China Aircraft Leasing Group (CALC) announced the appointments of four senior executives as part of its ongoing efforts to strengthen CALC’s strategic presence in key markets around the world. The four senior executives are expected to help the group tap opportunities afforded by recovery of the aviation industry in the post-pandemic period, and further progressing towards its goal of becoming a world-leading aviation asset manager.
The appointees include:
- Richard Wall, Chief Technical Officer: Wall has been serving SMBC Aviation Capital since 2006, leading the EMEA & Americas based Technical Asset Management teams to manage over 250 aircraft assets and transactions. he will succeed David Morris who is approaching his retirement age and will be stepping down from his full-time role, and be responsible for the group’s technical and asset management operations. Morris will remain with the company as director of the group’s Irish subsidiary CALC Global Leasing Limited.
- Luis Ayala, Chief Development Officer: Ayala has close to 30 years of experience in commercial air transport and has extensive experiences in strategic planning, business development, process improvement, project management and aviation finance, with a proven track record in managing over 150 aircraft amounting to US$3 billion throughout his career. He was previously managing director of GA Telesis Asset Transaction Group. He also founded three aviation service companies. Earlier, he also served director-level sales positions in several aircraft leasing companies in the United States and has established extensive relationships with world’s leading airlines and financial institutions.
- Donald Liu, Deputy Chief Commercial Officer, Greater China: Liu has over 25 years of experience in engine and aviation aftermarket businesses and aircraft leasing business development. He has accumulated a robust track record in new engine business for over 200 aircraft, valued in excess of US$10 billion in aggregate. He was previously deputy general manager of Sichuan Haite High-tech and head of its aircraft leasing division. Prior to this, he served as customer business director at International Aero Engines, China and sales director, Aftermarket of Safran Group in China.
- George Ren, Managing Director, Corporate Finance: Ren has been serving in international financial institutions for almost two decades with extensive experience in financial products, syndicated bank loans and structured financing. He has arranged over US$30 billion of financing including numerous corporate finance and capital market transactions throughout his banking career. He had served in Standard Chartered Bank (Hong Kong) Limited for 15 years in various positions including managing director, head of Greater Bay Area, Global Banking and head of Client Solution Team, China Corporates. Before this, he served various positions for Fortis and its subsidiaries.
Mike Poon, executive director and CEO of CALC, said, “CALC has been building up our muscles persistently to enhance its fleet upgrade capabilities and global presence by introducing more professional managers to help us proactively capture the opportunities in the post-epidemic era. The new joiners are benchmarks of best practices in our industry and they share the same vision of bringing the value of CALC’s ESG fleet upgrade solutions in supporting a sustainable aviation industry. They have strong track records in leading high-growth enterprises in international expansion with their visions and insights. We are all set to sharpen further CALC’s edges in our home market in China, while expanding our global footholds, generating better value and return for all stakeholders.”
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