ICF
Allan has more than 30 years of experience as an expert in aviation maintenance and engineering; maintenance, repair, and overhaul; and supply chain solutions and systems domains.
HEICO
Alex de Gunten is the Business Development Officer (BDO) of HEICO´s Flight Support Group (FSG) and is responsible for strengthening HEICO’s relationships with the leading global airlines. He and his team help drive the expansion of HEICO´s product offerings, solutions, and services to the airline industry. HEICO Corporation is engaged primarily in certain niche segments of the aviation, defense, space, medical, telecommunications and electronics industries through its Hollywood, FL-based FSG and its Miami, FL-based Electronic Technologies Group. HEICO’s customers include a majority of the world’s airlines and overhaul shops, as well as numerous defense and space contractors and military agencies worldwide in addition to medical, telecommunications and electronics equipment manufacturers.
In his prior position as ALTA´s Executive Director from 2003-2013, Alex guided over 40 member airlines on safety, governmental, regulatory, financial and operational issues in aviation in the Latin America and Caribbean regions. Previously, Alex served as Managing Director International of Orbitz, CEO of RepWorld Holdings, Vice President International LanChile Airlines (today LATAM), and Director General for Latin America for Canadian Airlines International (now part of Air Canada). Alex is the 2014 recipient of Air Transport World’s Decade of Excellence Award, 2013 recipient of ALTA’s Federico Bloch Award, co-recipient of the Flight Safety Foundation-Boeing’s 2012 Aviation Safety Lifetime Achievement Award and 2012 recipient of the Greater Miami Aviation Association’s Juan Trippe Award.
Alex is also a member of the prestigious Airline Business Airline Strategy Awards judging panel and a frequent speaker at commercial aviation events. Fluent in English, Spanish and French, de Gunten has a Master’s in Business Administration with a major in International Business at Queen’s University in Ontario, Canada and a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering from McGill University in Quebec, Canada.
WENCOR
Andy has more than 35 years of engineering and operational experience, including leadership positions with the Royal Air Force, Airbus Industries, Honeywell and various US airlines. He is a licensed European Professional engineer and has been an FAA Designated Engineering Representative (DER). Andy is also a Certified Manager of Quality / Operations Excellence, Program Management Professional (PMP), holds an FAA Airframe and Powerplant license and has led or participated in multiple aircraft industry technical steering committees.
Andy has a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of West England and an MBA from Herriott-Watt University.
MRO Holdings
Basil Papayoti, Chief Commercial Officer, MRO Holdings, leads all commercial efforts across Sales, Customer Experience, Marketing and Branding. Basil works closely with each of our leadership teams and our customers to align the mission of MRO Holdings with their short and long-term needs. He has more than 30 years of aviation experience with Aircraft and Engine OEMs, Airline affiliated and Independent MROs, and most recently served as the President and Board Member of an independent engine MRO.
SR Technics
Caroline Vandedrinck joined SR Technics January 2016 as the Vice President – Americas based in South Florida, USA and in 2020 was promoted to Senior Vice President for global business development.
Ms. Vandedrinck leads the team globally, positioning SR Technics to win market share in existing and new markets and supporting existing customers. SR Technics is a world leading MRO service provider for aircraft, engines and components along with engineering services and training.
Ms. Vandedrinck brings over 30 years of aerospace experience, most recently serving as Vice President of Europe and Central Asia for Sikorsky. Prior to that, she was Vice President, Sales & Marketing at Barnes Aerospace, a leading manufacturer of aerospace parts and assemblies for Original Equipment Manufacturers such as GE, Goodrich, Rolls-Royce and others.
Before joining Barnes, Ms. Vandedrinck served as the Commercial Director for Alcoa’s aerospace forgings division in Cleveland, Ohio where she was responsible for sales, customer service and integrating the international commercial team of the newly acquired Russian factories.
In 1995, Ms. Vandedrinck joined Pratt & Whitney where she served for 8 years in sales leadership roles, including General Manager, Sales & Services – Africa, based in Europe and as a General Manager, Sales & Services – North America based in East Hartford, Connecticut.
Before joining United Technologies, Ms. Vandedrinck held progressively responsible sales engineering and sales manager positions with Fairchild Aircraft in Belgium, including as Sales Manager, Europe, Middle East and Africa. She began her career in sales engineering at Air Mediterranee in Monaco.
Ms. Vandedrinck holds a Bachelors of Science degree in aerospace engineering from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and an MBA from the European University. She has a multi-engine private pilot’s license and speaks several European languages.
Flybondi
Comenzó su carrera en 1981 como Oficial de la Fuerza Aérea Argentina siendo piloto de caza. En 1986 es instructor de vuelo, con estudios en físico matemática y en administración aeronáutica.
Trabajo en Latam Argentina por 13 años con diferentes cargos, como comandante instructor, gerente de flota y director operaciones de vuelo. También fue comandante en diferentes aerolíneas entre 1995 y 2004, siendo comandante en COPA, Cardinal, Southern Wind y Lapa acumulando 9,500 horas de vuelo.
Embraer
Frank Stevens is the Vice President of Global MRO Centers for Embraer. He oversees the global network of Embraer owned and authorized MRO’s and Service Centers for all business sectors; Commercial, Executive and Defense. Mr. Stevens position resides within the Services and Support pillar of Embraer. His organization provides aftermarket services and support for all Embraer aircraft throughout the globe. Frank has a degree in Aviation Maintenance Technology from Eastern New Mexico University, he spent 10 years in the United States Navy, and was recognized as one of the Top 100 Aviation Engineering Professionals in 2015. With over a 30 years’ experience in aviation he provides a well-rounded industry view to support the Embraer diverse customer base. Prior years of service include time with Regional airlines, Major US airlines, International cargo carriers, and private sector business. He has held roles in aviation’s maintenance and engineering organizations at all levels and roles, to include mechanic through executive management. Mr. Stevens’ strategy for the future development of Embraer is based in the advancement of technology to drive efficiency in the safe and reliable maintenance of aircraft and components. He believes that the future of the MRO resides in the reduction of process through the advancement of computer aided resources and augmented reality.
VIVA AIR GROUP
Mechanical Engineer from the Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, Specialist in Production and Services Management at the Escuela de Ingeniería de Antioquia.
He has more than 20 years of experience in the aeronautical industry, leading areas of planning requirements of persons, both in flights and on ground, operation optimization, compliance, itinerary design and maintenance processes. In his experience, prior to his arrival at the Viva Air Group, he worked at Copa Airlanes Colombia, Wingo, Avianca, Avianca Brasil, Aero República, West Caribbean Airways and Central Airlines of Colombia.
Francisco, a passionate about aviation and with a great orientation to achieve customer satisfaction on the flights under his administration, joined the management team of the Viva Air Group, to add to our Purpose of democratizing air transport in the region, generating connectivity and development, with a simple, accessible and close service.
Latam Airlines Group
Mr. Hernan Pasman has been the Chief Operating Officer of Latam airlines group since October, 2015. He joined LAN Airlines in 2005 as a head of strategic planning and financial analysis of the technical areas. Between 2007 and 2010, Mr. Pasman was the Chief operating officer of LAN Argentina, then, in 2011 he served as Chief Executive Officer for LAN Colombia. Prior to joining the company, between 2001 and 2005, Mr. Pasman was a consultant at McKinsey & Company in Chicago. Between 1995 and 2001, Hernan held positions at Citicorp Equity Investments, Telefonica de Argentina and Motorola Argentina. Mr. Pasman is a Civil engineer from ITBA (1995) and obtained an MBA from Kellogg Graduate School of Management (2001).
ABAETÉ LÍNEAS AÉREAS
Estratégica de EADA Barcelona, un Master en Finanzas de PUC Centrum – Perú y un MBA de FGV do RJ – Brasil. Licenciado en Contabilidad por la Universidad de Lima – Perú.
Desarrolló su carrera en IBM, ocupando posiciones de liderazgo para América Latina. Trabajó en el área financiera de General Motors en São Paulo Brasil y fue Consultor en el Programa de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo (PNUD). También ocupó el cargo de Director General de MAP Linhas Aéreas, siendo responsable del proceso de Codeshare, Certificación IOSA, Contrato Petrobras, Slots en Congonhas – SP, M&A de la empresa, entre otros importantes proyectos de expansão.
Actualmente como CEO de Abaeté Líneas Aéreas, está desarrollando rutas regionales con foco en el turismo de alto valor agregado en Brasil.
COLLINS AEROSPACE
Ian joined Collins Aerospace ‘Information Management Services’ in 2016 in the Technology Services & Operations organization. During his time at Collins, he has led the Connected Aircraft Enablement Services product portfolio which encompassed development of services focused on aircraft e-enablement including FOMAX, the ARINC ground network, and flight tracking applications. Ian also led the datalink product organization working with Collins GLOBALink ACARS connectivity offerings including the development and roll out of ACARS over IP.
Ian is based in Annapolis, Maryland, USA and is currently Director of Commercial Aviation Customer Programs for North and South America. He is responsible for all ‘Connected Aviation Solutions’ (CAS) airline customer programs across the CAS portfolio. The newly formed Collins ‘Connected Aviation Solutions’ strategic business unit has pulled together legacy ARINC connectivity offerings, Avionics routing products, and aftermarket data and application services into one group focused on advancing digital transformation within aviation.
Before joining Collins, Ian worked in the United Arab Emirates in the connected solutions and Smart Cities industry. He has a BS in Communications from Liberty University and an MBA from the University of Florida. He is passionate about technology’s ability to create value and its role in transforming aviation.
ALTON AVIATION CONSULTANCY
Jonathan Berger brings more than 30 years of MRO industry experience to his client engagements. Jonathan leads Alton Aviation Consultancy’s Global Aerospace & MRO advisory practice, specializing in strategic planning, market analysis, operational improvement, and commercial M&A due diligence. Prior to joining Alton, Jonathan was a vice president at SH&E and ICF, where he was responsible for leading the global airline engineering and maintenance consulting practice. He began his career at Delta Air Lines where he held numerous leadership roles in airline operations, quality assurance, supply chain management, and technology. During his final assignment with Delta TechOps, Mr. Berger was based in Paris, France responsible for developing and executing an MRO sales & marketing strategy for the Europe, Africa, and Middle East (EMEA) region. Jonathan received his BS in Industrial Management from the Georgia Institute of Technology.
Copa Airlines
Mr. Jose Montero has been Copa Airlines’ Chief Financial Officer since March 2013. He started his career with Copa in 1993 and has held various technical, supervisory, and management positions including Manager of Flight Operations, Director of System Operations Control Center (SOCC), and, between 2004 and 2013, Director of Strategic Planning. He has a BS in Aeronautical Studies from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and an MBA from Cornell University. He serves as an independent director of Latinex, Inc, the holding company of the Panama Stock Exchange, and is a member of IATA’s Financial Advisory Council.
TAG Airlines
Julio Gamero se incorporó a TAG Airlines en 2020 como CEO. Cuenta con 19 años de experiencia en gestión de aerolíneas, en más de 5 países en la región. Ocupó los cargos de Vicepresidente Regional y Vicepresidente de Unidades de Negocio en AVIANCA, así como Presidente Ejecutivo de Aerolíneas Galápagos (Aerogal) en Ecuador. Cuenta con una extensa experiencia en las áreas Comercial y en Revenue Management fungiendo como Director de Itinerarios, Desarrollo de Mercados y Distribución en TACA Airlines. Adicional fungió con Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) en Interjet, teniendo a su cargo toda la estrategia comercial de la aerolínea (Marketing y PR, Network Planning, Revenue Management E-commerce, Ventas y la unidad de negocio de Carga, entre otras). Inicio su carrera laboral en Citibank El Salvador. Tiene una licenciatura en Economía y Negocios; y un MBA de Thunderbird School of Global Management (EE.UU.) y del Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM) (México).
Rolls-Royce
Marcel Uttembergue has 25 years of experience in the aviation industry and currently holds the position of Vice President – Latin America, based in Washington DC, USA. In this role he is responsible for all facets of the Rolls-Royce experience for a portfolio of Airline Customers in the Latin America region, from sales to delivery of long term service agreements.
A Rolls-Royce employee since 1998, Marcel is a versatile professional with a solid customer facing, sales and technical background. He has held several positions in the MRO, engineering, customer support and sales areas, having worked with different OEMs, Airlines, Defense and Business Aviation customers.
Prior to Rolls-Royce, Marcel worked for VASP Airlines as Aircraft Maintenance Technician.
Marcel was born in Brazil and holds a B.Sc. in Mechanical Production Engineering from Universidade Anhanguera in Sao Paulo and A&P Licenses from ANAC. Fluent in English and Portuguese, Marcel is also able to communicate in Spanish and French.
Lufthansa Technik
Pat Foley has been CEO of Lufthansa Technik Puerto Rico, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Lufthansa Technik AG since 2017.
Pat served in various positions at Lufthansa Technik Shannon (formerly Shannon Aerospace) in Ireland from April 1992 until December 2005. From 2005 to 2007, he was Chief Operations Officer at another subsidiary, Lufthansa Technik Budapest in Hungary. In 2007, he returned to Lufthansa Technik Shannon as Head of Production, a position he held until 2012, when he took on the role of Head of Aviation Services there. He remained in this role until 2014. Pat then served as Head of Production with Lufthansa Technik Puerto Rico from 2014 to 2017.
Pat Foley was born on 16 February, 1971, and completed an apprenticeship as an aircraft mechanic at Shannon Aerospace. He later studied business administration at the University of Limerick, graduating with a first class honors degree.
Delta TechOps
Penny Jacob is the Vice President, Commercial for the Delta TechOps Services Group (DTSG). DTSG serves as the umbrella brand representing the combined Delta TechOps, Delta Material Services and Delta Flight Products.
In her role, she is responsible for the teams that support a wide array of commercial operators, freight operators, military and government programs and various OEMS, providing oversight of DTSG Sales, Customer Service & Marketing, Contracts, Strategy & Product Development, Business Performance & Technology.
In her prior role as Managing Director, Business Development and Planning, Penny delivered exceptional MRO results and collaborated on initiatives to reduce costs including surplus material usage, expand component and engine capabilities and grow the strong lines of business, including the newest Rolls-Royce Trent and Pratt & Whitney GTF partnerships, legacy engines, APUs, components, landing gear, and airframe.
Penny’s aviation career began at Northwest Airlines, as a Business Analyst for TechOps. Since then, she has spent 16+ years in various areas of the airline ranging from inventory forecasting to systems analysis & warranty, information technology, supply chain sourcing & leading M&A transactions.
Prior to joining the MRO team in 2015, Penny managed the material purchasing and allocation strategy of ~$1.4B of component material for Delta Air Lines. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics degree from University of Madras, India.
LATAM AIRLINES GROUP
CEO de LATAM Airlines Group desde abril de 2020. Ingeniero civil por la Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile y MBA por el International Institute for Management Development (IMD) de Lausanne, Suiza.
Alvo ingresó a LAN Airlines (actual LATAM Airlines Group) en noviembre del 2001. Antes de ocupar su cargo actual, se desempeñó como Vicepresidente Comercial, como Vicepresidente Senior Internacional y Alianzas, como Director de Administración y Finanzas en LAN Argentina, Gerente de Desarrollo y Planificación Financiera de LAN Airlines y como Sub-gerente de Finanzas de LAN Airlines.
Previo a su ingreso al grupo, ocupó distintas posiciones en Sociedad Química y Minera de Chile S.A., una importante sociedad minera no metálica chilena.
LATAM AIRLINES COLOMBIA
Santiago Alvarez es administrador de empresas de la Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, ha realizado estudios en finanzas y management y tiene un MBA de la Universidad de los Andes ubicada en Bogotá. Inició su carrera en la industria de lo medios de comunicación donde trabajó en la Casa Editorial El Tiempo ocupando distintos cargos gerenciales y hace 5 años hace parte de LATAM Airlines donde actualmente lidera la filial del grupo en Colombia.
