FlightPlan Contributors
Meet our panel of aviation leaders, experts and analysts who will participate in a series of discussions throughout the day, exploring how the aviation industry can adapt to these challenging times - and look ahead to a brighter future.
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Joanna Bailey is Editor of Simple Flying. Freshly repatriated after four years of travel across four continents with two kids in tow. Now at the helm of all content published across Simple Flying.
As President of Inmarsat Aviation, Philip Balaam is spearheading the company’s efforts to transform the global aviation industry by bringing complete connectivity to every aircraft and flight path in the world. He was appointed as Inmarsat Aviation’s President in September 2017, having previously served as Inmarsat’s Chief Strategy Officer. Before joining Inmarsat, Phil was responsible for international sales, strategy and business development at AsiaSat in Hong Kong. Prior to this, he was with Arianespace for 13 years, including the role of sales director based in Paris, and subsequently as sales and marketing director for Asia Pacific based in Singapore.
Tony has worked in the Aviation IT Industry for over 30 years and joined ARINC February 2003. After holding various positions of Product Manager, Engineering Director, Director of Product Development and Senior Director of Integrated Travel Solutions, Tony is now Director, Product Management and Strategy for Global Airports. Tony started his aviation career with Pan Am as a financial systems developer and then moved to technical systems support, transitioning to United Airlines as Senior Technical Support Analyst and later the EMEA Regional Manager responsible for all IT related systems.
Nathan Clapton is VP, Inflight Media at Inmarsat. This global role sees him developing a portfolio of connected services aimed at helping airlines monetise the passenger journey. So far, this covers a range of streaming, travel commerce, retail and advertising products. Nathan previously headed up UK&I Sales for Inmarsat Aviation’s mobile communications networks. Prior to joining Inmarsat, Nathan enjoyed a long career in digital media business development with roles at TripAdvisor, Lonely Planet, BBC, The Guardian & The Telegraph.
As Head of Telecommunication Technologies and Products, Carlo Elia is responsible for the establishment of Public Private Partnerships for innovative satellite telecommunications systems and services, as well as the development of innovative technology and products in the field of satellite telecommunications. Carlo’s department invests more than €100 million in our space industry’s product development every year.
David Fox is Deutsche Telekom’s Programme Lead for the European Aviation Network (EAN) initiative. Prior to playing a major role in forging the EAN partnership with Inmarsat, David joined DT in 2009, leading several international rollout programmes, helping drive innovation across DT's European footprint. His pre-DT career involves management roles in several wired and wireless ISPs across Europe. David holds an MSc in Applied Computing. DT’s Inflight unit provides ISP services for various airline customers around the world, enabling their passengers with seamless broadband connectivity.
Michael Gill has been the Executive Director of the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG) since 2014. ATAG is the only global association that represents all sectors of the air transport industry with a mission to promote aviation’s sustainable growth for the benefit of society.He is also Director, Aviation Environment of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), with responsibility for developing and implementing IATA’s work in the environment field. Michael is an aviation lawyer with experience in private practice as well as with IATA. He is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society and Chairman of its Air Law Group.
Phil Harvey has worked in marketing for over 30 years, across a variety of brands both consumer and B2B. Holding board roles in a number of the world’s foremost advertising agencies he has spent the most recent half decade in the aviation sector focused on in flight connectivity. A collaborative and strategic thinker, he has most recently been working with airlines to help them identify how IFC can support their business goals and ensure that their connectivity investments pay back. He lives just outside London with his wife and 2 daughters.
With 25 years of experience in the ATi, Alexis has extensive knowledge of aviation communications and IT solutions. Currently Head of Aviation Product Marketing, responsible for the IMS Commercial and Business Aviation portfolios, Alexis has held a number of key positions within the company over the last 20 years, including Head of Global Business Development establishing Collins’ market position for In Flight Connectivity services, Regional Sales Director in the Middle East, and Director of the EMEA IMS Aviation Solutions BU. Before ARINC, Alexis was at SITA in Sales & Account Management.
Dr. Joe Leader serves as the CEO of APEX, one of the largest international airline associations in the world backed by the expertise of two Board of Directors and a Board of Governors consisting solely of global airline CEOs and Presidents. As a global keynote speaker and industry expert, Dr. Leader testified before the US Congress in March on airline passenger experience advances and COVID-19 preparedness. Leader holds both undergraduate and graduate degrees from Emory University, an MBA in Technology Management (MBA/TM) and obtained his business Ph.D. with his dissertation research on accelerating technology adoption in aviation.
Alex Macheras is an aviation analyst, broadcasting and discussing the world’s aviation news across international networks including BBC, Al Jazeera and LBC. With a focus on the commercial airline side of the industry, Alex keeps viewers and listeners up to date with the latest updates from across the airline world, the challenges facing the industry, plus exclusive sit-down discussions aviation’s most prominent executives. Alex also focuses on the delivery and entry-into-service of new jets, and recently starred as the lead in a Channel 4 special “The World’s Most Luxurious Airline” taking viewers the behind-the-scenes world of an exclusive A380 delivery for Singapore Airlines.
Josh Melin is currently Product Line Director for Honeywell Forge for Airlines with Honeywell Connected Enterprise Aerospace. In this role, Josh is responsible for managing the strategy, business plan, roadmaps, and P&L for Connected Maintenance, Flight Efficiency, and software offerings in the Airline market. Josh has been with Honeywell over 12 years in positions of increasing responsibility in Engineering, Project Management, Lean, Site Operations Leadership, and Product Line Leadership. Josh holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University and a Master’s of Business Administration from Arizona State University.
Seth Miller has over a decade of experience covering the airline industry. With a strong focus on passenger experience, Seth also has deep knowledge of inflight connectivity and loyalty programs. He is widely respected as an unbiased commentator on the aviation industry.He is frequently consulted on innovations in passenger experience by airlines and technology providers.
Victoria Moores joined Air Transport World as European Editor in 2012. Victoria has nearly 20 years’ aviation industry experience. Victoria began her aviation career in airline ground operations for British Midland International and later became an operations analyst for Bombardier Flexjet Europe. In 2003, she joined Reed Business Information as an aviation journalist for its Flightglobal titles. After six years of writing for Air Transport Intelligence, Victoria became features Editor of Airline Business magazine. Most recently Victoria was General Manager Communications for the Association of European Airlines (AEA) where she was responsible for the bodies’ media relations strategy.
Shashank Nigam is a globally sought-after consultant, speaker and thought leader on airline branding and customer engagement strategy. He is the Founder and CEO of SimpliFlying, one of the world’s largest aviation marketing firms working with over 85 aviation clients in the last ten years. Nigam is also the youngest winner of the Global Brand Leadership Award and has addressed senior executives globally, from Chile to China.
Nigam’s impassioned and honest perspectives on airline marketing have found their way to over 100 leading media outlets, including the BBC, CNBC, Reuters and Bloomberg, and into leading publications such as the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times. He writes a dedicated monthly column in Flight’s Airline Business, challenging the typical assumptions about airline marketing.
Rupert Pearce is CEO of the world’s leading global mobile satellite communications company, Inmarsat, driving the growth and success of the Digital Society. Space advocate and entrepreneurial ambassador, Rupert is a Board member (and former Chairman) of satellite industry trade body ESOA, the EMEA Satellite Operators Association, a Commissioner on the Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development, and a member of the Board of the Smart Africa Alliance. A proud father, keen sportsman and co-author of Raising Venture Capital.
John Peterson is the leader of the Honeywell Connected Enterprise’s (HCE) connectivity (including JetWave and services portfolio. The portfolio includes a global offering of innovative enterprise software solutions, cabin services and connectivity enabling products that are simplifying the end-to-end solutions that are connecting aircrafts and passengers. Prior to Honeywell, John was Director of Product Marketing at Satcom Direct and Rockwell Collins. John has a BSME from University of Arizona, Masters of Engineering Management from Washington State and EMBA from University of Iowa.
Petry’s background spans over two decades of working with leading global design consultancies and creating business value for various industries and Fortune 500 companies. He joined Panasonic Avionics in 2019 as Director of Innovation, driving innovations and experiences that complement the “personalized” needs of passengers. He also oversees hardware design, leads customer innovation workshops, and heads Panasonic Innovation Studio. Prior to this, his focus has been working with the industry’s top aircraft interior companies, OEMs, and airlines to enhance the physical journey and digital travel experience. Petry holds several International design awards and three co-inventor patents.
Alex Preston is Editor of Inflight magazine. Spanning over two decades, Alex’s B2B editorial background covers various industries including data centres, power generation and telecommunications. He can currently be found channeling his inner av-geek as an aviation editor specialising in cabin interiors, inflight entertainment and connectivity, seating, lighting and more.
APEX Media Director Maryann Simson has been active as a journalist and consultant in aviation media since 2008. In 2012 Maryann moved to Europe, where she launched a public relations consulting service to SMOs in passenger experience and airline supply. During this time, she contributed to publications including Aircraft Interiors International, APEX and Runway Girl Network, where she later acted as Commercial Director. As APEX Media Director, she oversees the production of the Association’s e-newsletter, magazine and social media outputs. She is a popular conference moderator and presenter, having hosted the Crystal Cabin Awards Gala and over 100 online videos.
Paul is the Chief Technology Officer at Rolls-Royce, accountable for Rolls-Royce’s technology investment and for ensuring its close alignment with business strategy. He is responsible for technology investment across the business. Paul has been at Rolls-Royce for more than 10 years, previously holding positions as Research & Technology Director and Chief Scientific Officer. Previously he was Director General, Science and Technology at the UK Ministry of Defence, responsible for national investment in defence science and technology. Prior to this, Paul was Managing Director of Roke Manor Research, and member of Siemens UK executive management board.
Sylvie Sureda-Perez is Senior Director, Datalink Solutions, at Inmarsat. In this role, she leads all Iris programme activities for Inmarsat’s aviation business. Sylvie is responsible for ensuring overall alignment to strategy and business objectives, and is responsible for relationships with key Iris programme stakeholders, including SESAR, the European Commission and technology partners such as aircraft and terminal manufacturers. Sylvie has worked in the air traffic management field for more than 20 years, including engineering and business development positions at Thales and Airbus.
Rory Sutherland is the Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK and co-founded the agency’s behavioural science practice. He works with a consulting practice of psychology graduates who look for ‘unseen opportunities’ in consumer behaviour. Prior to this, Rory was a copywriter and creative director at Ogilvy for over 20 years. He has been President of the IPA, Chair of the Judges for the Direct Jury at Cannes and has spoken at TED Global. He writes regular columns for the Spectator, Market Leader and Impact, and occasional pieces for Wired. He has also authored two books.
Rohit Talwar is a global futurist, award-winning keynote speaker, author, and the CEO of Fast Future. He specialises in exploring the future of travel, tourism, and the aviation industry – advising airlines, airports, governments, and industry bodies. Rohit is currently running an Air Transport 2035 study - exploring post-pandemic scenarios for the sector and how it might be reshaped near-term and over the next 15 years. Rohit is the co-author of Designing Your Future, lead editor and a contributing author for “The Future of Business” and “Aftershocks and Opportunities - Scenarios for a Post-Pandemic World” - to be published June 2020.
Anko van der Werff is the CEO of Avianca. Anko has had an outstanding global career in the airline industry, having joined Avianca from Aeromexico where he held the position of Executive and Commercial Vice President for five years. Prior to this, he held the position of Senior Vice President of Pricing & Revenue Management and Global Sales & Distribution with Qatar Airways. He also led Air France-KLM’s Commercial Strategy in the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as in the Nordic countries. He holds a Law Degree from Leiden University, Netherlands, and a graduate degree from Harvard Business School.
Karen Walker is Air Transport World Editor-in-Chief and Aviation Week Network Group Air Transport Editor-in-Chief. She joined ATW in 2013 and oversees the editorial content. Karen serves on the board of directors of the International Aviation Club of Washington and was the IAC’s President in 2017-2018. Karen has over 35 years of experience in the aerospace and air transport industries and is a recognized authority and commenter. She is a regular speaker and moderator at aviation events worldwide and on radio and TV news programs. In 2019, she was a judge and a presenter for IATA’s inaugural diversity awards.
Dominic Walters is VP of Marketing Communications and Strategy for Inmarsat Aviation. Dominic is responsible for managing and driving an integrated strategy to support long term sales objectives. Since joining Inmarsat in 2016, he has been responsible for the delivery of Inmarsat Aviation’s new brand positioning and marketing strategy and has overseen the marketing for the launches of next generation connectivity solutions to the aviation sector. Dominic has over 20 years marketing communications experience, having worked across a range of sectors and businesses from management consultancy and defense - to rail and transportation.
John Walton is an expert aviation journalist in the commercial aviation, passenger experience and aircraft manufacturing arenas. With a strong background in digital and longform journalism, he provides a unique perspective on the drivers behind aviation decision-making with an engaging, thought-provoking style. John also draws on insights from a government and academic background at HM Treasury in London, the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing, and as Director of Data at Routehappy. He holds a Master of Arts degree in International Relations, is bilingual in French, is currently based in central France.
Ingo Wuggetzer is responsible for the complete coverage of all Cabin Marketing activities – from Customer Needs, product promotion, Airspace brand management - up-to Customer campaign activities to create value added solutions by “consumer-centric” approach. Prior to this role, Ingo was Vice President Strategy, Innovation and Design at Airbus and was also with Lufthansa for 10 years, holding several roles like General Manager Inflight Experience. In addition to his role at Airbus, Ingo is on the judging panel for the Crystal Cabin Award and was a board member of the APEX Board for seven years, chairing the Marketing and Communication Committee.