Global Jet Capital, a provider of financing solutions for large-cabin, long-range business jets, has announced the appointment of Graeme Shanks as Sales Director, Northern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa.
Prior to joining Global Jet Capital, Graeme was Vice President for Sales, Business Aircraft Finance at CIT, where he successfully led the company’s sales and origination activities across the Middle East and Africa regions.
Robert Gates, Global Jet Capital’s Managing Director, EMEA and APAC Sales, said:
“I am pleased to welcome Graeme to the team at Global Jet Capital. Europe is one of our core markets and Graeme’s wealth of knowledge and experience of European and African business aviation will be invaluable to our expansion plans. Graeme is the third important hire in recent months as we have moved quickly to build out of our international origination team.”
Graeme Shanks, Global Jet Capital’s Sales Director, Northern Europe and subSaharan Africa, said:
“I am delighted to have joined the team at Global Jet Capital.. Clients across Europe and Africa are looking for business aircraft financing solutions and the expanding Global Jet Capital platform is ideally suited to meeting their needs.”
From his base in London, Graeme’s primary responsibility will be coordinating and overseeing business jet financing and leasing for clients across the UK, Scandinavia and northern Europe as well as key sub-Saharan markets such as Nigeria and South Africa.
Graeme’s career began as an officer in the British Royal Navy, before entering the world of aviation consulting, firstly with roles at European defence and aerospace company Thales, and then joining leading London-based aviation consultancy AMS Aircraft as head of marketing. At AMS, Graeme was responsible for the development of the company’s business aviation services with a wide range of clients, including banks, leasing companies, multinationals and high-net-worth individuals.
Global Jet Capital launched in 2014 and it is capitalized by three global investment firms – GSO Capital Partners, a Blackstone company in partnership with Franklin Square Capital Partners*; The Carlyle Group; and AE Industrial Partners. In January 2016 Global Jet Capital completed the purchase of GE’s corporate aircraft lease and loan book in the Americas.
The company’s current senior management team and executive committee is composed of leaders from business jet manufacturers, maintenance and service providers and leading financial institutions who have served the private aircraft industry for a combined 200-plus years and have completed over 3,500 aircraft transactions.