Face to face Meet the ceo: Ettore

Text: Guy PoggiLeitch

ExecuJet has come to dominate business jet operations in to the extent that it has at times overwhelmed the competition Guy Leitch Guy

he MD of ExecuJet , Ettore (Etti) To some the price of its success has made it the monster that Poggi shares his views on the industry and the critics seem to love to hate. But it too is having to weather business he has lead for nine years of solid the unprecedented economic storm the aviation industry is accomplishment. currently enduring. Is it possible that ExecuJet’s prescient TExecuJet Aviation Group was founded in management is just better at navigating a way through the in 1991. It soon developed an integrated turnkey business storm than its opposition? model. The company expanded to in 1997 and has Although the world’s economies are struggling to since opened operations worldwide. dig themselves out of a recessionary morass, ExecuJet has managed to survive the tough times with remarkable THE GROWTH OF EXECUJET resilience. Poggi says that there were two key reasons behind Starting from modest premises on the east end of Lanseria, this: The first is that, thanks to sound fiscal policy by the SA in 1991 the company expanded its presence massively at government, the country was protected for the first year of the Lanseria when it built a 9000 square metre hangar, with a property-driven recession. The second is that much of the biz worldclass Fixed Base Operator facility and offices, where the jet industry involves the mega-wealthy, and this group has the threshold of runway 18 had been. financial reserves to cushion them from the downturn. Since then the business has expanded worldwide. It is now This means that unlike other industry leaders, Poggi headquartered in and has operations in Europe, , believes that business aviation generally lags a recession. , Asia and Africa, amongst many others. Asked whether it will lead a recovery, Poggi said that this A key value for ExecuJet South Africa is its ability to depended on the aircraft manufacturer’s stock levels and deliver a turnkey solution for its clients. Like ExecuJet’s thus pricing power, but he saw no reason as to why business founders, Etti Poggi comes to aviation from the computer aviation should take any longer than the rest of the economy industry and in particular, from his role as National Sales to recover. Director of Persetel, a company that prided itself on its Poggi defines his clients very broadly, being simply turnkey solution philosophy. “Biz jet owners, users and prospects.” The prospects part Never a company to rest on its laurels, ExecuJet South is important as aircraft sales is a key division. In the past Africa’s coming of age happened when it seized the ExecuJet South Africa was known as the exclusive Bombardier opportunity presented by the Soccer World Cup and so came agents for sub-Saharan Africa. However in a process starting to handle over 90 percent of all the private biz-jet and VIP in 2011 ExecuJet has ceased to be an exclusive Bombardier movements. agent. ExecuJet is today the Authorised Service Facility for The company may now seem to have come to dominate Bombardier as well as Dassault (Falcon), Hawker Beechcraft its industry to the extent that it has an unassailable advantage. and SAAB.

40 FlightCom Magazine Guy Leitch Guy

Execujet's huge 9000 sqm hangar at Lanseria

ExecuJet is able to offer aircraft prospective buyers the almost A surprisingly high complete range of sub-airline sized biz-jets. I ask Poggi how many bizjets are financed? “A surprisingly high percentage,” he says, “And it is a function we pride ourselves percentage of biz- on facilitating for the buyer.” Given that the worldwide recession has created a buyers’ jets are financed market for biz-jets, I ask Poggi what discounts are available from the manufacturers’ list prices. He says that the biggest discounts which is then a separate division under ExecuJet South Africa. are available on the smaller aircraft, which he considers to be It is this total commitment to the customer’s entire needs that those that cost less than $30 million new. differentiates ExecuJet from its competitors. Thus, while it may at times be tempting to outsource maintenance to approved THE MARKET FOR BUSINESS JETS third party AMOs ExecuJet has made the massive investment in Who buys business jets? In Africa, typically 80 percent of engineers and equipment to be able to provide an in-house and sales are to individuals and government, while just 20 percent are thus quality controlled maintenance service to its clients. It also to corporations. In South Africa the percentages are 60 percent makes ExecuJet a business with a solid balance sheet. Poggi Individual and government, and 40 per cent corporate. prides himself in particular, on “delivering a first world service in I have to ask the most basic of questions - Why do people buy a sometimes third world environment.” bizjets? Also as part of its one-stop service, Poggi points out that ExecuJet The answers are as varied as the uses of the aircraft. One of can provide a flight department to manage the aircraft, which the key reasons is security – and this includes confidentiality, as includes making it earn its keep on ExecuJet’s charter fleet. senior government and corporate officials feel that they cannot The company is also able to use its market-leading position to securely talk business in the business class section of airliners. negotiate preferential rates with preferred suppliers and even Other security considerations against scheduled airline flying are provide a concierge service. When I ask Poggi what the concierge that there is no control of who else may have come on board, and service will and won’t do, he says that almost all the queries are in particular, over their luggage. for routine stuff such as assistance with accommodation, game Then there are the time savings, specifically time out of the lodge bookings, transport and security, but occasionally they do office, which is measurable, and the less tangible but perhaps even get requests for assistance with shopping. more important measure of time with family. This is particularly the case when a biz jet can reduce a 3-4 day mission to just a day WHAT NEXT? or two. Poggi has now been the MD of ExecuJet for nine years. In ExecuJet has as a core value the ability to deliver what Poggi that time he has built the business into the dominant player in the defines as, “Total client success” which is different to total executive jet industry in Africa. He is now a member of the Exco customer solutions as their defined objective is to make sure of ExecuJet Aviation Group in . that their client is successful. Poggi also points out that ExecuJet A highlight of his career so far was the soccer world cup prides itself on having repeat clients, as opposed to just once-off where, thanks to not procrastinating, ExecuJet was first in line to walk-in customers. get slots for bizjet movements from ATNS. ExecuJet was therefore The core of this function is its two operating arms – ExecuJet able to garner 90 percent of all biz-jet movements. Aviation and ExecuJet Maintenance. ExecuJet Aviation handles He has just completed a major expansion into West Africa by the charter, aircraft management and Fixed Base Operations opening a large facility in and is now happy to have “a year as well as aircraft sales. They currently have 55 aircraft on the or two of consolidation.” He is the grandfather to his son’s two- charter fleet ranging from the PC-12 to Global Express. year old daughter Kaitlyn and he hopes to have more time for golf, As stated, the FBO aims to be the ultimate one-stop shop (he won’t disclose his handicap!) as a member of the Johannesburg for the passengers, crew and the aircraft itself. For this reason Country Club. In the interim he keeps himself fit and trim by it is essential that ExecuJet runs its own maintenance division, making time for regular gym sessions. 

FlightCom Magazine 41