A Little Flair, a Lot of Substance
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Boutsen Aviation A little flair, a lot of substance Thierry Boutsen has gone from a mechanical- engineering degree to Formula 1 racing to aircraft brokerage. Earning the university degree was not really his idea, but rather part of a deal with his father for permission to race. In the end, it has served him well, first with race cars and now in the world of aviation. From the dazzling Principality of Monaco, Boutsen and his team guide international customers through the complexities of aircraft sales. The Boutsen Aviation team (left to right): Laura Kuti, assistant; Karim Hijazi, Middle-East sales; Dominique Trinquet, president; Daniela Boutsen, president of Boutsen Design; Thierry Boutsen, chairman and founder; Katia Selier, assistant to the management; Victor Roinson, sales; Timothée Marcie, sales; and Mathieu Pezin, executive vice-president 6 // Aviation // Boutsen Aviation Outlook 01/2017 // 7 Things in Monaco tend to have a bit of flair. Monaco is a city that is both seamless 1997, Frenzen decided he wanted a and wildly juxtapositional. Architec- plane of his own. He did not know ture of one century gives way to that of where to find an aircraft, or how to reg- another century in a moment. The ister and operate it. Boutsen had about beauty of the Belle Époque architecture ten years of experience doing these is almost overwhelming. Interesting things for himself, so Frenzen asked small buildings can be found around him to broker the deal. every corner. Large buildings con- Boutsen helped Frenzen buy a structed during decades not known for Cessna Citation. A couple of months their aesthetic are also scattered about, later, a Formula 1 team owner asked bringing some cacophony to the urban Boutsen for help selling his aircraft. landscape. In order to make these deals, Bout- Monaco is the most densely popu- sen founded Boutsen Aviation together lated country in the world. The commu- with his wife Daniela. She was more the nity was begun on “The Rock,” which business person, he the sportsman. He juts out into the Mediterranean and was still racing at the time. She was glad features the Prince’s Palace, Saint to end her days as a “decorative plant” Nicholas Cathedral and the Oceano- next to her racer husband and get back graphic Museum. The principality grew to work. and then shrunk and now makes up a Boutsen had met Daniela in Berlin, whopping 2.02 square kilometers – at a gala event for the Golden Steering 4.4 kilo meters in length and less than Wheel Award. Daniela had grown up in 2 kilo meters at its widest point. It is the West Berlin, and she had wanted to second smallest city-state, larger than study art. She was not able to go to art only than the Vatican. school, so instead she apprenticed at About 30 percent of Monaco’s resi- the Royal Porcelain Factory in Berlin. dents are millionaires. In the spring, the She worked in various departments of big yachts arrive, back from the Carib- the elite company, founded in 1763, and bean. Parking in front of the casino re- fell in love with material. The Principality of Monaco (top). sembles a Maserati convention. Hous- In order to afford her own apartment Thierry Boutsen after winning the 1989 ing is the most expensive in the world. during the apprenticeship, she had also Canadian Grand Prix (bottom left). Things in Monaco tend to have a bit worked for event companies. When she A young Boutsen in his Formula 1 days (bottom right) of flair, and Thierry Boutsen has his. He finished the apprenticeship, she started used to be a Formula 1 driver. The car her own business, helping companies he drove in 1989 hangs on the wall of organize events for trade shows. She the entryway to Boutsen Aviation. The soon had the second-largest such busi- trophies from his three Grand Prix ness in West Berlin, with clients such as wins stand in his office. Audi, Porsche and Grundig. Before going to university to get a When she was introduced to Bout- degree in mechanical engineering, sen, she had no idea he was a racer. He Boutsen had done some work on busi- gave her his card. She had it on the desk ness jets as a mechanic. When he had at her office, and her male secretary enough money, in 1988, he bought his said, “You met Thierry Boutsen?!” She first aircraft, a Piper Cheyenne II. He put the card away. Formula 1 racers then moved on to a Learjet 35A, and were skirt chasers. then a Cessna Citation ISP. He always Boutsen called her – day after day, flew and managed his own aircraft. week after week. He even began learn- He took his friend, fellow Formula 1 ing German. He sent flowers. He offered driver Heinz Harald Frenzen, along on to come and pick her up in his Citation. ski trips and such in his Citation. In She held out. 8 // Aviation // Boutsen Aviation Outlook 01/2017 // 9 Thierry and Daniela Boutsen (left). Boutsen during his ten years in Formula 1 (middle). Monaco’s Casino de Monte-Carlo during the Grand Prix (right) Thierry seems to have quite some tenacity. Then they both ended up at a series his engineering background. Or it may It cannot have hurt that Prince Ra- ing. There are many good things about There is one clear advantage that A WIDE SEARCH of Audi events. She finally agreed to go be why he chose engineering. nier III was a huge car-racing fan. A past days in racing that Boutsen feels has come from new technologies and out for a meal with him, and they have He is precision oriented. He wants Monaco museum displays part of his have been lost. regulations. There has only been one There are a relatively small number been inseparable ever since. to have as much information as possible 100-car collection. The Monaco Grand “There was a human side to For- Formula 1 fatality since Ayton Senna’s of aircraft in the world, and brokers Thierry seems to have quite some as he goes into a deal, and he puts a lot Prix is one of the most-watched sport- mula 1 that does not exist anymore,” he fatal crash in 1994. Senna was Thierry’s have access to data bases that tenacity, and this has served him well of emphasis on the pre-purchase in- ing events in the world. says. “We drivers would sometimes go best friend in the racing world, and provide information on all of them. over the years. It was no doubt impor- spection. “Whether we are represent- out together, we would eat together. We he would have been the godfather of When Boutsen Aviation receives tant to his racing success. It also helped ing the buyer or the seller, we want the were doing sports together. But today Thierry’s second child. an exclusive mandate from a client to him to start in a new business. plane to be as scrutinized as possible,” THE RACING LIFE drivers are like machines, because of The one race that Boutsen still at- purchase an aircraft, the brokers He faced some adversity when he he says. “We want both the buyer and the amount of new technology.” tends, as a spectator, is the Monaco do not just look at aircraft for sale. began the aviation business. He had the seller to truly understand the object A large painting of a comic-strip panel Drivers used to give a lot of feed- Grand Prix. He says it is the toughest They look at all aircraft of the flown and operated his own aircraft. of the transaction.” hangs in Thierry’s office, showing a For- back about how a car was performing. and most exciting of the Formula 1 races. desired model that are registered He had also done the stint as a busi- Boutsen brings aircraft to Jet Avia tion mula 1 racer looking back over his shoul- Engineers would then make changes, The course is all on city streets, with anywhere in the world and they ness-jet mechanic. But he had not been for this pre-purchase inspection. In der and thinking, “I was wrong to worry the drivers would take the car out and climbs and tight turns. There are guard approach owners of those that they “in aviation.” He had not studied busi- 2010, he also brought two new Airbus about it.” This is Michel Vaillant, created test it, and then the drivers would give rails running along the whole course. think would be a good fit for their ness. He was a racer. 319s to Jet Aviation Basel for comple- by the French cartoonist Jean Graton. input again. As an engineer, Boutsen He drove it ten times, but it was not client. Executive Vice-President So he learned the aircraft one by tions, on behalf of a client. Thierry read these comics growing up. had some advantages in this process. a lucky course for him. Several times, Mathieu Pezin repeats the old adage, one, applying his engineering back- As he first built up his business, Valliant is a true hero – courageous, Today engineers get so much data when he was doing well, a piece came “Virtually everything is for sale, ground. The first deals he did involved Boutsen’s clients all came from the For- kind, helpful, generous and a very good from sensors that this is not necessary. flying off his car, or something else it depends on the price.” aircraft similar to those he had owned.