CEPA names international advisory board.

Wednesday 18th April 2012

CEPA, the three-year old Central European Private Aviation organization, today announced a new Advisory Board comprising four leading business aviation figures, as it moves to encourage collaboration with complementary aviation organisations and businesses in western Europe and expand its membership.

"We have brought together individuals with strong skillsets in aircraft finance and leasing, insurance, law and aircraft brokerage and I am delighted to confirm this 'dream team'," said CEPA Founder Dagmar Grossmann.

The new Board comprises Oliver Stone, Managing Director of London-based Colibri Aircraft Ltd, the private aircraft brokerage and asset advisory firm. Texan-born Oliver joined Colibri in early 2011, having served as Executive Director for the past eight years managing brokerage and advisory services for Business Air International in the US. He focuses on international deals, remarketing and purchasing aircraft for clients as well as advising lenders on asset value protection and repossessions. Having bought and sold aircraft for customers in Asia, South America, Europe, the Middle East and the US, he contributes a first-hand perspective on different cultures and their approach to business aviation.

Legal specialist Alan Cunningham is Asset Finance Partner at DLA Piper, a worldwide practice which represents banks, leasing companies, operators and owners on aircraft sales/purchase, escrow, stage payment and post-delivery financing, tripartite agreements, aircraft leasing and tax structures, VAT and importation issues, aircraft repossession and enforcement of security. Alan is highly regarded in Chambers and Legal 500. DLA Piper has 76 offices in over 30 countries.

With 25 years' experience in various aviation fields, Philippe Liénard created the AELIS Group in Bratislava, Slovakia, together with Jean-Philippe LOUIS in 2009.. With representation in Slovenia and subsidiary AELIS Polska in Warsaw -created in 2011- AELIS Group is an active player in Central Europe, where it serves commercial/regional aviation and business aviation clients providing expertise in aircraft sales and acquisition; leasing and asset management; aircraft appraisal and audits; representation of aviation insurance; technical services and expertise to the financing community. The team members of AELIS Group have successfully managed more than 120 aircraft transactions across the five continents. Before AELIS, Philippe had experienced the challenging entrepreneurial environment of AOC and MRO, creating two ventures successfully sold to private investors after the initiation period.

With more than 20 years' commercial and General Aviation aviation insurance experience, Jean Michel Bonte is Co-Founder and shareholder of Aelia Assurances - Europe's leading GA specialist insurance broker. Aelia Assurances achieved a turnover of over US$40 million in 2011 and boasts an sizeable portfolio of 1,000 fixed wing and 500 helicopter clients. An experienced professional air transport pilot with more than 4,000 total flight hours, Jean Michel served as an ATPL pilot for French regional airline Air Normandie before jointly forming AA in 2001.

The four new advisory board members join CEPA's newly appointed Chairman for 2012 Brendan Lodge and CEPA Founder Dagmar Grossmann. Brendan brings 20 plus years' experience as a specialist business aviation finance broker. Currently Business Development Director at JetBrokers Europe since June 2010, he served as aviation director at Kaupthing Singer and Friedlander, development manager aviation at Hitachi Capital Business Finance and finance development manager at Lombard's Aviation Unit.

Dagmar Grossmann is an experienced aviation professional with expertise in aircraft management, recruitment, marketing, communications, operations management and sales in an international environment. She founded Grossmann Jet Service in the Czech Republic in 2004. Operating out of Prague's Ruzyne airport, it is now the leading business aviation operator in the Central European region. Dagmar launched CEPA in 2009 to support the development of business aviation in the Central European Region. The organization now embraces an 80-strong membership.

• About CEPA:

CEPA is a voluntary, non-governmental and non-profit members association which co-ordinates the interests of executive aviation manufacturers, operators, airports, service providers, training establishments, fixed wing and rotary brokers to improve standards and best business practice in the region. Supporting services including financial, legal, insurance and publishing companies are also welcomed. The Association's primary goal is to represent its members' interests to support the growth of private aviation in the Czech Republic and abroad. For the future CEPA plans to develop an educational arm which will be responsible for providing information and data about the current climate in business aviation in Central Europe.

www.cepa.aero