Charles F. Willis, IV

Executive Chairman

Charles F. Willis, IV is the founder of Willis Lease, has served as Chief Executive Officer, President and a Director since our incorporation in 1985, and has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors since 1996. Mr. Willis has over 40 years of experience in the aviation industry. From 1975 to 1985, Mr. Willis served as president of Willis Lease’s predecessor, Charles F. Willis Company, which purchased, financed and sold a variety of large commercial transport aircraft and provided consulting services to the aviation industry.

In April 2022, Charles F. Willis was appointed Executive Chairman of the Board of Directors.

During 1974, Mr. Willis operated a small business not involved in the aviation industry. From 1972 through 1973, Mr. Willis was Assistant Vice President of Sales at Seaboard World Airlines, a freight carrier. From 1965 through 1972, he held various positions at Alaska Airlines, including positions in the flight operations, sales and marketing departments.

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Austin C. Willis

Chief Executive Officer

Austin C. Willis was elected to the Board in December 2008.  Since 2004 Mr. Willis has served as Chairman and CEO of JT-Power LLC, a privately held company engaged in the business of selling commercial jet turbine engine parts and leasing commercial aircraft.  In November 2013, Mr. Willis sold most of the assets and on-going business of JT-Power, LLC to Willis Aeronautical Services, Inc.  Mr. Willis has, since 2006, also owned and served as Chief Executive Officer of Aviation Management LLC, an aviation consulting firm.

In April 2022, Austin C. Willis was appointed Chief Executive Officer.

Mr. Willis earned his bachelor’s degree from the London School of Economics and Political Science where he studied finance and industrial relations. He is the son of Charles F. Willis, IV.

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Brian R. Hole

President

Brian Hole joined Willis Lease in August 2014 and was promoted to President on April 1, 2016.  Prior to his appointment as President, he served as Senior Vice President & Chief Investment Officer.  Formerly, Mr. Hole was Owner and President of Aviation Opportunity Management LLC, where he advised bank, private equity and alternative investment funds regarding investment in large commercial aircraft engines.  Prior to starting his own business, Mr. Hole served as an attorney for Pratt & Whitney and its Swiss joint venture, IAE International Aero Engines AG, where he helped form the partnership for PW1100G gear turbofan engine, which powers the newest generation A320neo family of aircraft, structured and negotiated numerous engine sales and aftermarket programs and closed multiple spare engine and aircraft financings.   

Mr. Hole earned his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University and a law degree, with high honors, from the University of Connecticut School of Law.

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Scott B. Flaherty

Senior Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

Scott Flaherty joined Willis Lease in June 2016 and serves as our Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer.  

Prior to joining Willis Lease, Scott was Senior Vice President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer at Colt Defense LLC.  Prior to joining Colt Defense LLC, Mr. Flaherty was a Managing Director at Banc of America Securities LLC where he ran the origination effort, within the equity capital markets group, for various industries.   Mr. Flaherty also was an investment banker at Credit Suisse First Boston.  He worked as an engineer at the Pratt and Whitney division of the United Technologies Corporation for eight years.

Mr. Flaherty earned his undergraduate degree from Worcester Polytechnic Institute and an MBA from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business at New York University.

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Dean M. Poulakidas

Senior Vice President & General Counsel

Dean Poulakidas joined Willis Lease in September 2011 and currently serves as our Senior Vice President & General Counsel.  Prior to his appointment as General Counsel, he served as Senior Counsel until March 31, 2013.  Formerly, Mr. Poulakidas was Vice President and Corporate Counsel with International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC), where he managed a wide variety of aviation transactions working with airlines, OEMs, purchasers, financiers, service providers and aviation authorities in many jurisdictions around the world.  Prior to ILFC, he was a Senior Associate with the Corporate, Securities and Financial Institutions Practice Group of Pillsbury Madison & Sutro where his transactional experience included Latin American, European and Asian joint ventures, as well as international and domestic mergers and acquisitions.

Mr. Poulakidas earned his undergraduate degree from the University of California at Los Angeles, his masters from Columbia University and his law degree from the University of California's Hastings College of Law.

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