Aircraft Maintenance Technology - 32

Simon Victor N. Kagwe, 35, Sr. Project Mngr., Forecasting & Analysis, Delta Airlines, McDonough, GA

fascination with the way aircraft do what they do and go
where they go is what propelled Simon Victor N. Kagwe
to pursue a career in the field of aviation, saying: "For as long
as I can remember, I have always been fascinated by airplanes.
More importantly, fascinated by what was keeping these amazing machines in the sky."
Kagwe's path into aviation was also helped by his uncle.
"My uncle, then a director of maintenance for a general aviation
company in Nairobi, Kenya, took me to his place of work when I
was around nine years old. I watched and interacted with technicians performing maintenance on aircraft which further fueled
my curiosity and love for aviation. After high school, my uncle
was there again to advise me when it was time to choose a school
that could propel my career in aviation," remembered Kagwe.
After completing his A&P Certification, Kagwe worked as an
intern with Embry-Riddle's fleet maintenance center. Post college,
he was hired as an A&P technician for Atlantic Southeast Airlines.
Later he transitioned to their technical support department as a
technical support technician. In 2014, he was hired by Delta Air
Lines as a technical procedures analyst.
Currently, Kagwe serves as a senior project manager, forecasting and analysis - responsible for planning and maintaining the
maintenance schedule for Delta's almost 900 aircraft, as well as

other aircraft operators.
"I was fortunate to attend Embry-Riddle
Aeronautical University where I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in
Professional Aeronautics with a concentration on aircraft maintenance technology and
I also earned my A&P license. I have also
earned an ISO 9001 auditor certification,
ASQ Six Sigma Green Belt certification, and
Project Management Professional certification during my employment with Delta Air Lines," Kagwe said.
Elizabeth Tilden, general manager, airframe supplier operations, and Kagwe's nominator states: "I believe Simon is an upcoming leader. His personal demonstration of professionalism, passion
for aircraft maintenance and drive to ensure Delta's success make
Simon one of the most valuable assets in the aviation industry.
We're lucky to have him at Delta Air Lines. He is a big advocate
and mentor for young aviation enthusiasts around him and encourages them to reach for their dreams despite their background.
Looking ahead, Kagwe said: "My future goal is continual
improvement. I believe that if I can make myself better, I can
be a better mentor for the future aviation professionals."

Stephanie Hart, 38, Director of Professional Services, ATP CaseBank, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada

s a kid Stephanie Hart was interested in jobs that seemed
really hard and really cool. "I wanted to be a brain surgeon,
then a pilot, then an aerospace engineer," she explains. "We went
to Cape Canaveral on a family vacation, then I went to NASA
Space Camp when I was a teenager. From then on I was hooked
on space and aviation."
Hart was hired straight out of school at Atlantis Systems, an
aircraft simulator company, as a simulation engineer. "I was
excited to research aircraft systems and write the code to simulate
them," she recalls. She moved through a few positions at Atlantis
- simulation team lead, systems engineer, and then project manager. After eight years at Atlantis, she moved to CaseBank and
started in the project management office. She became a senior
project manager, and then started her current role as director of
professional services. Hart's responsibilities include overseeing
the management and execution of all customer projects and
evaluations; sales support and proposal management; helping to
define the customized technical approach for each new project;
prioritizing work with an eye on the customer needs and the
company's short and long term goals, and managing a department of 20 people.

32 AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2019

Hart earned her Bachelor's of applied
science in engineering science - aerospace,
from the University of Toronto and most of
her project management training has been on
the job learning from other project managers
and colleagues.
"Everything I know about troubleshooting
for aircraft I learned from the amazing team
at CaseBank," she explains. "And there is still
so much more to learn!"
She gives back by supporting a diverse team of diagnostic
database developers and project managers. As the department
grows, she has hired a number of new graduate junior developers
to train and mentor. "Our aircraft technical experts attend the
Ontario AME Conference and remain active in the maintenance
community," she says. "I want to take the CaseBank Professional
Services department to the next level in terms of improving
processes, executing new innovations, and keeping our people
engaged and excited. I want to help CaseBank achieve it's vision
for growth, and see the huge opportunities we are working on
now be successful."

AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE TECHNOLOGY

Aircraft Maintenance Technology

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Aircraft Maintenance Technology