A Day in the Lives of our Completions Sales Team
We spoke with Completions Sales Directors Carlos Alvarez, Caroline Byrne, and Ettore Scari, with Completions Sales Manager Eckhard Schwanzer, and with Hendrik Janssen, Head of Completions Sales.
Could you tell us a little about yourself and your background before starting your sales career with Jet Aviation?
Carlos: I started my career in the United States as a design engineer working for an Aviation Engineering firm. Some of my projects included large aircraft completions as well as a few years at Gulfstream. I joined Jet Aviation in 2003 as Design Engineer and moved into Engineering Project Management. Then I worked in another company as head of engineering, before coming back three years later to join the Sales Department.
Caroline: I’m from the west of Ireland in Shannon. I’ve worked in aviation since 1991, first at a small maintenance and repair company that was a subsidiary of Aer Lingus, and then in 1994 at Shannon Aerospace, a joint venture between GPA, Swiss Airlines and Lufthansa — Shannon Aerospace eventually being 100% owned by Lufthansa Technik. I stayed there for 14 and a half years before joining Jet Aviation in 2008. Throughout my career in aviation, I have held many different positions: Planning Manager, Project Manager, Director of Quotations, Sales & Key Account Manager, and Completions Sales Director.
Ettore: I’m originally from Italy and my journey began with a master’s degree in aerospace engineering at Politecnico of Milano, followed by eight years as a project manager for a leading OEM for helicopters. In 2015 I then pursued the opportunity to join Jet Aviation and the Completions Sales team.
Eckhard: I have been with Jet Aviation for 34 years. After my vocational training as a Radio & TV technician, I started my career at Jet Aviation in February 1990 as an ‘Avionics Technician’ in the ‘Radio/Avionics Shop’, managed by Rainer Albecker, who went on to become the first Basel GM after Elie Zelouf. At the beginning of 2012, the Avionics Department was divided up and the various members of the Avionics team were integrated into the MTX P145 Mechanical teams. In 2013 Johannes Turzer (GM) asked me to join the MTX Technical Sales Team. Since then, I have worked in different sales/quotation teams, such as the RMU team, and in June 2023 I transferred to the Completions Sales Team.
What motivated you to pursue a career in the aviation industry?
Caroline: I grew up living approximately three kilometers away from Shannon Airport. The Concorde did a lot of its flight crew training in Shannon – the runway was long, and the airport was quiet. Concorde’s landing approach was directly in front of our house. I think due to this early exposure, aviation has always fascinated me, and it still does.
Ettore: I’ve always had a passion for science and have always been fascinated by airplanes and anything that flies. As a young child, I dreamt of becoming a pilot and later changed my interest in the technology behind and learning how planes are designed and built.
Carlos: It wasn’t really planned, as my major was mechanical engineering. I ended up getting an offer from an aviation company just after university, which ultimately steered me into working in this industry.
Eckhard: In my opinion, it is a privilege to work on and with aircraft, especially on VIP/VVIP aircraft, regardless of which function. It is its own world. Not everybody has the chance to sit in a flight deck of a B747 or even participate in a full flight deck modification of a B747.
Can you explain your role in Completions Sales at Jet Aviation?
Ettore: In our role we are responsible to lead the sales process for our Completions projects and work with the organization to translate our clients’ needs and desires in a compelling and competitive offer and contract. Throughout the process we also keep the responsibility to manage the relationship with the customer and any external stakeholder.
Caroline: Our role is not just pure sales, but also technical sales. Once contact has been made with a potential customer, we work closely together to ensure that the customer’s request is technically feasible and meets their requirements. We then communicate this request to the organization to initiate the costing process. We lead this internal coordination between the various cost centers and remain the client’s in-house advocate, ensuring that they benefit from Jet Aviation’s wealth of experience at the best possible price. Our role continues through to contract signature where, if successful, we formally hand over the project to the operational team who will continue to drive the project through to completion and re-delivery.
Eckhard: In my role I liaise with our suppliers, installation partners and aerospace OEMs to find the required solutions for any Avionics installation. I also support the Completions Sales Team and work closely with engineering, SCM, the Part 21G and P145 organizations and even the management team with my Avionics expertise where needed.
Hendrik: The sales teams are truly at the forefront of the Jet Aviation brand. Our role carries a lot of responsibility since we always represent the brand. We’re also responsible for attracting new customers for the whole company and offering them new projects to ensure continuity. Our ultimate goal is to bring the customer’s vision and request to life and sell it to them at the best of our ability.
“In our role we are responsible to lead the sales process for our Completions projects and work with the organization to translate our clients’ needs and desires in a compelling and competitive offer and contract.”
Are there any specific skills you need to master for your role?
Carlos: I think flexibility, proactiveness, communication skills, technical knowledge and good commercial sense are all skills that help me.
Caroline: Many skills are needed, from technical aviation knowledge to communication skills which are fundamental to building trust and fostering relationships with customers, both internal and external. Active listening and the ability to adapt quickly to constantly changing environments and technologies are also key skills, while also developing and maintaining a positive and motivated attitude.
Are there any challenges that you face in this role?
Hendrik: It’s not particularly a challenge, but we have to adapt our role to the different cultures of our customers. It’s something we really have to take into account when we create a relationship with them. So, adaptation is essential. I would say that the customer’s journey in terms of communication can also be a challenge if there are intermediaries between us. In order to turn the customer’s idea into reality, we have to be proactive in our communication with the end customer and their team.
Carlos: While we do everything we can to bring the Customer’s ideas to life, we must always take into account regulatory challenges. Customers appreciate honesty and us guiding them towards a more achievable approach, while doing everything we can to fulfill their wishes. But at the same time, that’s what I love about my job, because the challenges are what make our role interesting. It’s always exciting, especially when the requests really push the boundaries. Without challenges, each day would be boring.
Ettore: We work in a competitive and complex industry, expectations from our clients are very high and each project always has some new requests and requirements. The challenge is in enabling Jet to offer a solution that is competitive, better than what was offered in the past and exceeds customers’ expectations.
What aspects of your role do you find most rewarding?
Carlos: The most rewarding moment is when we finalize and sign a contract, and ultimately when we walk onto the aircraft once it’s ready for redelivery to the customer. I’m always impressed with our final product and the skills of my colleagues in making it happen.
Ettore: I like to look back at the journey, signing a new contract is always exciting but what is mostly rewarding are all the experiences shared along the road and the relationships you have built. For the customer, it’s always a question of trust and relationship, and these have the highest value in any deal.
Have you noticed any changes in your sales role in the years since you started?
Caroline: The global landscape changed dramatically over the years, creating a different environment for sales, and our customers have also shifted their priorities. Our role is to show them the value that Jet Aviation can bring as a partner. Technology has also evolved over the years and the team needs to keep abreast of new trends in aviation technology.
Ettore: Our sales role has changed and evolved along with Jet Aviation’s transformation. We increasingly operate as a more aligned global company, and this has also changed our sales work and the way we interact with the rest of the organization.
“Sales in itself is a life skill. It moves you beyond your comfort zone, making you quite resilient, and the wins are very rewarding.”
Do you feel that you have acquired any new life skills since you started your career in sales?
Carlos: Certainly, the commercial and legal aspect are two that I can highlight.
Caroline: Yes, and more than I can mention here, I am constantly learning and acquiring new skills. Sales in itself is a life skill; it moves you beyond your comfort zone making you quite resilient, but the wins are very rewarding.
Is there a key moment in your career that you will always remember?
Caroline: There have been two key moments. Firstly, joining the Completions Sales team in 2020, where I have had the opportunity to constantly learn and grow within an amazing collaborative team environment. And secondly, leading the aircraft acquisition and Completion Sales of an aircraft on behalf of a government customer, working hand in hand with them through to contract signature. The aircraft was then handed over to our fantastic Operations team where it was successfully delivered. I was very proud to have been part of the Jet Aviation delegation and invited to the customers Air Force Base for the official handover of the aircraft.
Ettore: We work in a fascinating industry that offers many ‘wow’ moments, but I don’t think I’ll ever forget the first time I had the opportunity to see one of our interiors.
Eckhard: There are moments that I remember very well, but one of them took place at the very beginning of my career at Jet Aviation. It was a Friday late afternoon, and I was working on a Learjet 35, in conjunction with the mechanics. Just as the day was finishing, the aircraft supervisor asked for assistance to push the aircraft to another location, by hand. This proved difficult on our own and I learned the true value of teamwork in Jet Aviation when an electrician, a cleaner, and another mechanic came to help us.
If someone were to start a sales career in the aviation industry, what advice would you give them?
Carlos: I think a solid technical background is essential for this job, as it enables a person to ‘speak’ the right language to knowledgeable customers. Developing good communication and presentation skills is also good.
Caroline: Having a deep understanding of your customer, their needs, preferences, and challenges. Communication is essential in any sales role. Know and understand what you’re selling, whether it’s the latest technology or the brand. Stay open-minded, positive, and never sweat the small stuff!
Ettore: To never stop exploring and learning and to build a diverse set of experiences.
Eckhard: Be honest, transparent, and open-minded.
On a more personal note, what do you like to do outside work? Do you have any passions or hobbies?
Carlos: I follow many forms of motor racing, combined with travelling and seeing new places. I also enjoy biking and hiking.
Caroline: Outside of work I love spending time with family and friends, and I love following Irish Rugby and playing tennis.
Ettore: I have two little kids and dedicate most of my leisure time to my family. Whenever I get some free time, I am passionate about adventures and sports in nature, I try to catch some fresh snow in the mountains with my skies or ride a trail with my bike depending on the season.
Eckhard: Being together with friends and family and enjoy the life, traveling to explore other cultures and lifestyles.
Thank you very much for our time and insights!