The Aerospace Executive Podcast Craig Picken

In order to build a successful, scalable business that sets us free, we have to first build a really great team.
 
Our teams and the way they operate dictate the success of our organizations, and most of us know that. However, when it comes to building those teams, most of us just don’t know what we don’t know.
 
So, how can we build the kinds of teams that allow us to create the businesses of our dreams?
 
In this episode, author, speaker and serial entrepreneur, Carl Gould reveals the 7 stages of growing a great business, and the 2 stages guaranteed to help you assemble an unstoppable team.
 
"The people who got here are not necessarily the people who’ll get you there, and that’s okay." -Craig Picken
 
Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 
 
-One thing we tend to forget when building teams
Could promoting our best players actually do more harm than good to our organizations?
-The key to attracting top talent
Are we missing out on a crucial factor when trying to recruit the best players in the game?
-Why turnover isn’t always a bad thing
No one likes the thought of losing employees, but could high turnover actually be the best thing for our businesses? 
 
 
Guest Bio-
 
Carl Gould is a best-selling author, sought after speaker and the serial entrepreneur behind three multi-million-dollar businesses The founder of 7 Stages Advisors, over the past two decades, Carl has worked with more than 7000 Business Coaches and mentored the launch of over 5000 businesses. Thanks to his expertise, Carl has been featured by a number of top-tier publications including, among others, Wall Street Journal and Forbes. Carl’s forthcoming book, The Obnoxious Offer will hit shelves in Fall 2022. 
 
To find out more, go to:
https://carlgould.com/ 
https://carl360.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.

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?
 

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.
 
Success is just a function of treating our customers well, keeping our expenses tight and edging into things that make sense. -Mike Winston 
 
Three Things You’ll Learn In This Episode 
 
- A fascinating origin story
How did a finance guy find his way into the world of charter aviation?
 
- How AI can impact aviation
You always need to have a human element for charter booking because it involves safety and a lot of money. Is there a way AI can be brought in to optimize the human aspect?
 
- The truth about charter operations
One of the biggest challenges in the charter business is that a client’s aircraft preference never changes. How do operators know what to buy?
 
Guest Bio
 
Mike Winston, CFA is the Executive Chairman of Jet.AI Inc. He began his career in 1999 with Credit Suisse First Boston Corporation and later worked as a portfolio manager at Millennium Partners LP where for five years he and a colleague managed a $1 billion merger arbitrage and event driven capital allocation. In 2012, he formed the Sutton View Group of companies, an alternative asset management platform where he advised one of the largest academic endowments in the world. He co-led a successful activist litigation against the board of Dole Foods in its management led buyout and obtained a 35% increase in total consideration on behalf of all stockholders. Institutional Investor Magazine has recognized Mr. Winston for professional excellence; he has been quoted in the Wall Street Journal and has appeared on CNBC. Mr. Winston received an MBA in Finance and Real Estate from Columbia Business School in 2005, and a BA in Economics from Cornell University in 1999. While at Cornell he studied for a year at the London School of Economics and at age 18 won a $1 million prize from IBM for his first startup company. Mr. Winston is a CFA Charterholder, and a member of the Economic Club of New York.
 
Connect with Mike on LinkedIn and send an email to mike@jet.ai. 
 
 
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 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.

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

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.