Gulfstream boosted its international sales team with the appointment of new division vice presidents for sales. Business aviation veterans Benoit Defforge and David Taylor will have responsibility, respectively, for the Europe/Middle East/Africa and Asia-Pacific regions. Dubai-based Defforge was formerly CEO and president of Airbus Corporate Jets and more recently was CEO of Stanton & Partners Aviation. Taylor joined Gulfstream from business aircraft broker Burrows Aerospace, where he was sales director for the Asia-Pacific region. Gulfstream has also appointed Jack McGowan as its new regional v-p of sales for Northern Europe. He was formerly the executive sales director for Flexjet and will be based in London. Gavin Thompson has been promoted to senior regional sales manager for worldwide sales, leading its global network of regional sales managers. Scott Butcher has joined Gulfstream as a regional sales manager for Europe, having previously worked for charter flight provider Starflight Aviation. Jessica Gagen has been recruited as a sales engineer to support the team in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
AOPA named Darren Pleasance as its new president and CEO, effective Jan. 1, 2025. Pleasance, an experienced pilot with more than 8,000 hours TT in more than 50 aircraft types, brings a background in both aviation and business leadership to the role. His appointment follows the retirement of Mark Baker, who served as AOPA’s president for more than 11 years and played an important role in advocating for general aviation.
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