Avionics News March 2023 - 44

- I N T E R V I E W B Y
A
automotive accessories, sending Cook
to the new automotive group.
There, Cook served as program
manager for the first OEM factory-installed
rear-seat entertainment system
in General Motors minivans, and
later as OEM business development
manager, helping to expand rear-seat
entertainment systems into General
Motors, Mercedes and Land Rover
SUVs and Toyota and Mazda minivans,
among others.
Serving in sales and marketing and
I
nterestingly, Mark Cook, director
of business development for
ALTO Aviation, learned a fair
amount of his aviation business
acumen in the automotive industry.
The parallel field offered valuable
lessons on original equipment
manufacturers, dealer and supplier
networks, entertainment systems
and operators' expectations.
While Cook began his career in
aviation 26 years ago as a customer
service rep for B/T Western, an
aircraft accessories supplier in
Southern California, that early
role didn't last long. The company
owner soon decided to expand into
44 avionics news * march 2023
account management, Cook brought
what he learned to Rosen Aviation,
the Eugene, Oregon-based company
that specializes in aircraft cabin
displays. Then, in 2020, Cook joined
ALTO Aviation.
Headquartered in Sterling,
Massachusetts, with research and
development services based in
Jupiter, Florida, ALTO Aviation develops
cabin audio, cabin management
systems, passenger controls and
in-flight entertainment for business
aircraft. In 2022, the company celebrated
25 years in business, and its
products are installed on more than
450 aircraft.
Today, Cook collaborates with ALTO
Aviation's senior leadership team
to grow the business and move the
company forward while continuing
its mission to give every passenger
the best listening and entertainment
experience at 40,000 feet. Recently,
Cook talked about his role at ALTO
Aviation, trends in cabin audio and
what he believes the future holds for
this sector of business aviation.
C H R I S T I N E
K N A U E R
With...
» » » Mark Cook Director of business development for ALTO Aviation
How did your time
at B/T Western help
prepare you for your
role as director of
business development
at ALTO Aviation?
I spent many years
working with automotive
OEMs. They have a deliberate
process to ensure their
vehicles are of the highest
quality and reliability.
Understanding that process
has been very beneficial
as aviation OEMs adopt
more automotive quality
systems and standards like
AS9145 PPAP Production Part
Approval Process.
What do you like most
about your current
position?
Being a part of the family driving
the organization's future. I say family
because, from the top down, in every
department, everyone is deeply committed
and involved. The owners of the
company go to trade shows for setup
and teardown. They don't just sit in their
offices and dictate what to do. They are
hands-on, and that's important to me.
What are some interesting
projects or initiatives
you've worked on recently?
Our engineering group has
developed new software to optimize
the sound system to provide focused
Mark Cook, director of business development for ALTO
Aviation, began his career in aviation 26 years ago.
Avionics News March 2023

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