14 Aviation Business Journal | Buyers’ Guide Issue 2022 The Best of the Industry Continued from page 13 businesses, governments, and cultures. That’s a big mindset shift: a shift from a product-first company to a people-first company. We don’t just focus on transac- tions; we prioritize relationships and bring a personal approach to business. Over the years, I’ve found people like working with people they like. It’s as simple as that. This mindset—this culture of care as we like to describe it—has been integral to growing our team, retaining tal- ent, and attracting loyal customers. What is special about the team you have assembled? We have some of the best people in aviation. Avfuel’s team members are incredibly talented, dedicated and knowledgeable. They display great ingenuity to view problems as opportunities and dig down to find solutions that make our services better. Above all, they care for our customers and they care for each other. They bring the human approach to business and they have fun doing what they love: supporting aviators on a global scale. In the larger context of the NATA membership and general aviation industry as a whole, what do you hope others can learn from the business you have built, the team you have assembled, and the way you have approached serving your customers? When people look at Avfuel, I hope they see how vision, passion, dedication, and a great deal of listening can shape a business and an industry. By focusing on driving connections and developing relationships, we have taken the company farther than I think any of us could have imagined—and we are certainly not slowing down now. I look forward to years of further collaboration with some of our industry’s greatest minds and dedicated profes- sionals, like those we find at NATA. I cannot overstate the good NATA has accomplished for this industry. For decades, it has been a forum for knowledge sharing, a leader in industry collaboration to solve complex problems, an advocate for general aviation at the legislative level, and a provider of exceptional safety programs. Is there any part of your story that you feel hasn’t been told, hasn’t been told well, or has been misunderstood? Over the past year, I’ve taken some time to reflect on my career. When I do, I feel immense gratitude: gratitude toward my family, friends and colleagues, and gratitude toward our customers and industry partners. Many of these customers and partners have turned into some of my closest friends and part of my aviation family. I’m grateful for the chance to have built something special over nearly 40 years. I’m grateful for every opportunity I’ve had to share that story with others, particularly this past year as I’ve recounted Avfuel’s journey to a num- ber of talented, dedicated industry journalists. And I’m grateful the story isn’t over. Our journey continues as Avfuel evolves to meet the ever-changing needs of this industry. It’s a challenge I love—and I look forward to telling each new chapter of our story as it unfolds. What’s a question you wish people asked in these kinds of interviews around the news of this award? Can you answer it? I always love it when people ask about success—because success, I’ve found, can be arbitrary from one person to the next. People also tend to attribute some semblance of finality to it, as if the work is done once recognition is given or a venture is deemed successful. To me, success is found in the day to day. It means being able to follow my passion in building Avfuel, its people, its custom- ers, and the brand. Success looks like mentoring others, developing relationships, and nurturing a culture of care that has allowed the company and its people to thrive. Success is found in making hard work fun and caring for the people around me, some of whom have been by my side for 30 or 40 years. Success is digging into the details and conducting business the right way. Of course, as a business, we have benchmarks and goals to achieve. But
