Jetrader - Winter 2017 - 39

really popular which we tried in Asia and
Europe and have now moved to the U.S.
I'd like to see the continuing evolution of
ISTAT services that aren't just about people
physically meeting. There's a limit to the
extent to which ISTAT can host physical
conferences so there's a lot of other things
that ISTAT can offer its 4,000-plus members
to facilitate networking in much easier ways
rather than trying to navigate around a big
hall of one or two thousand people. Using
technology, you can find out who's interested in your area of business and ISTAT as
an organization can facilitate in setting up
those subgroups to trade information and
trade aircraft, which is the heart of what
ISTAT is about.
At a few board meetings, we have discussed the concept that we can become
the social network for the aviation industry, like a combination of LinkedIn and
Facebook for aviation.
Developing the technology platform is an
important agenda for my colleague Michael
Weiss, who has recently joined the board
and I believe we have not been fast enough
in moving with the times on technology.
While it's a great organization and we're a
leader in the market, if you look at what
Airline Economics did on the conference
circuit against the Airfinance conferences,
they innovated and were more nimble and
sought out what people weren't getting
and gave it to them. We need to do that
or someone else will do it and that would
be a missed opportunity.
As an organization we have to continue to evolve, especially if we're going
to attract the new generation of aircraft
traders and financiers. And if we can get
more women and more of the younger generation members on the board, that might
help drive change.

we can give through that effort. The second area is the humanitarian side. There's
some really excellent work being done by
Julian Balaam, who I will take over from
next year, as Chair of the humanitarian part
of the Foundation. Most members are probably aware of the critical work Airlink has
done in helping after the recent hurricanes,
particularly in the U.S. and the Caribbean.
But maybe a lesser-known partnership with
the Foundation is with a small aviation
company called Mission Aviation Fellowship,
which brought much-needed famine relief

supplies to South Sudan (see story, p55)
earlier this year.
Many of us who work in the aviation
industry have been very fortunate in life.
The Foundation is what differentiates ISTAT
from other member organizations. It is
about using our resources and the capabilities in the industry to channel funds and
expertise where it is most needed. That's
the critical element of what we do as an
organization, and for me, it is heartening
that we can provide that help to the most
vulnerable around the world.

You mentioned that you joined the
Board of Trustees for the ISTAT
Foundation. Can you talk a little bit about
what you'd like to accomplish there?
I feel very honored and proud to have
served on the main ISTAT board for six years.
I made a lot of really good friends and I
hope that my contribution has enhanced
ISTAT over that time. But I'm also really
excited about joining the Foundation. There
are two big priorities for me over the next
couple of years. The first involves education
and ISTAT U, and I think there's a lot more
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Jetrader - Winter 2017

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