive and ineffective organizations have one thing in common - a severe lack of honesty. Getting the unsaid said is critical - it’s common sense, but it’s certainly not easy.

Very often, people have valuable thoughts about the organization, but they are afraid to bring them up. Whether it’s issues or ideas, allowing people to share honestly makes our teams more effective.

If you’re a leader and you’re constantly getting blindsided by things you should have known, you’ve created a dishonest organization without even knowing it.

How do leaders inadvertently keep their employees from being open with them? How do we create the conditions for honesty? When we’re trying to identify the problem, how can we tell the difference between the facts and our imagination? In this episode, consultant, speaker, and author of Unconditional Power, Steve Gaffney returns. We talk about what erodes honesty in teams and how to rectify it.

It’s hard to get people to speak up and if you create any conditions for them not to speak up, that becomes a reason for them not to. -Steven Gaffney

Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

-Common sense isn’t all that common

There are a lot of leadership principles and best practices that are obvious, why do people struggle to do them? 

-Individual accountability vs. all-in collective accountability

People often cite the boss as the reason they can’t do something. How do we get them to start holding each other accountable instead? 

-Don’t imagine, notice

When it comes to resolving issues and conflict, people often create solutions without looking at the root cause. What steps can we shift to get to the core of the matter?

-Repeat, repeat, repeat

The most successful organizations codify their culture. As leaders, how do we bake in our vision for the business? 

Guest Bio

Steven Gaffney is a consultant, speaker, CEO of the Steven Gaffney Company, and author of Unconditional Power. He is the leading expert on creating Consistently High Achieving Organizations (CHAO)™ including high-achieving teams, honest communication, and change leadership. With almost 30 years of experience, Steven has become the go-to person and trusted advisor for countless top leaders and executive teams from Fortune 500 companies and associations, as well as the U.S. government and military. He is also a highly regarded author and sought-after speaker.

To get Steve’s free resources, go to https://justbehonest.com/ and mention this podcast in your contact. 

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 OEMs, 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.

The NFL draft is the greatest talent-hunting mission on display, and it’s a master class in excellence, business, recruiting, and people development.

Millions of kids play high school football. In college that number precipitously drops to 96,000 and at the professional level that drops further to 1,600. That exponential leap in caliber raises the game, and only the exceptional can make it.

What parallels can we draw in the business world? What makes the superstars so special? In this episode, we talk about why The Draft is such a great learning tool for leaders and employees alike.

Millions of kids play high school football. In college, that number precipitously drops to 96,000. In the NFL, it drops to 1,600. The caliber is an exponential leap. -Craig Picken

Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

- Drafting on potential vs. drafting on experience: How do we determine the kind of player that will fit our teams well? 

- The worst draft picks: There’s no force as disruptive as an un-coachable player. How do we avoid them?

- It all comes down to “do you your job”: Talent alone doesn’t make a great player. Why is EQ so important?

- Put more plays in your playbook: You never know what’s out there that’s going to kill you unless you’re looking out for it. How do you keep your head on a swivel?

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 OEMs, 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.

The pilot shortage might feel like a relatively recent thing, but it has been decades in the making. The foundation had been buckling for a long time and now we’re in full-on free fall, which is being reflected in the salaries and contracts we’re seeing today. 

Will this be the new normal going forward? In order to solve this issue, the whole industry has to present a united front to create a solid pipeline of talent. The companies that refuse to pay competitively will suffer accordingly. 

In this episode, I’m joined by speaker, author and CEO of The AirComp Calculator, Chris Broyhill. We discuss the roots of the pilot shortage and how it can be rectified.

OEMs have a dog in the compensation fight whether they know it or not. They have to lead by example. -Chris Broyhill

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

- The pilot pipeline crisis

Why is the barrier of entry for pilots so much higher than it was in the 1980s?

- Why so many companies suffer

Pilots are expensive to replace, how do we avoid losing them?

- OEMs have a dog in the compensation fight

How can the entire industry make a push towards retaining talent?

Guest Bio 

Chris Broyhill is a speaker, author and recognized business aviation industry authority on compensation, personnel retention, leadership, and organizational culture. He is the inventor and CEO of The AirComp Calculator. The AirComp Calculator™ is business aviation’s only online compensation analysis system. It can provide precise compensation ranges for 14 business aviation positions in six aircraft classes at over 50 locations throughout the United States in seconds. For more information, head to https://aircompcalculator.com/ or send an email to drchrisbroyhill@aircompcalculator.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.

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.

Neil Sohata, author of Own the AI Revolution, discusses this controversial topic and how it will affect Aviation. Will AI ever replace us and should we feel threatened? Listen to Neil’s vision to find out… 

 There’s no need to feel threatened by AI: it’s meant to enhance our capabilities, not replace them. -Neil Sahota

Takeaways + Tactics 

• AI will transform the aircraft manufacturing process
• Airlines and travel companies will AI to revolutionize travel experiences    
• Don’t panic …  it will ENHANCE human capabilities, not replace them

Every business leader dreams of building a team of A-players—but what happens when your top performer can’t seem to collaborate with the rest of the team?

When one standout employee clashes with others, it doesn’t just create tension—it can disrupt workflow, derail morale, and impact your entire company culture. And while high performers often drive results, the real question becomes: at what cost?

So how do we handle this dilemma? Should we keep the rainmaker and risk losing loyal, dependable team members? Or is there a way to address the conflict without compromising the health of the organization?

In this episode, I revisit a conversation I had with the CEO of MicroFamous and producer of this podcast, Matt Johnson. 

We unpack how to navigate employee conflict—especially when one person is operating on a completely different level. We’ll explore how to spot the warning signs, what to consider before taking action, and how to make decisions that serve your business in the long run.

You’ll also learn:

• Questions to ask when faced with a disconnected team
• Who to keep on our teams (and who to let go)
• How to tell when an A-player is more trouble than good 

About Your Host

Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association. 

With domestic air travel reopening across the world the airlines are bouncing back. But there is more short term pain.   

To move forward from this crisis let’s focus on the fact that there’s opportunity for long-term gain. Who do the airline turn to for survival? Governments? Capital Markets? 

Industry expert, Senior ISTAT Aircraft Appraiser and successful investment professional, David Yu, shares his thoughts.

Domestic flights have bounced back somewhat, but when it comes to international travel, governments will be the wild card. -Craig Picken

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• How investors should respond to the ongoing crisis In light of the continuing challenges faced by the industry, lessors and benefactors may need to consider a second wave of rent deferrals. Debt repayments need to be restructured realistically. 
• Why we need to avoid liquidation during this period We’re essentially a frozen market, so now is not the time to liquidate or sell.
• Why we need to stop tending the wound It makes sense to reduce risk in a crisis market but there must be a shift to growth. If we keep holding back, we’ll never reach the next stage of development.

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. 

Guest Bio

David Yu is the Chairman of China Aviation Valuation Advisors (CAVA) and its sister firms, Asia Aviation Valuation Advisors (AAVA) and Korea Aviation Valuation Advisors (KAVA). He is the only Senior ISTAT Aviation Appraiser in North Asia and China, and is a Forbes Contributor and thought leader in cross-border financing, real assets, and aviation finance and leasing. David is also a Professor of Finance at New York University Shanghai and Stern. 

To find out more about David, head to:

http://davidyuda.com/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidyu/#1ed07c622d7d

In the last 18 months, aerospace and defense have undergone changes and dealt with challenges few of us could have anticipated. The question is, what now?

What can we expect to see in the industry in the near future? Are there new developments we need to be aware of?

In this episode, Founder and President of Alderman & Company and one of the most respected “Sell Side” investment bankers, Bill Alderman shares his views on where our business is headed.

"When the boardroom is diversified, you get better collective thinking." -Bill Alderman

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode

• The impact of greater inclusivity on aerospace and defense How is diversity in the boardroom driving positive change in the industry?

• How PPP programs have affected aviation Has government assistance done more to help or hinder the aerospace business?

• What to expect from industry behemoths in the near future What’s in store for big players like Raytheon and Lockheed Martin?

Guest Bio- 

William ‘Bill’ Alderman is the Founder and President of Alderman & Company. While Bill started his career as an Investment Banker, he never felt like a banker at heart. As a commercial pilot and owner of an aircraft, Bill’s real passion lies in aviation, and today he uses both his strength and interests to represent Middle Market Sellers in the Aerospace and Defense industry. 

To find out more, go to: https://aldermanco.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.

There’s a lot of passive aggressive behavior in the working world right now, and doing the bare minimum isn’t just something employees do - companies do it too.

Quiet firing is the practice of slowly freezing out an employee hoping they self-select out, instead of just facing the issues head-on. It’s dishonest, unproductive and wholly unnecessary and entirely avoidable. How can you tell you’re being quietly pushed out? How can organizations refrain from quiet firing?

In this edition of Million Dollar Careers, we dig into quiet firing and why it’s such a bad practice. 

Hiring authorities and supervisors really owe it to themselves, their company, and the individual candidates to confront the issue. -Rob Houghton

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• What to be on the lookout for From demotions to reassignments, quiet firing takes on many forms. What are the subtle signs?
• The people who’ll never get quietly fired Can you take corrective action when you realize you’re being quietly fired?
• Why quiet firing is the action of a cowardly leader If an employer isn’t happy with an employee’s performance, why is it so critical to cut the BS and just let them go? 

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 OEMs, 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.

We’ve all heard the cliche saying, ‘people don’t leave jobs, they leave people’, but it’s time to debunk that idea, once and for all!

People leave jobs for all kinds of reasons, from higher pay, to better opportunities for growth and even convenience, so we’ve got to stop chalking it all up to leadership. 

The question we should be asking is, what happens when people do leave? 

In this episode, Matt Johnson and I discuss how to respond to a turnover within our organization. 

We have got to move beyond the unrealistic expectation that any turnover is bad. -Craig Picken

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• How to tell when a turnover is indicative of a problem When is a turnover simply a reality of life, and when should it raise red flags? 

• Why we should look at turnover as an opportunity How can we stop equating a resignation with a loss, and start thinking about it as a chance to onboard an even better fit for our organization?  

• How to ensure we’re never without a vital team member Losing an important team member could impact our operations, so what can we do to make provisions for the situation, well in advance?

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.

As of May 2022, inflation remains the biggest concern for businesses. It’s not only raising production costs and eroding earnings, it’s also slowing down mergers and acquisitions, which should be very active right now. 

Is it all gloom and doom or is this a speed bump before the big opportunity?

In this episode, President of Alderman & Company, Bill Alderman returns to share how inflation is affecting aviation businesses, and some of the solutions coming down the pipeline. 

In this episode, President of Alderman & Company, Bill Alderman returns to share how inflation is affecting aviation businesses, and some of the solutions coming down the pipeline.

I think this inflation thing is a speed bump and the opportunities on the other side of it will be monumental. -Craig Picken

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• Why we’re experiencing so much inflation Is this current rate of inflation a lesser evil if we consider what the alternative could have been?
• Why the M&A space has been so sluggish lately What’s holding up the deal flow in M&A, and can we expect a change anytime soon?
• The good news about the US supply chain How will the reshoring of manufacturing impact the US economy?

Guest Bio

William ‘Bill’ Alderman is the Founder and President of Alderman & Company. A former investment banker, Bill has always had a passion for aviation, and is both a commercial pilot and aircraft owner. Today, he uses his expertise, coupled with his interests to represent Middle Market Sellers in the Aerospace and Defense industry. 

To find out more, go to: https://aldermanco.com/ 

You can also call or text him on: 

914-414-4070

Or email him at: 

wa@aldermanco.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.

We live in a society that teaches that there’s only two paths, win or lose. But the path to success isn’t that simple, and one key ingredient of success is learning from failure. The truth is, there’s no such thing as failure. As Nelson Mandela so famously quoted, “I either win, or I learn.”

Even when things don’t seem to be working out, we’re learning valuable lessons.

To succeed in business and in life, we need to understand that we won’t always win in the traditional sense, and that’s okay! We have to stop torturing ourselves for making mistakes.

 In this episode, Founder and CEO of Extraordinary Advisors, Todd Palmer shares how to fail forward. 

If you’re not failing forward, you’re not succeeding. -Todd Palmer

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• How to be intentional in everything we do Whether we’re struggling with finding the right systems to implement in our businesses or facing something out of our control, like a pandemic, challenges are inevitable. It’s how we handle the challenge that determines if we win.
• Why we must lean into uncomfortable conversations It’s okay to feel stuck in a box, but we have to tell people. Communicate about potential problems and ask for help. Uncomfortable conversations are often more uncomfortable in our heads than they are in the real world, so lean into them. 
• How to embrace mistakes rather than fear them  When things don’t go according to plan, we get an opportunity to learn from our mistakes and grow from them. There’s no way to lose; we either win, or we learn.

Guest Bio

Todd Palmer is the Founder, President and CEO of Extraordinary Advisors. He is also a business coach and keynote speaker within the organization, and is passionate about helping people find ways around obstacles in their businesses. Todd is the author of The Job Search Process, and also writes on Human Capital Issues at Production Machining and DBusiness Magazine. Todd served as the owner and President of Diversified Industrial Staffing for over 22 years before retiring from day-to-day operations in 2019.

To find out more about Todd, visit:

www.extraordinaryadvisors.com 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/toddpalmer1

Find his book at:

https://www.amazon.com/Todd-Palmer/e/B019A60UQS%3Fref=dbs_a_mng_rwt_scns_share

You can also email him on:

todd@extraordinaryadvisors.com

Many people talk about wanting to be leaders, but a very small number actually turn that dream into reality.

The harsh truth is, most people won’t become CEOs or even grow their careers to a higher level, because they’re just not thinking the right way. 

So, how does a leader think, and how are their habits different from those of the average Joe? Is there a way to change our mindsets so they’re better suited to a leadership role?

In this episode, executive recruiter and President of MR Fairfax, Robert Houghton and I are discussing the common attributes ALL great leaders have in common, and how to emulate them in our own careers. 

"Thinking like a CEO is a difficult thing to master because you have to be part-owner, part-employee and captain of the ship." -Robert Houghton

Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• The importance of maintaining focus It’s impossible to reach our goals if we’re easily distracted. How can we really zone in on the activities guaranteed to help us push the needle forward?

• The education EVERY CEO needs to have What are the non-negotiable skills leaders need to have and how can we go about acquiring them? 

• Why communication is key How can we expect to grow our careers to the next level if we don’t know how to communicate our ideas with others? 

• The best way to handle Negative Nancies in our organizations It’s not easy to work when we’re surrounded by negativity, so what can we do if we find ourselves in that situation?

Once upon a time in aviation and defense, tier 1 operators held all the cards and led all the innovation. Now the days of “you need us more than we need you” are squarely in the rearview mirror and smaller operators have a lot more power than they ever did before.

In a supply-constrained environment, the big operators rely on every single deliverable from small operators to keep their lines afloat. In terms of innovation, it's no longer the Boeings, Airbuses, and big OEMs leading in the adoption of new technologies.

What does this mean for the future of the whole industry? Could this lead to disruption?

In this episode, Executive Business Editor at Aviation Week Network, Michael Bruno returns, and we discuss what’s going on in aviation and defense and the innovation storm headed our way.

There is a tremendous amount of opportunity for suppliers to grow and really shine in a supply constrained environment. -Michael Bruno

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

- The shift in aviation power dynamics In such a supply chain constrained environment, do the tier-1 operators need the smaller guys more than they need them? 

- Business aviation, from zombie industry to profitable powerhouse Have the last few years brought many ailing sectors back from the brink? 

- Getting Boeing back on track There’s no way Boeing will emerge from this decade the same, what can we expect to change? 

Guest Bio

Michael Bruno is the Executive Business Editor at Aviation Week Network. A recipient of the Jesse H. Neal award, known as the 'Pulitzer Prize of business media', Michael covers aviation, aerospace, and defense businesses, their supply chains, and related topics. Before joining Aviation Week, Michael was a staff writer for the Washington Post and Bloomberg NBA.

To find out more, head to:

https://aviationweek.com/author/michael-bruno# 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-bruno-469658a 

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.

Recruiting the next generation of professionals is a big concern for the aviation industry. It is now mandatory that aviation companies, large and small, to paint a clear picture of attractive career opportunities. 

How can the industry accomplish this? 

Andy Priester, Chairman and CEO of the world's largest and oldest family-owned Management and Charter company talks about navigating challenges surrounding recruitment, how to attract the right team members and make team members feel more valued. 

The more we’re connected, the more job satisfaction our team members can get. - Andy Priester

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• How to make your company an employer of choice What are the different ways to make your team members feel more valued?
• How aviation companies can attract top pilot talent How can we project an image of career consistency that is attractive to pilots?
• How to hire the right team members What qualities should you look for when hiring applicants?

Guest Bio-

Andy Priester serves as Priester Aviation’s Chairman and CEO. He is the third generation of Priesters to lead the business, the world's largest and oldest family-owned Management and Charter company. The Priester family has a rich aviation history starting in 1945, including owning Palwaukee Airport – KPWK (now renamed Chicago Executive Airport), operating a flight school, operating multiple FBOs, providing 145 maintenance services, and operating an aircraft sales division. During Andy’s tenure at Priester, he has grown the fleet from seven to over 65 aircraft they manage from 15 bases globally today. Andy currently sits on the board of the Air Charter Safety Foundation, is current Chair of YPO Chicago – Windy City, and is past Chair of the National Air Transportation Association (NATA). Andy is a proud University of Dayton Flyer and holds a Master’s degree from Concordia University.

To find out more, go to: https://www.priesterav.com/about-us/priester-team/. You can also email Andy directly at andyp@priesterav.com or call his office at 847-537-1133.

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 OEMs, 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.

Want to be an entrepreneur? Then expect some turbulence along the way.  As in any business, ups and downs are inevitable and one can never be too prepared for the unknown. What can we do to give our startups the best shot at success, no matter what life throws our way? From Navy Admiral to Bourbon distiller, Scott Sanders shares how he got his startup off the ground and how his 700 MPH Bourbon will help Marine Corps veterans.

"The key to a successful business lies in doing the research." -Scott Sanders

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• Why success requires more than passion:  Just because we enjoy doing something, doesn’t always make it a viable business venture. Take the time to research, and don’t jump right into anything.
• The importance of being open to mindset shifts:  In business, there are times when pivoting is non-negotiable. If we want to see great results, we have to be humble enough to make changes sooner rather than later. 
• Why focus is the key to a successful business:  Many business owners fail because they’re trying to be everything to everybody. Go 6 inches wide and one mile deep, rather than the other way around.

Guest Bio -

Scott Sanders is the owner of Tobacco Barn Distillery in Maryland. Prior to starting the business, Scott had a decades-long career in the aviation space, having held executive positions at Wyle and Audley Associates Inc. Scott started his career as a US Navy Rear Admiral, and today, in addition to running Tobacco Barn Distillery, Scott is the Principal Program Director at Envistacom. 

To find out more, go to:

https://tobaccobarndistillery.com/

https://tobaccobarndistillery.com/# 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-sanders-45336188

You can also email Scott directly at scott@tobaccobarndistillery.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.

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.

The aerospace industry was rocked in 2020 and nobody went unscathed. While many focused on Boeing, Airbus the bigger companies, very few talked about the little guys.

How has the lower middle market fared, and what does 2021 have in store for them? Who will bounce back and who is in danger?

In this episode, Managing Director of Patriot Industrial Partners, Alex Krutz shares his outlook for the small and middle-market players. 

In this episode, Managing Director of Patriot Industrial Partners, Alex Krutz shares his outlook on the lower middle market. 

"Watching a hurricane come on down you is scary, but eventually, it passes and it's time to rebuild." -Craig Picken

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• The unique challenge faced by small businesses Smaller companies are typically less likely to receive loans than their larger counterparts which puts many at greater risk.
• What lower production volumes mean for lower middle-market companies In the past, when volumes were higher, bigger businesses would source parts from multiple suppliers to curb risks. Now that the demand is low, having more than one supplier is a cost many aren’t willing to bear. 
• The next step for small companies Small businesses might not be able to get traditional loans from banks, but that doesn’t mean it’s the end of the road. Now is the time to get creative with other lenders and investors.

Guest Bio - 

Alex Krutz is the Managing Director of Patriot Industrial Partners, an Aerospace and Defense advisory firm that elevates business performance by focusing on manufacturing strategy, value creation, and business transformation.  He has been a consultant for Boeing, Tier 1’s, and Tier 2’s on operational turnarounds and private equity groups on value creation planning and execution. 

Previous to starting Patriot Industrial Partners, Alex worked for Raytheon Technologies, GKN Aerospace, and various aerospace & defense businesses in roles of general management, operations, supply chain, and program management. His experience spans across Engines, APUs, structures, composites, and large complex assembly business operations.

To find out more, visit:

http://www.patriotindustrialpartners.com/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/company/patriot-industrial-partners 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexkrutz

You can also email Alex at alex.krutz@patriotindustrialpartners.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.

Many people talk about wanting to be leaders, but the truth is, most of us aren’t doing what it takes to become leaders.

Leadership is about more than money, status, or power. Those may be perks of the job, but effective leadership is dependent on having uncomfortable conversations, making tough decisions, and taking radical ownership of everything that happens in our businesses. 

How can we make the necessary mindset shift into that of a leader, so attributes like accountability become second nature to us? Is it even possible to learn to be a leader, or is it a trait we need to be born with?

In this episode, President of MR Fairfax, Robert Houghton and I discuss what it really means to be a leader. 

"Leadership is not always doing the fun or nice thing, it’s doing what’s right for the business." -Robert Houghton

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• How to attain freedom as a leader Most of us can relate to being fearful of doing or saying the right thing, for fear of the consequences. How can we get to the point where those consequences no longer hold us back, so we can focus on moving forward? 

• The key difference between managers and leaders Many people have the ability to manage; how many have the skills to actually lead? 

• How to start taking radical responsibility What are we doing to avoid taking radical ownership today, and what can we do to change that?

Guest Bio-

Robert Houghton is an executive recruiter and the President of MR Fairfax, the #1 recruiter in the Mid-Atlantic region specializing in insurance and financial services. As a well-established former CEO of several successful business enterprises, Robert has a unique understanding of executive recruiting in the commercial insurance sector with specialties in employee benefits, property & casualty insurance and risk management. 

To find out more, go to

https://mrfairfax.com/

You can also email him with rhoughton@mrfairfax.com 

Books mentioned in this episode:

https://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Ownership-U-S-Navy-SEALs/dp/1250067057 

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.

Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter has ignited much debate, discussion and in some cases, ire over how he’s gone about things. There’s no denying that he is the biggest creator of shareholder value in the history of man, and that he has the ability to make any company he touches great, but so many employees aren’t buying into his mission.

Could this breakdown be nothing more than a communication issue? If the message had come out a bit differently, would the takeover have gone more smoothly?

In this episode of Million Dollar Careers, we talk about why leaders have to be able to express what’s in it for the employee in order to get their buy-in.

Communicating the purpose of the business with employees isn’t an event, it’s a continuing process. -Craig Picken  

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• The hard truth about building a great company Turning around a company is no easy feat - why do people in this situation need to get comfortable with being uncomfortable?
• Why ‘keeping your job’ isn’t enough to get employee buy-in How do companies get their employees to support the changes they are implementing to make the business more valuable?
• How to make sure the company’s purpose is felt by everyone It’s one thing to talk about the company’s purpose at the annual Christmas party, but how do we weave it into every aspect of the business?

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.

What should leaders be doing NOW to ensure the future of aviation? Competing or Cooperating? On this episode, transformational CEO Hooman Yazhari shares how leaders should respond to the looming economic crisis.

Like it or not, people are scared of getting into aircrafts at the moment. We have to work together as an industry to think of how to make them feel reassured. -Hooman Yazhari

Takeaways + Tactics 

• To protect the future, we have to protect the now. Liquidity is the key to everything, so go source as many sources of capital as possible.
• Use the current crisis to shape the future. Use the void in certainty as an opportunity to shape destiny.
• Now is the time to collaborate with our competitors to find a way forward and ensure passengers will feel safe on airplanes. 

Guest Bio

Hooman Yazhari is a transformational CEO with a vast track record in assisting distressed companies through major transformations. Hooman is a key leader in extensive chain management. He is currently serving as Vice Chairman of the Board at Bristow Group, and has just joined the Board at Speedcast. Hooman is also the Non-Executive Director at Voyager Aviation.  

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. 

They are considered “too small”! That is, until there’s an issue with a critical component they supply. Then they become the backbone of the industry. Small suppliers play a big role in aerospace.

With the addition of some “scale,” TLC, and robust business systems, there is also ample opportunity for growth. And this is exact what Scott Ashton is doing with Aerox.

From “big company” to pursuing his entrepreneurial dream Scott is building something great and he’s never looking back.

What’s the difference between working for big corporations and being the captain of a tugboat? What are some of the challenges that come with acquiring smaller suppliers?

In this episode, Scott talks about growing a small company, his latest acquisitions, and what he’s learned on his entrepreneurial journey.

You can have an impact on a company in a way that you can’t have in a much bigger organization. It’s very satisfying. -Scott Ashton

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

-Building the playbook from scratch

What’s the biggest difference between being an entrepreneur and an employee at a large company?

-The ultimate entrepreneurial opportunity 

How do you take a company that hasn’t had much investment and modernize it?

-Due diligence in a resource-scarce environment

What are some of the challenges smaller aerospace suppliers face, and why is it a huge opportunity for the right entrepreneur?

Guest Bio

Scott Ashton is the President and CEO at Aerox®Aviation Oxygen Systems and Aerox® Fluid Power. He is an experienced business aviation executive with P&L expertise managing and operating Part 145 repair stations, and Part 135 charter, aircraft management, and fractional ownership programs.

For more information, head to https://www.aerox.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 OEMs, 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.

Making the transition from a military career to civilian is no easy task, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible. 

With the right tools and support finding the career of your dreams is within reach.. 

The question is, what do the right tools and support look like? Moreover, how can veterans show potential employers that they’re capable of adapting their skills to a whole new world?

In this episode, founder of PreVeteran, Jason Anderson returns to the show to emphasize the importance of mindset when making a transition. 

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• What stops more employers from hiring veterans: How do common misconceptions surrounding veterans impact the way employers hire, and is there anything we can do to change that? 

• How to understand the difficulties veterans face in the civilian workplace: Do veterans struggle to adapt to their new realities because they’re incapable of doing so, or do their challenges simply boil down to a lack of prior experience in the space? 

• The role veterans need to play in their transition: Should the onus of support fall solely on a veteran’s new employer?

Guest Bio- 

Jason Anderson is the Founder and President of PreVeteran, an organization dedicated to helping military veterans make a more seamless transition into their civilian careers. An Air Force veteran himself, Jason knows the struggle of transition all too well, having dealt with the frustration of not knowing the steps to success. Today, he is passionate about helping others find a way forward as they enter a new stage in their lives, through his PreVeteran courses. Jason is the Global Strategy and Foreign Military Sales SME at Collins Aerospace. 

To find out more, go to:

https://preveteran.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/preveteran 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-anderson-preveteran/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2EKGhfxoomB_UenF6Bx40w 

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.

What is the future of aviation?  Will we be bearing the brunt of coronavirus for years to come or will the impact be short-lived?

In this episode, author of Aircraft Valuation, David Yu shares his prognosis for aviation in 2021 and beyond. 

The faster we take the difficulties of our reality into account, the faster we can get back on a growth path as an industry. -David Yu

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• The impact of furloughed skills on the industry:  Letting people go in a crisis is relatively easy, but getting them back isn’t so simple. As an industry, aviation is at risk of a potentially long-term talent gap. 
• Why new investors are at an advantage during this period:  Now might not be the worst time to start an airline. Between open routes and the availability of assets and labor force, there are a ton of opportunities for those willing to take the plunge.
• How the ‘new normal’ will affect aviation in the first quarter of 2021:  With more people working from home full-time we should expect to see a portion of business aviation demand fall away, at least in the short term.

Guest Bio-

David Yu is the Managing Director, Chief Investment Officer, and co-founder of aviation investing and financing firm, Inception Aviation Holdings, and the Executive Director Asia of IBA Group, a leading global aircraft appraisal and consultancy. A recognized expert in cross-border finance and investing, he is also an Adjunct Professor of Finance at NYU Shanghai, where he teaches the ‘Investing and Financing In and With China’ class. David is the author of Aircraft Valuation: Airplane Investments as an Asset Class. 

To find out more, go to:

http://davidyuda.com

https://www.amazon.com/Aircraft-Valuation-Airplane-Investments-Asset/dp/9811567425

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.

Success is easy to find when it’s broken down into the basics.

What are the 10 key ingredients of a successful career? How do you avoid the common pitfalls?

In this special 200th episode of the podcast, we talk about the secrets to a million dollar career.

If you don’t understand what you need to do to be successful in a company or it’s ambiguous, stay away. -Craig Picken

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

- Mediocrity doesn’t open doors

What are signs that you’re not showing up at peak performance? 

- Focus, focus, focus

How do you become a focused, specialized expert? 

- Forget being the best of the best

What should we be paying the most attention to?

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 OEMs, 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.

The skilled American worker has the resourcefulness to create better opportunities for themselves, so they’re not going to tolerate being treated poorly, even if they’re employed by a mega industry player. 

What will it take for business owners to stand out to recruits at a time when the balance of power is rapidly shifting in favor of employees? What can we do to not only attract, but retain their interest, so they’re less likely to look elsewhere?

In this episode, we’re discussing how to become (and stay!) the top choice for top talent.

"If you come into negotiations from a power position, you’ll win every time." -Craig Picken

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

-The key to keeping our teams enthusiastic

It’s one thing to recruit talent, but how do we keep them interested and invested? 

-How to build high-performing teams on a budget

Realistically, top talent are not likely to accept below-market compensation, so what does that mean for companies with smaller budgets? Is there a way to onboard talent without forking out a ton of cash?

-One thing to be mindful of when recruiting

If we’re continually going outside our organizations to find talent, rather than developing skills internally, what message are we sending to our employees?

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.

COVID-19 dealt a devastating blow to the airline and aircraft leasing industries, but the cracks were already there pre-pandemic. The pandemic merely sped up the inevitable. How do we rebuild?

Do we play it safe until the storm passes over or do we try new things in a frozen aircraft market?

Industry expert and Partner at Split Rock Aviation, Andy Mansell shares how the industry should use this time to plan for the future. 

If you’re patient during this period, the returns can be unbelievably good. -Craig Picken

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• How to plan more realistically: Develop a playbook that factors in bad news and the impact it will have on pricing. It is easier to deal with a crisis when it is planned for it in advance.   
• How lessors can make the most of the post-COVID industry: The market is cyclical and business challenges are inevitable. The best way for lessors to stay profitable is by aggressively investing immediately after a correction and exiting before the next one begins.
• Why owning every aspect of the production process puts us in danger: Operating without partners may seem like an attractive idea because doing so means we keep all our profits. However, while having partners means we’re sharing profits, it also means we’re sharing the burden of losses.

Guest Bio-

Andy Mansell is a commercial aviation leasing industry veteran with an extensive background in developing, implementing, and executing strategies for aircraft trading and leasing. He is a Partner at Split Rock Aviation and has previously held leadership roles at Charlotte Parker and Associates LLC, Aviation Capital Group, and Boullioun Aviation Services. 

To find out more, head to:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-mansell

www.splitrockaviation.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. 

Many people think military leadership is as simple as giving orders and people just blindly following them. They couldn’t be more mistaken. 

While people will do what they’re told, this “sir, yes, sir” style of leadership doesn’t lead to high performance. It leads to a workforce that begrudgingly follows orders and passive aggressively does the bare minimum. 

Getting people to take pride in their work and do it joyfully is a completely different ball game. It starts with a leadership style that’s more heart-centered, shifting from being transactional to being relational. A caring leader enhances the performance of a team, and it’s often as simple as learning the names of everyone in the organization. 

How can leaders show people that they care? Why do commuting CEOs kill morale? What are the 3 facets of leading from the heart? 

In this episode, retired Two-Star Admiral, my former colleague and aerospace and defense leader, Mike Manazir returns. He talks about his new book, “Learn How to Lead to Lead From the Heart” and why heart-led organizations outperform other companies. 

Don’t ever assume you know what the workforce is feeling or worried about until they tell you. -Mike Manazir

Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• What actually drives military performance (it’s not giving orders) Some people think leading is as easy as giving an order and people will follow it. Why is there a lot more to it?
• The most powerful thing a leader can do In any organization, recognition fuels performance. How can something as simple as a leader knowing everyone’s names fire them up? 
• What dysfunctional workplaces have in common It’s not hard to identify a workplace that’s not being led well. What are the telltale signs of poor leadership? 
• Transactional leadership vs. leading from the heart In this era of remote work and private equity, we’re starting to see CEOs who are okay with commuting. Why does this communicate a negative message to the workforce? 

Guest Bio

Mike Manazir is a graduate of Top Gun and commanded an F-14 squadron, the USS Nimitz aircraft carrier, and a Carrier Strike Group. Mike retired as a Two-Star Admiral and is now an executive with a Fortune 100 aerospace and defense company. He is the author of the new book, “Learn How to Lead to Lead From the Heart”. Mike mentors a leadership style based on heart and trust that champions inclusion. Mike believes if you have one or more people looking to you to show the way, you are a leader. He wants to help you be the best leader you can be so you can Lead to Win.

For more information about Mike’s book head to https://mikemanazir.com/. 

About Your Host

Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association. 

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you! 

From pilot pay and recruiting to acquisitions and maintenance scope - OneSky Flight has seen a steady stream of BIG wins. These are huge feats accomplished against the backdrop of a tumultuous industry, and they speak to the leadership of the organization.

OneSky’s success has been done in stages; formulating the strategy to make the company a successful career destination, hiring accomplished “right-fit” aviators, and growing both the fleet and maintenance capacity to keep up with the needs.

How is the leadership balancing these goals while being selective about growth? What measures have they put in place to avoid some of the woes their industry counterparts are facing?

In this episode, SVP and Chief Administrative Officer at OneSky Flight, Bob Sullivan returns to talk about the exciting year the company has had. 

World dominance is not our goal - our goal is to be the best. -Bob Sullivan

Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

-Become a career destination

While everyone else was turning left and lowering their standards when it comes to talent acquisition and pilot pay, OneSky chose a different path.

-The in-house maintenance investment

Securing more maintenance and bringing it “in-house” will help facilitate aircraft fleet growth

-Excellence not dominance

Unfettered growth isn’t the goal at OneSky. What are they focused on?

-The magic number

The covid era showed that there’s an appetite for private aviation. How can companies identify new customers?

Guest Bio

Bob Sullivan is a SVP and Chief Administrative Officer at OneSky Flight portfolio. With over 25 years of experience in Human Resources, Bob is passionate about ensuring everyone involved in aviation work in harmony with one another. Bob’s enthusiasm for treating everyone as a valuable cog in the machinery is what keeps companies under the OneSky Flight portfolio unique from their competitors. To find out more about OneSky Flight, go to http://www.onesky.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 OEMs, 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.

In the highly competitive and specialized world of business jet interiors, standing out with something truly unique is no small feat. The challenge of innovation is compounded by the complex certification processes involved, making it difficult for most companies in this space to create disruptive designs. Interestingly, some of the most significant innovations often come from outside the aviation interior industry. A prime example is RCO Engineering, a company originally focused on automotive interiors.

This small auto interior company was selected to build custom seats for Gulfstream, making the bold leap from mass production to a highly customized, bespoke business model for the aviation industry.

But what drove Gulfstream to choose RCO Engineering for such a critical task? How did they successfully navigate the shift from cars to jets? And what are the key differences between the automotive and business aviation industries?

In this episode of the Aerospace Executive Podcast, I sit down with Jeff Simek, General Manager of RCO Engineering & RCO Aerospace. We dive into the fascinating story of how aerospace came knocking, their business model, and why being a smaller, nimble company positions them for success in the aerospace sector.

There’s a lot involved in business jet interiors. There’s a lot of certification at stake and it’s risky to bring things to market so a lot of companies won’t do it. -Jeff Simek

Key Takeaways From This Episode 

• Aerospace Innovation: Learn how RCO Engineering’s unique approach to building jet interiors caught the attention of Gulfstream Aerospace and set them apart in a competitive field.

• The Power of a Small Business in Aerospace: Discover how keeping operations small and focused has helped RCO Aerospace achieve agility and innovation, leading to significant impact in the aviation industry.

• Pivoting from Automotive to Aerospace: The transition from mass production in the automotive industry to a fully customized, high-end business jet interior model presents unique challenges. Find out how RCO made this shift smoothly and effectively.

Guest Bio

Jeff Simek is the General Manager of RCO Engineering & RCO Aerospace. He provides passionate leadership, team building, and strategic planning for cost, quality and delivery performance in the Aerospace and Automotive industries. With over 23 years of experience, his first 14 years were spent in the automotive industry where he held the positions of Program Manager, Advanced Manufacturing Engineering Manager, Greenfield Site Launch Manager and Plant Manager for large Tier 1 suppliers. Following these positions, he was hired as Business Unit Manager for RCO Engineering’s automotive plastics division. After two years with RCO Engineering, he was promoted to General Manager of Operations for RCO Aerospace, a new start-up, offering passenger seating and interior products for large cabin purpose built jets. Jeff is now in charge of both Aerospace and Automotive operations at RCO with a strategy for the 4th industrial revolution. He also serves as a board member for AIAM where he works to ensure Michigan’s Aerospace industry is aligned to local and global opportunities. To find out more, head to https://www.rcoeng.com/aerospace and connect with Jeff on LinkedIn.

About Your Host

Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association. 

For more aerospace industry news & commentary: https://craigpicken.com/insights/. To learn more about Craig Picken and the NorthStar Group, visit https://craigpicken.com/. 

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you! 

Business aviation is a critical part of the U.S. economy, yet it’s often misunderstood as a luxury for the wealthy. While some may criticize the corporate executive boarding a Gulfstream, the reality is that this industry supports jobs, commerce, and economic growth nationwide. But are we, as an industry, doing enough to communicate its true value?

Challenges continue to emerge—from regulatory scrutiny and negative public perception to pressing issues like safety, technology modernization, tariffs, and the ongoing pilot shortage. Recent high-profile accidents have placed aviation safety under the microscope, making it more important than ever for industry stakeholders to collaborate and reinforce best practices.

However, these challenges also bring opportunities. By addressing safety concerns, modernizing technology, and advocating for business aviation’s critical role, we can foster an environment where the industry not only survives but thrives.

In this episode, I sit down with Andrew Broom, Chief Revenue Officer at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), to discuss the efforts being made to keep business aviation at the forefront of safety, innovation, and industry advocacy.

🎧 Tune in to learn:

• The Swiss cheese model: how to reverse engineer and address safety concerns
• How to modernize business aviation
• What’s actually happening in Part 135
• The most exciting developments in business aviation
• How NBAA is handling business aviation’s biggest challenges

In the Swiss cheese model, many things have to line up for an accident to happen. We’re doing a better job of figuring out where those initial holes start to line up. -Andrew Broom

Guest Bio

Andrew Broom is the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO) at National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). With over 20 years of senior executive experience in the general and business aviation industry, Andrew is a strategic and innovative leader who drives growth, improves performance, and delivers exceptional results in highly competitive marketplaces. Currently he oversees the development and execution of strategic road maps, business processes, membership and event marketing initiatives, sponsorships and advertising, and efforts to grow event and non-event revenue for the largest and most influential organization in the business aviation industry. As a former CEO of a pilot association and a chief marketing and communications officer of a leading aircraft manufacturer, Andrew has a track record of building lasting internal and external relationships, leading cross-functional teams, and orchestrating ideas across complex organizations. Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn. 

About Your Host

Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association. 

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you! 

Before the pandemic much of the industry ran on cruise control. Unfortunately, covid and the post-covid era exposed a lot of underlying weaknesses. From raw materials shortages to labor and production, everyone has a headache and there’s not enough aspirin to go around.

Before new solutions can be found the real challenge is stabilizing the processes we have now while also trying to make this an industry people will clamor to work in.

Although there is a flurry of activity within MRO, production and manufacturing need to bounce back and meet demand and the teething problems of LEAP and GTF engines need to be ironed out.

What are some of the moves that can be made to turnaround manufacturing? Is it high time for a new commercial airline program? What makes the jet engine business so great?

In this episode, Senior Aerospace/Defense and Airline analyst at Bloomberg Research, George Ferguson discusses what’s on the horizon for aviation, the challenges the industry is facing and possible profitable solutions.

We’re an aerospace nation. It’s a core industry we want to protect here in the US. -George Ferguson

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

-Protecting American aerospace 

Aviation used to be an industry that attracted young talent, but now…not so much. How do we fix this urgent talent drain?

-The beauty of the engine business 

We’ve pushed jet engine technology as far as it can be pushed. What comes next?  

-Not all bad news for Boeing 

Is Boeing closer to being investable again than we think? Should they just consider building a new airplane entirely? 

Guest Bio

George Ferguson is a Senior Aerospace/Defense and Airline analyst and Research team leader at Bloomberg Intelligence, Bloomberg's research group. He’s experienced in portfolio management, equity and debt analysis. George is also a U.S. Army veteran, and served as an intelligence officer (S2) in Iraq during 2003. His education includes a B.A. in Economics from Penn State University, an MBA with a finance concentration from Rutgers Graduate School of Management. He’s also a CFA charterholder and a Private Pilot. Connect with him on LinkedIn. 

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 OEMs, 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.

Covid drove the demand for charter aviation off the charts. Undoubtedly, we saw a sugar rush, and even though it’s tapered off, the industry is still benefiting from that peak.

Private aviation is spoken more of a lot more as a solution, and the audience is more educated about it than ever before. Where does the industry go from here? What are some of the opportunities? Considering how its fate is often linked to the economy, will the good times stop rolling?

In this episode, Executive Vice President and Head of Sales at Four Corners Aviation, Vincent Kavanagh shares how he sees the industry, including the current hurdles and opportunities.

I’m always bullish about the industry, if you’re as good as you say you are, you can still find the audience. -Vincent Kavanagh

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

-A more educated customer

Where should buyers have their loyalty and what should they be looking for?

-The state of the private jet industry

The industry has become much more consolidated, but how has that led to more opportunities and solutions? 

-So goes the economy, so goes private aviation? Not quite

Do the rise of interest rates hurt the charter industry or will these conditions create new opportunities?

Guest Bio

Vince Kavanagh is the Executive Vice President and Head of Sales at Four Corners Aviation. Four Corners Aviation has created an unprecedented suite of services, allowing business jet users to experience all the freedom, flexibility, and convenience of whole ownership, without all the headaches, responsibilities, and expense.

Nobody flies on a private jet simply to be on a private jet. They go to reach their varied destinations conveniently, flexibly, and hassle-free. Four Corners Aviation offers the most comprehensive suite of solutions in business aviation today.

To find out more, head to https://fourcornersaviation.com/ or email vkavanagh@fourcornersaviation.com or call 954-955-4582. 

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 OEMs, 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.

The optimism for the future of aviation also provides a perfect opportunity to shine a spotlight on our leadership abilities. 

What marks the difference between top-performers and everyone else? How can we demonstrate our strengths as leaders today? 

In this episode, show producer Matt Johnson and I discuss the characteristics every high-achieving aerospace executive must have. 

"We keep hearing that we’re in unprecedented times, so maybe we need to do some things that are unprecedented to deal with it. Be willing to stick your neck out and find different solutions." -Matt Johnson

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• Fostering Emotional Intelligence while teams are working from home What can we do to keep everyone engaged? 

• The importance of honing creative problem-solving skills How can we get more comfortable taking risks and trying out new ideas?

• Why adaptability is a must Are we doing enough to prepare for the future?

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. 

You can reach Craig on 910 509 7129

Or email him at craig@northstaresg.com

And to find out more about Matt, go to:

https://getmicrofamous.com/

2020 has been a wild ride. Between the pandemic and the subsequent economic fallout, it’s easy to view everything through a negative lens.   

Keeping a positive isn’t just necessary, it’s our responsibility. Even in the most challenging times, business leaders have to keep the ship steady, look ahead, and optimize the effectiveness of our teams. If we feel defeated, our teams will follow suit and the organization will fall apart. 

It's time to focus on the things we can control. While we can’t change the fact that there’s a pandemic, we can shift on how we respond to it. 

How can we be the leaders our teams need during this chaotic time? How do we balance realism and optimism? What is the critical piece people often miss in the conversation on emotional intelligence in the workplace?

In this episode, I’m joined by Executive Performance and Transition Coach, Dennis Volpe. We discuss the challenges leaders are facing in 2020, and how we can deal with them. 

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• The levels of awareness all leaders need to have:  The 3 lenses of awareness essential for effective leadership are self-awareness, social awareness, and situational awareness. We need to have a good understanding of ourselves, others, and how to navigate different circumstances.
• Why emotional intelligence shouldn’t be our sole focus:  While it’s important to develop an emotionally intelligent culture in our organization, we have to balance it with what actually drives the business forward. Emotional intelligence without performance and efficiency will only lead to a stagnant organization.    
• Why we shouldn’t be the only leaders on our teams:  Our jobs as leaders are made easier when we hire smart people who can lead themselves and solve problems independently. There should be leadership at every level in an organization, and that’s accomplished by hiring people who don’t always look to us for the answer or solution.

Guest Bio:

Dennis is an Executive Performance and Transition Coach, author, and a Principal at the Leadership Research Institute (LRI) He is an experienced leader and mentor with a proven record of leading and developing others to perform at higher levels and improve their overall effectiveness. He has a passion for learning, developing others to improve as leaders, and positively impacting organizational success. 

LRI is a global consulting firm specializing in leadership and organizational development. The firm partners with leaders across a wide variety of industries, helping them to guide and transform their organizations for success. As a leadership and organizational development consultant and executive performance and transition coach, Dennis partners with individuals and teams to recognize and optimize personal and organizational potential. For more information, visit https://transitiononpurpose.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/djvolpe/. 

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.

With interest rates, inflation and the running businesses in the post-covid era, leaders are being hit by challenges from all directions. The problem is: if we’re orienting towards everything that’s happening as temporary, we’re not helping ourselves or our businesses.

If we try to carbon copy the way we operated before to now, we’ll stagnate. If we choose to go back to basics and reorient ourselves to this new North Star, we’ll accelerate our organizations.

How do we raise the quality of our decision making? What do great leaders bring to the table?

In this episode, executive coach and facilitator, Miriam Meima shares her observations on leadership today.

The companies who are not trying to carbon copy the way they operated before and are more willing to reinvent from building blocks are the companies that have accelerated. -Miriam Meima 

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

- Advice for the accidental leader When the leadership mantle is thrust upon you, how do you find your feet and thrive?

- How to lead for today, not yesteryear How have the last few years impacted the collective decision making of teams?

- The truth about ‘hit the ground running’, ‘sink or swim’ culture What does it take to set an employee up for success? 

Guest Bio 

Miriam Meima has been a Coach & Facilitator for over twenty years.  She has closely studied the overlap between business and psychology in effort to learn how to support her clients in finding simple ways to be authentic and effective simultaneously.  Miriam has coached founders/executives and supported leadership development strategies at Slack, Twitter, LinkedIn, Hims & Hers, Glassdoor, Glossier and 100s of start-ups of all sizes across industries and regions.

She has worked closely with the thought leaders studying the link between culture and bottom-line success.  Miriam has a unique ability to understand an entire system and how to most effectively influence change, taking into consideration the infinite complexity of the individual, company and current market conditions. She is well known for her success with cultural change and often speaks on the topic of “How to Preserve your Culture While You Scale.” Miriam’s credentials include an MA in Organizational & Management Development, a BA in Business & Psychology. She is a Master Certified Coach with the International Coaching Federation, a Fellow at the Harvard Institute of Coaching and a member of Forbes Coaches Council.  Her work exists in the sweet spot blending left-brain research and right-brain creativity.  

For more information, connect with Miriam on LinkedIn. 

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.

Turning around an ailing company is a challenge most people would run away from, but some executives are actually built for patching up the Titanic. The individuals who can thrive in this situation know how to embrace the chaos, roll up their sleeves and make the hard decisions that set the organization on the right course.

What traits does a turnaround CEO need to have?

In this episode, I’m joined by my producer, Matt Johnson to discuss the challenges and opportunities of being tasked with saving a sinking ship.

A turnaround specialist has to have a management style that gets people to rise to the occasion. -Craig Picken

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• What we can learn from Elon Musk taking over Twitter Turnaround CEOs are meant to step in, blow things up and build back better, but they don’t win popularity contests. How do they deal with the detractors?
• Why some turnarounds fail What are the 4 ingredients of a successful turnaround?
• The best examples of turnaround specialists How do you know that you have the temperament and skills to turn a struggling company around? 

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.

In a post-pandemic world of work, the frustrations and concerns that led to The Great Resignation have morphed into a more passive aggressive trend.

Quiet quitting has emerged as the way unhappy employees express their job dissatisfaction, but does it actually do more harm to the worker than the employer?

In this episode of Million Dollar Careers, we’re going to talk about why quiet quitting destroys your own career, and the more productive way to deal with any career frustrations.

Setting boundaries is the alternative to quiet quitting. -Rob Houghton

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• Why hard work doesn’t have to come at the expense of our personal lives How can we give 110% at work without burning ourselves out?
• Why the solution is often setting better boundaries Quiet quitting is often driven by well-founded concerns about the job. How do we communicate how we truly feel instead of being passive aggressive?
• The importance of mentorship If you can’t afford a coach, how can you still get the guidance of an expert in your corner?

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.

In the world of business branding, there are 2 kinds of organizations. The ones that talk about what they do, and the ones that focus on what makes them unique. 

You can guess which one grows faster and has more loyal customers.

Branding is non-negotiable - it’s the only way to stand out in a crowded marketplace. 

In this industry, many companies don’t do enough to brand themselves differently, or the brands they do have are stuck in the past. As a result, there are hundreds of companies people can’t really tell apart. 

That’s why it’s critical to take diligent steps to be memorable and recognizable. 

How do you know it’s time to rebrand? What are the pillars of a good brand? How can legacy brands harness all their digital power? 

In this episode, I’m joined by CEO and Founder of Moxie Global Consulting, Melissa Thomas. We talk about my recent rebrand, and inventive ways to make your brand come across differently. 

There’s a big difference between branding that tells you what a company does and branding that tells you why they do it or how they solve a problem. -Melissa Thomas

Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

-Put both your feet in the digital world 

The world may have moved to the digital space but a lot of companies still haven’t caught up. Why is a website so necessary? 

-The biggest branding oversights in aviation 

The aviation industry is prone to mergers and product changes. We also have a lot of legacy companies that haven’t fully embraced today’s branding standards. How do you make sure your brand reflects the current state of your business? 

-The right time to rebrand

In a rapidly evolving world, a brand can get stale really fast. How do you know it’s time for a refresh or a total overhaul? 

Guest Bio

Melissa Lucas Thomas is the CEO and Founder of Moxie Global Consulting, LLC. She is a visionary business leader with expertise in the private aviation, luxury hospitality, and retail industries. Over the past two decades, she has worked as an innovator and turnaround expert with emphasis on developing inspiring leaders, managing service culture transformations, creating new revenue streams, and delivering operational excellence. Melissa’s innovative process and technology ideas have been a significant driver behind industry best financial results. To learn more, visit https://moxieglobalconsulting.com/. 

About Your Host

Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association. 

For more aerospace industry news & commentary: https://craigpicken.com/insights/. To learn more about Craig Picken and the NorthStar Group, visit https://craigpicken.com/.  

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you! 

Repositioning a 60-year-old distribution company - during COVID no less - is a Herculean effort. Considering that VSE Corporation’s market cap has gone from $300 million to $1.2 billion since 2019, the mission has been successful.

For the CEO tasked with this turnaround, there’s one key ingredient to this success - present leadership. In this post-COVID era of remote work, it’s easy for companies to take an out-of-sight, out-of-mind approach, but VSE does the opposite. Prioritizing the right things, identifying the underutilized gems, and putting effort into the foundation pays off.

How do you turn a 60-year-old company into a market leader? How is VSE Corporation approaching M&A? In this episode, CEO John Cuomo talks about his journey since taking over the company, why his mindset is one of  “writing a new volume of a book”, what sets them apart, and the secret to their success. By the way…  he’s also one of the most sought-after CEO’s in the industry!

The presence of a leader is important, even if it’s limited. I think it sends a big message, you connect in different ways and you get something different out of the business’ story. -John Cuomo

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

-1+1 is greater than 2

When conducting M&A many companies are mainly focused on buying a great asset. Why does the VSE Corporation start with strategy and culture? 

-The whole power of presence

It’s easy to have a disconnect between the company’s leadership strategy and the people working the floor. How does VSE make sure the whole company is moving together in the right direction? 

-The easiest journeys don’t give you the best reward

Transforming a company is no easy feat. Why does John Cuomo liken it to tearing a house down to the studs, rebuilding it, and ending up with the best home on the block?

Guest Bio

John Cuomo is the President and CEO of VSE Corporation. Appointed Chief Executive Officer in 2019,  he brings 21 years of experience in distribution and the aftermarket services industry. John previously served as Vice President and General Manager of Boeing Distribution Services Inc. Prior to Boeing's 2018 acquisition of the Aerospace Solutions Group of KLX Inc., John served as its President and General Manager (since 2014). From 2000 to 2014, John served in multiple roles and functions at B/E Aerospace (parent company of KLX, Inc. until 2014), including Vice President & General Manager and Senior Vice President, Global Sales, Marketing & Business Development. Prior to joining B/E Aerospace, John served as an attorney at a large multinational law firm practicing commercial law, mergers and acquisitions and litigation. Connect with John on LinkedIn. 

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 OEMs, 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.

Today’s workforce is teeming with high-level talent possessing a wealth of wisdom and decades of experience. Do leaders have the confidence and maturity to hire them? 

Young managers can learn a lot from the veteran players but only if they’re able to see past the age gap and manage the relationship maturely.

What are some of the insecurities leaders have around recruiting people with more experience, and how are they mitigated?

In this episode, Matt Johnson joins me to discuss why people with more experience and wisdom are such great recruits and the right way to do it. 

"Young managers fear that they need to have all the answers, but you don’t have to know everything. You just need to know how you get there through the perspective, wisdom, and experience of others." -Craig Picken

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• Why we have to approach hiring differently The things that matter to employees today are vastly different from what mattered in the past. How do executives make sure their offering measures up to what they want? 

• The biggest barrier to hiring confidently Young managers are afraid of not having the answers and this holds them back from dipping into an amazing talent pool. How can you overcome this fear? 

• How to establish a strong working relationship Why is open dialogue such an important part of getting on the same page with a recruit, and setting the tone for a harmonious working relationship?

In nature, the rule of balance reigns supreme - things will always return to an equilibrium, no matter what. In finance, reverting to the mean is a certainty, a swinging pendulum will always return to center.

The employment market is no different - right now everything is irrational, and it’s driving everything from jet pricing to salaries, but eventually the music will stop.

The challenge is keeping your business stable while things rebalance and still being able to play the game at a really high level on handicap mode.

How do you retain the best people when you can’t afford the crazy salaries being driven by this market? In this episode, we talk about the challenges in today’s job market and how to deal with them.

This labor shortage isn’t temporary - it’s structural, it’s demographic and it isn’t going away. -Craig Picken

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• The truth every company must grapple with Are your expectations realistic for the long-term or are you just making decisions on the sugar high of an irrational market?
• Why the pressures on the job market persist Will the employment market ever return to the normal we knew before, or will it readjust to a whole new normal?
• How to eliminate barriers to success on your team If it’s hard to find talent, how do you make your existing talent more productive? 

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 OEMs, 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.

Space-based intelligence is the new frontier of effective and scalable energy infrastructure monitoring. The world’s oil and gas pipelines need persistent monitoring, and technology can be leveraged to avoid catastrophe.

This problem is tailor-made for the space sector. The industry can deal with large-scale environmental concerns and make our world a safer place. Orbital Sidekick is a startup unlocking the power of Hyperspectral Intelligence™ to deliver value to the end-user.

How did this startup emerge out of new developments in space-based technology? What are some of the biggest real-world problems that can be solved by satellites?

In this episode, I’m joined by co-founder and CEO of Orbital Sidekick, Dan Katz. He shares why energy infrastructure monitoring is so important, how his company is providing this service, and what the future holds in this exciting sector.

The space industry has become mature enough that we can focus on end-users outside of the space industry. -Dan Katz

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode

•  How current energy monitoring methods increase the risk of disaster Oil and gas pipelines are everywhere, and they are old and prone to leaks. The current models of monitoring them are not thorough, effective, or scalable enough, which increases the risk of disaster. Pipelines need persistent monitoring with the ability to see below the surface and detect changes before it’s too late to fix them.
• The true potential of space-based environmental monitoring For space-based solutions to sustain demand, they need to have a use case in solving bigger environmental problems. From detecting wildfires to discovering new energy sources and monitoring pipelines, providing solutions to real-world problems outside of the space sector is vital to growth.
• The biggest concerns around Hyperspectral Intelligence™ Hyperspectral Intelligence™ has the potential to unlock new trillion-dollar energy economies. The same technology that is changing the world of oil and gas pipeline monitoring can be applied to new energy exploration and discovery. With all this innovation and growth, however, there’s a huge concern around increased space junk and debris.

Guest Bio

Dan Katz is the CEO and Co-Founder of Orbital Sidekick. Orbital Sidekick (OSK) provides space-based hyperspectral monitoring solutions powered by Spectral Intelligence™. OSK's unique radiometric speciation and change detection capability enable unparalleled target monitoring services for both commercial and defense users on a global scale. OSK's first space-based hyperspectral payload is currently operational on the International Space Station, and the company is on schedule to build a constellation of five microsatellites by 2021. This growing constellation will enable daily target monitoring of customer assets at a relatively low cost.

For more information visit https://orbitalsidekick.com/ and connect with Dan https://www.linkedin.com/in/katzdaniel34/.

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.

An aviation education can turn into an incredible career with countless opportunities to put passion and talent to work. But that requires training programs that open people’s eyes to the different ways they can leverage their expertise. 

The industry is evolving, and so the career paths within it have to shift too. From regulatory roles and jet pilots to aviation-trained business leaders, there are many ways to leverage the skills you gain at flight school.  

For years, aviation education has been pretty straightforward. But now, schools like Kansas State’s Aviation School, led by Tysen Pina, are shifting the approach. They’re creating programs that produce well-rounded professionals who are ready for all corners of the industry.

Introducing new training programs. Leaning on alumni. Driving excellence at the instructor level. Creating partnerships with different companies in the industry. These are just some of the ways the school is preparing students for more than just airport management. These future leaders are learning how to turn technical knowledge into business strategy and make smart decisions for the future of aviation.

How is Tysen using his military background to lead the aviation school? How is the school training talent for the different aspects of the industry?

In this episode, Tysen Pina talks about how he’s shaking up aviation education and helping students become the well-rounded, business-savvy leaders that the industry needs. He shares all the exciting initiatives he has spearheaded since he took over, and what he hopes to achieve next semester. 

You’ll also learn:

• How flight schools are leveraging cutting edge tech in the training process
• How Kansas State University’s Aviation School is attracting talent from far and wide
• The key to training the aviation professional of the future 
• Tysen’s journey from the military to academia 

I want to grow the program but we’re not growing anything until I’m sure that we’re at an excellent level. -Tysen Pina

Guest Bio

Tysen is the Department Head for Kansas State University Aviation School. As an accomplished aviation operations executive and retired USAF officer, Tysen brings extensive leadership experience in managing complex flight operations, talent development, and process optimization. He currently oversees 500+ personnel, 30 aircraft, and a $7M budget, while executing over 17,000 annual flight hours. Previously, Tysen held leadership roles in the USAF, commanding teams of 300+ members and spearheading critical missions and organizational improvements. He has successfully managed operations, led strategic planning, and driven performance enhancements across multiple roles, including director-level positions in aviation and airborne command & control. Tysen is passionate about developing future leaders and optimizing processes to boost efficiency and performance.

Connect with him on LinkedIn.

About Your Host

Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association. 

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you! 

In my recent conversation with Mike ‘Nasty’ Manazir, he talked about starting with the end goal in mind and setting the intention to fly F-14s before it was even a possibility for him.

Every legendary pro-athlete knew what they wanted from a young age, and carved every aspect of their lives to get to that destination. In any field, the best of the best never lose sight of the ultimate goal, and they keep their eye on the prize at all times.

How can we apply this if we want to build a Million Dollar Career? In this episode, we’re talking about what it takes mentally to achieve the exceptional.

A million dollar career is about punching above your own weight, understanding where you want to be and having a laser focus to get there. -Craig Picken

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• The difference between mediocre and Hall of Famer How are the habits of an exceptional professional different from the rest of the pack?
• Why people lose sight of the prize How can you become so laser focused on where you want to go that you can resist all shiny objects?
• How to determine your finish line early Are you on the right career path based on what you’re good at and what you actually want to accomplish?

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.

It’s really easy to wreck a great career when you make decisions based on emotions and take action with no real vision, and unfortunately, we’re seeing a lot of that right now.

There are many people making career moves for the sake of it instead of taking a rational approach to make sure the job actually serves them long term.

Just like planes, your career needs a flight plan, measurable milestones and a realistic endpoint.

How do we simplify the decision making process? In this edition of Million Dollar Careers, we talk about the importance of starting with the end in mind. 

Before you quit your job and trade a known for an unknown, make sure you know what the end is. -Rob Houghton  

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• The cost of jumping ship without thinking it through Why are many of the people quitting their jobs doomed to end up frustrated again?
• Why vision and self-realization are so important Are you on the path that leads you to your desired end point? If not, how do you change that?
• Emotional moves vs. rational decisions How do you take a measured and vision-informed approach to mapping out your career?

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 OEMs, 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.

The end of the 20th century brought the end of job security. It’s now evident… Your job or your best employee can quickly disappear in the keystrokes of a simple email. It’s for that reason why we should NEVER STOP HAVING CONVERSATIONS!

Companies should always be recruiting, because you never know when your talent will leave. The last thing you need is to say ‘what now?’ -Craig Picken

Takeaways + Tactics 

• Never have a mindset that all the seats are full. No matter how good your current team, keep recruiting. You never know when someone might leave.
• Always be having conversations. They’re the best way to network and gain an understanding of the world around you.   
• Continual conversations show that we’re open to change and show other industry players we are adaptable.

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.

The growth and financial opportunity in space isn’t going away anytime soon - in fact, it’s just getting started. Many people might think it’s just a flash-in-the-pan buzzword, but that’s like saying the ocean’s going away and we should stop building ships.

There are still some hurdles, however. Which include the ability to prove out the business models.

How are private equity firms navigating the space opportunity? Why did our guest make the switch from engineering to private equity? In this episode, VP at AE Industrial Partners, Jon Lusczakoski talks about his incredible career and the opportunity the company is taking advantage of.

We don’t want the firm to invest in one single constellation, specific type of company or technology. There’s too much risk there. We want to provide the picks and shovels for the gold rush. -Jon Lusczakoski

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

- Mapping out the space opportunity

If you take out SpaceX, Starlink, and Blue Origin, what’s the real financial picture in the space industry?

- From engineering to private equity

Why did Jon decide to change his career trajectory?

- Learn to double click on key details

From growing up around a small family business to working for a massive family business like Williams International, what has Jon learned?

Guest Bio

Jon Lusczakoski is Vice President at AE Industrial and is primarily focused on financial modeling, due diligence, executing new investments, and monitoring portfolio investments. Jon brings over seven years of aerospace industry experience to AE Industrial. Prior to joining AE Industrial in 2018, he was a Lead Engineer in the Program Development group at Williams International, where he led multiple integration programs for UAVs, military trainer aircraft and business jets.

To find out more go to;

https://www.aeroequity.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-lusczakoski-3832492a. 

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 OEMs, 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.

The skilled American worker has the resourcefulness to create better opportunities for themselves, so they’re not going to tolerate being treated poorly, even if they’re employed by a mega industry player. 

What will it take for business owners to stand out to recruits at a time when the balance of power is rapidly shifting in favor of employees? What can we do to not only attract, but retain their interest, so they’re less likely to look elsewhere?

In this episode, we’re discussing how to become (and stay!) the top choice for top talent.

"If you come into negotiations from a power position, you’ll win every time." -Craig Picken

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

-The key to keeping our teams enthusiastic

It’s one thing to recruit talent, but how do we keep them interested and invested? 

-How to build high-performing teams on a budget

Realistically, top talent are not likely to accept below-market compensation, so what does that mean for companies with smaller budgets? Is there a way to onboard talent without forking out a ton of cash?

-One thing to be mindful of when recruiting

If we’re continually going outside our organizations to find talent, rather than developing skills internally, what message are we sending to our employees?

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.

A big lesson we learn is how quickly change can be forced on us. The people who successfully adapt don’t change by force, they pivot with intention and purpose.  

Many think that change and transition are the same thing, but there’s a difference. Change is forced on us; transition is a choice we make and is something we control. 

Our world will continue to change and the more we can transition and pivot, the more likely we’ll be able to reach our desired goals.

What are the key differences between people who transition intentionally and people who are forced to change by circumstance? In this episode, Executive Performance and Transition Coach, and author of Transition on Purpose, Dennis Volpe answers this question.

If you don’t decide to do something differently, you’re not going to move from your current reality to your desired one. -Dennis Volpe 

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• Change vs. transition:  A change is what happens to us under the pressure of an external force. A transition is a mindset, internal push, and self-motivated effort to move from our current reality to our desired reality. By making transitions, we protect ourselves from unwanted changes. 
• The types of transitions we’ll encounter in our lives:  There are 3 different types of transitions: a forced transition, an accidental transition, and an intentional transition. The more we can get ahead of a forced change by shifting on purpose, the more prepared we are in an unpredictable world. 
• How to create your happiness equation:  Start with the non-negotiable things you need to add to your life and remove the things that divide or subtract your joy and fulfillment. If we set the intention to build a life that aligns with that equation, we can easily identify when something isn’t in alignment and shift accordingly.

Guest Bio 

Dennis is an Executive Performance and Transition Coach, author, and a Principal at the Leadership Research Institute (LRI) He is an experienced leader and mentor with a proven record of leading and developing others to perform at higher levels and improve their overall effectiveness. He has a passion for learning, developing others to improve as leaders, and positively impacting organizational success. 

LRI is a global consulting firm specializing in leadership and organizational development. The firm partners with leaders across a wide variety of industries, helping them to guide and transform their organizations for success. As a leadership and organizational development consultant and executive performance and transition coach, Dennis partners with individuals and teams to recognize and optimize personal and organizational potential. For more information, visit https://transitiononpurpose.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/in/djvolpe/. 

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.

Leading an aircraft carrier with a 5,000 person crew is like running an entire city. The flight deck is dangerous, the number of moving parts is countless, the stakes are high. and the magnitude of responsibility is unparalleled. 

How do you deal with all this and still manage to be an approachable leader with the respect and loyalty of your crew? Why is delegation THE key to success? 

In this episode, I’m joined by retired Navy captain of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, Brett Crozier. He talks about his incredible career, his philosophy on leadership and what any leader can learn from running an aircraft carrier.

Never overreact. The truth is always in the third report. -Brett Crozier

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

- The curse of the founder: Delegation is key to leadership efficiency, but why do so many leaders struggle to offload certain responsibilities? 

- How to be an approachable leader: The temperament of a leader has a huge effect on the culture, how do we keep our emotions in check? 

- The right way to process information: We live in a world of unfiltered information and rushes to judgment. How do we manage this as leaders?

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

Guest Bio 

Brett Elliott Crozier is a retired US Navy captain and the author of “Surf When You Can: Lessons in Life, Loyalty, and Leadership from a Maverick Navy Captain”. He embarked on a thirty-year career in the Navy, flying dozens of combat missions over Iraq and leading at the highest levels of operational command. He served as the commanding officer of a combat F/A-18 strike fighter squadron, the world’s largest and most advanced communications ship, and ultimately the USS Theodore Roosevelt before retiring from the Navy in 2022.

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.

Check out this episode on our Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to download the Apple Podcasts app and leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!

In the aircraft parts market, some SKUs fly off the shelves easily, but that’s not the case for every part. Some parts sit in warehouses for years, gathering dust, adding up to hundreds of billions in write-offs. 

80% of inventory gets snapped up, but the 20% can’t sell itself. It requires someone to do some in-depth spelunking to breathe new life into these forgotten parts and connect them with buyers.  

The industry has long been aware of this problem - everyone complains about it but no one has ever done anything about it. 

Until now. 

Oyster Aero decided to tackle this hundred billion dollar problem. By getting the surplus inventory moving again, they are helping companies get cash back on written off parts, and getting shunned and forgotten inventory back into the market. 

How are they finding this buried inventory and doing the work to get it sold? What inspired the founder of Oyster? In this episode, Oyster Aero’s CEO, Jeff Jerge joins me to talk about how they’ve gained hundreds of clients in just 8 months, and how the company is tackling one of the industry’s biggest problems. 

You’ll also learn:

• How Oyster Aero got 450 sign ups in just 8 months

• Legwork behind the listing: what Oyster Aero does to get parts sold

• Why the key to starting your business is action
• How Oyster Aero deals with with part traceability  

We’re high touch for inventory that people shun. We’re the Ritz-Carlton for inventory that’s been forgotten. -Jeff Jerge 

Guest Bio

Jeff Jerge is the founder and CEO of Oyster Aero. Oyster Aero was founded on the premise that buyers and sellers desire an innovative online deal marketplace within the Aviation Supply Chain. The name “Oyster” was born from the identification of a unique niche offering, paralleling the act of opening shells to find pearls, i.e., there are pearls in every inventory. We are purposeful in cultivating an exclusive community with validated Buyers, Sellers, and Partners that can communicate and transact in a trusted and secure manner. To learn more visit https://oysteraero.com/ or connect with him on LinkedIn. 

About Your Host

Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association. 

For more aerospace industry news & commentary: https://craigpicken.com/insights/. 

To learn more about Craig Picken, visit https://craigpicken.com/.  

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you! 

In today’s fast-paced world of algorithms and shiny objects, people overcomplicate career and business success, but just like in fitness, committing to a few simple actions is what drives results.

The simpler we make things, the better we get at our jobs, and the faster we get to our goals.

How do we simplify what we’re doing, and cut out the unnecessary complexity? In this episode, Robert Houghton and I share why simple things make a huge difference.

"The 3 things a salesperson needs to focus on who their customer is, how to stay in touch with them and how to provide value." -Craig Picken

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• The benefits of cutting out the complexity Why does simplicity make our metrics and insights more actionable?
• How to uncover what pushes the needle in our careers What can the military and law enforcement teach us about taking action in our careers?
• How successful people present themselves to the world How do we dress for success without overcomplicating things?

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.

Robert Houghton is an executive recruiter and the President of MR Fairfax, the #1 recruiter in the Mid-Atlantic region specializing in insurance and financial services. As a well-established former CEO of several successful business enterprises, Robert has a unique understanding of executive recruiting in the commercial insurance sector with specialties in employee benefits, property & casualty insurance and risk management. Robert is the host of the Talent + Trust podcast.

To find out more, go to

https://mrfairfax.com/

https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/talent-trust/id1489738286 

You can also email him with rhoughton@mrfairfax.com

The dust up between American Airlines and JSX is an interesting airline industry development. The pilot’s unions say it’s all in the name of safety, but that couldn’t be further from reality.

What’s up with FAR Part 380?

Smaller airlines are trying to take the suck out of flying and continue service for small communities. Why are the majors so dead-set against these small players? Can we really buy the argument that they want to make the industry safer?

The answer is… complicated. There is more to the feud than meets the eye (or the press).

In this episode I’m joined by acclaimed aviation attorney, Paul Lange. We talk about the real motivation behind the industry’s opposition to FAA Part 380 carriers.

The majors and unions don’t want to provide choice to the American public. They want the only model available to be their airlines and fortress hubs. -Paul Lange 

Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

-An end to the pilot shortage…

Is the 1500 hour rule the real reason for the opposition to Part 380 carriers (who can circumvent it). Are there more efficient and effective ways to train pilots?

- Why Part 380 carriers worry the majors

How can major carriers view charter carriers as competitive, existential threats when they have just 30 seats and a small fraction of the business?  

- Safety or sabotage

Major carriers are harping on about the safety (or lack thereof) in the Part 380 carrier space. Is that really what they care about?

Guest Bio

Paul represents aviation businesses in solving significant and challenging problems. His background litigating and trying to verdict judgment aviation matters nationwide before federal and state courts as well as administrative agencies, sometimes simultaneously, brings a breadth of opportunities to the table when seeking to resolve disputes at their earliest opportunity or in complicated business structures restricted by regulatory overlays. In addition to remaining current trying cases, Paul’s transactional and aviation regulatory practice includes formation, mergers and acquisitions of fixed base operators (FBO’s), air carriers, air charter brokers, public charter operators, maintenance and repair organizations (MRO’s), and the purchase, sale and lease of aircraft. Go to http://lopal.com/ or call 203-375-7724. 

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 OEMs, 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.

Whether you’re in the Blue Angels, on the flight deck of an aircraft carrier or an elite athlete, being on a high performing team isn’t about you. Your success depends on working together, sacrificing, covering for each other and collaborating. 

In order to do this right, everyone on the team has to hold up their end of the bargain. The leader has to be willing to hold up a mirror to their own performance and be the basis of all the values they want the team to have. 

The team member has to carry their weight. Collectively, the organizational mission has to precede the personal mission. 

The moment you have a group of people with their own agendas is the moment performance and ultimately, results get compromised. How do we uphold the 5 core tenants of high performance teams? How do high performance teams have hard conversations? 

In this episode, aviation executive, pilot, speaker, former Commanding Officer of the Blue Angels and author of High Trust Leadership, George Dom returns to share how great teams operate, learn from mistakes and work towards their goals. 

When you’re a team, your success depends on you working together, sacrificing, covering for each other and collaborating. -George Dom

Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 

• 5 questions to ask yourself everyday There are interconnected things every single high performance team needs to have. How do we make them part of our daily routines? 
• Every organization needs a post-flight debrief One of the biggest gaps is corporate America is the inability for leaders to give and get candid feedback. Why is it so important for teams not to shy away from holding a mirror up to their own performance? 
• High performance team vs. high performance person You either have a team or a group of individuals with their own agendas. What are the core characteristics of a real team? 

Guest Bio

George is an aviation executive, pilot, speaker and former Commanding Officer of the Blue Angels. Today he is the COO of ACI Jet and the author of the new book, “High Trust Leadership: How to Build a High-Performance Team”.  Through inspiring keynotes, engaging workshops, and expert coaching, George shares critical lessons on leadership, team-building, and high performance based on his 26-year Navy career that included aerial combat missions, flight leader of the Blue Angels, and Topgun instructor. Participants learn the skills that transform managers into leaders and groups into cohesive teams -- High-Trust Leadership and Focused Engagement. To learn more go to https://georgedom.com/ and connect with George on LinkedIn. 

Buy the book “High Trust Leadership: How to Build a High-Performance Team” here. 

About Your Host

Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association. 

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!