Annual Elections

• 

  Charles Paterson

  Charles Paterson has been involved in aviation and worked in aircraft acquisitions, trading, and remarketing for over 15 years.

  Starting in the industry as a qualified pilot, Charles transitioned into aircraft remarketing building a network with several airlines and lessors. After having further experience working at Emirates, then McLarens Aviation, managing the sale of multiple high value asset transactions, Charles now manages the aircraft acquisitions at Unical Aviation with a focus on most key narrow and widebody aircraft types.

  Charles has been involved in the Young Aviation Professionals (YAP) Committee and is keen to expand his involvement with assisting young professionals getting into the industry as well as individuals growing in the industry.

• 

  Graeme Shanks

  Graeme has over seventeen years’ experience in the business and commercial aviation sectors and first joined The Aviation Club in 2007. Graeme currently serves as Head of Marketing for UK-based aircraft marketing and technical services company, AMS Aircraft Services. He is also the founder and owner of Ionic Aviation, an independent arranger of aircraft finance and leasing solutions for the buyers and owners of business jet aircraft and helicopters. Graeme began his career as an officer in the British Royal Navy. Upon graduating from Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth, Graeme specialised as a fighter controller. After serving in mine warfare vessels, frigates and destroyers, Graeme’s service culminated as an Air Director in aircraft carrier and then fleet flagship HMS Ark Royal, where, amongst other duties, he led a team of fighter controllers in the safe and effective conduct of air defence operations. Following his naval service, Graeme entered the aviation industry with international defence and aerospace company Thales before joining AMS. In addition to managing the remarketing and sale of regional, narrow and wide body commercial aircraft he led the growth and development of the company’s business aviation services. Thereafter, Graeme’s enthusiasm for business aviation led to him joining former leading aircraft financier and lessor CIT Aerospace, where he led the origination, structuring, negotiation and funding of cross-border finance and leasing solutions for the buyers and owners of business aircraft across the Middle East, Africa and India. Graeme thereafter worked as Director of Sales for lessor Global Jet Capital, before leading the development of aviation services for an offshore professional services firm. An enthusiastic participant on the international aircraft finance and leasing circuit, Graeme is also a member of ISTAT (the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading).

• 

  Michael Halaby

  Michael Halaby has 20+ years of providing strategic funding advice to C-suite executives in the aviation, automotive and financial institution sectors on accessing the US$ and international bond, secured bank debt, and regional financing markets; he has arranged over US$122 billion in debt financing via ~270 transactions for borrowers in the US, Europe and Middle East.

  Based in London, Michael Halaby is Managing Director – Head of Aviation Advisory at MUFG Bank, Ltd.  In this capacity, Michael’s role is to build and supervise the Aviation Advisory business for its global aviation partners including lessors, airlines and investors which aims to help its clients raise capital, offer aviation financial consultancy services such as a lease versus buy analysis or fleet financing options and provide advice on ESG strategies.  Previously, Michael Halaby was Principal at Halaby Aero Limited, a consultancy actively involved in advising aviation firms on accessing debt and equity financing as well as ESG aviation finance.  Assignments included advising a debut operating lessor on strategies to access the debt markets, assisting an aviation asset manager on their ESG policy, providing insight on regional aircraft, slots financing and on expansion into aircraft leasing.  Michael has also written recent analyses on ESG in aviation finance, on the regional aircraft sector and on the debt capital markets for aviation.  He writes an ad-hoc market commentary, “Contrails of Consciousness”, which is read by hundreds of senior aviation professionals

  Michael was Head of Aviation Debt Origination – EMEA at Deutsche Bank in London for over six years; he was responsible for client coverage of airlines, aircraft operating lessors and aviation-related businesses across the debt product suite (eg secured bank debt, EETC, unsecured bonds, private placements, ABS, Schuldschein, Jolco); he increasingly spent time on equity private placements and M&A

  Michael has also worked at Deutsche Bank, Valais Advisory, BNP Paribas in New York and ABN AMRO, for ten years in Amsterdam, London and New York.

  Michael received his MBA from Columbia Business School and received his BSBA from the University of Denver; he also attended the Université de la Sorbonne (diplomé in French Civilisation)

  Michael often speaks at company presentations and conferences on the state of the debt markets and ESG aviation finance. In addition to the Aviation Club UK, Michael is a member of ISTAT and the Royal Aeronautical Society.  He was a helicopter pilot (R44), designed a line of aviation-themed notebooks: FLIGHTBOOK, and is an avid and award-winning amateur aviation photographer

• 

  Gwen Edwards

  Gwen Edwards is a partner in the Aircraft Finance team at CMS, specialising in debt financing and leasing of commercial and corporate aircraft.  Gwen acts for a mix of lenders, lessors, borrowers, airlines and private equity firms with over 12 years’ experience on a broad range of cross-border transactions, including loan and lease financings, aircraft disposals and portfolio migrations, sale and leasebacks, ECA and PDP financings, security enforcements and repossessions.  She previously worked at a magic circle firm followed by a subsequent 8 years at another leading international firm, both based in London.  During this time she was seconded to GE Capital to support the corporate aircraft finance business.

  Gwen regularly attends and speaks at aviation conferences, such as Airline Economics and is a lecturer on the Aviation Finance and Leasing course at the Dublin Law Society.

  Qwen has been a member of the Aviation Club since 2018 and was co-opted onto the “YAPs” sub-committee in 2019 to help organise events for Young Aviation Professionals (despite no longer being a “YAP”, now just an “AP”!).  She is passionate about supporting younger generations coming into the industry and developing their careers, including through the Club’s activities and its extensive network. In her day job she is involved in recruiting, training and mentoring junior colleagues and see this as a fundamental part of the success and survival of any business or industry. The Club would undoubtedly  benefit from more junior members and equally, younger members can benefit so much from the experience of the Club’s more senior members – Gwen would be interested to find more ways to connect members.  As a (relatively) young committee member she will benefit the Club with fresh ideas and enthusiasm and will support the existing committee members in whatever way possible.

• 

  Sasha Yusufali

  Sasha Yusufali

  Sasha has spent most of his 25 years in the aviation industry, working in commercial roles in the finance, OEM and airline / MRO sectors of the industry. He currently works as an independent advisor to airlines and service providers in the industry.

  His career in the aviation industry began in Canada at a company that specialized in C130 and Boeing maintenance and systems upgrades. From there, he joined Sabena Technics in Brussels, Belgium as their Marketing Manager getting a front-row seat to an airline’s challenges in an increasingly competitive and regulated environment.

  Returning to Canada in 2002, Sasha completed his MBA before joining Bombardier Commercial Aircraft, first in the contracts department where he led a team that was responsible for the structuring and negotiation of aircraft sakes, including for what was then the “C-Series”. The team’s scope also extended to collections, due diligence and governance and the successful delivery of some 70 aircraft. Sasha then joined the asset management group as Director, Sales for the EMEA region, placing a number of pre-owned aircraft in the region and cultivating relationships with banks and financiers in support of Bombardier’s commercial aircraft product line.

  Since 2016, Sasha has lived in London and, until 2024, worked for Nordic Aviation Capital where he originated transactions with new customers and oversaw account management activities as deal team leader, including relationships through the challenging period of the pandemic. Sasha is a member of ISTAT and the Aero Club of East Africa and has participated in panel discussions at aircraft finance and MRO conferences. Passionate about the mission of the Aviation Club, Sasha looks forward to contributing to the Club’s outreach and programming activities and working to increase its membership.