In the latest edition of the jetAVIVA Blog, our talented intern Julia Pritchett takes a deep dive into the remarkable journeys of two distinguished figures in the business aviation world – company President Ryan Scott and Managing Director Timon Huber. With their extraordinary careers spanning over three decades, Ryan and Timon have amassed a wealth of knowledge and wisdom that they generously share in this exclusive interview.

Join us as Julia engages in a captivating conversation with these industry trailblazers, providing readers with a rare opportunity to glean insights from two of the best in the business.

How has the industry changed throughout your careers?

Timon says, “the primary change that I have seen over the last couple decades is that private aviation has become more of a business tool than an exclusive luxury. When I first got into the industry, private aviation was really exclusive. These days, I think we see a lot more of the high end or VIP airline travelers converting to private aviation.” 

Ryan agreed with the thought that business aviation is more accessible today, adding: “the industry has been disrupted for the positive with the invention of jet card programs, allowing families to go on vacations and avoid airlines. This was something that no one saw coming, but when that happened, charter became more reasonable and i opened up a whole new market that was not there before. A whole new generation is going to grow up flying private that doesn’t see it the same way we did when we were young.” 

How has technology changed the way you sell?

Timon said, “When Ryan and I started our careers we would be on the road every week knocking on doors, speaking to people and sitting down with them. Now both the selling side and the buying side, they don’t need to have an in-person meeting anymore, we can do it through technology. Put yourself in the customer’s position, they don’t want to spend time meeting with people if they don’t have to. The sales process has become a lot more efficient through technology.” 

Ryan countered: “I read about a study saying that humans are one of the most social creatures on the planet, and what we are doing is creating a fake social, this ‘zoom culture’ is a fake social. I think there are benefits to it, it allows people to be with their families more, but as social creatures, I feel like it is damaging the social fabric of our culture, and there is nothing that can replace a face-to-face conversation with another human being. I worry that this is something that future generations will struggle to understand.”

What are the biggest lessons you have learned during your career?

“The biggest lesson I learned was that the more you listen, the more you learn and understand what your customer wants. I have always been a big believer of listening more than speaking and felt that the customers I have dealt with in this industry are fascinating people and are giving me free lessons on life and business” commented Timon. 

Ryan continued, “It’s ‘be genuine.’ For Timon and I both, because we we’re not pilots, we were not really aviation guys, I think we had to be more genuine, transparent and honest to earn our customer’s trust. We grew up in the Embraer culture and they taught us the value in being humble, having a resilient mentality and zero ego, and when you do that in the corporate world, it’s appreciated by clients.”

Did you have any challenges that changed your perspective?

Ryan says: “One moment that changed my perspective was with a client who was about 55 at the time and I was 33, he told me something I’d never forget, “remember Ryan, your job is raising your children and your vocation is selling airplanes. I made the mistake of making my business my everything and now I am 55 and having my first child.” Typically, you don’t get that close with clients, but to hear that from someone that had been through that and was 20 years older…it made a difference in my life and I started to think differently about how to have more balance especially with my children.”

Timon agreed with Ryan that managing work life and family was tough. “My challenge in the beginning of my career was similar to Ryan’s. I dealt with conflict being on the road and having young children and being an immigrant from Brazil and not having any immediate family here. The amount of events I missed because of being on the road was a challenge, birthdays, anniversaries. The biggest challenge was trying to balance personal life and professional life.” 

What advice would you give to future business aviation generations?

Ryan: “If you want to sell airplanes in this industry – be authentic and don’t be afraid to say that you don’t know the answer. You need to have good communication skills and understand what it takes to close a sale. It’s about developing relationships, always trying to find ways to connect. Being good at sales is as easy as being able to communicate.” 

In an industry that constantly evolves, we deeply appreciate the immeasurable value that seasoned professionals like Ryan and Timon bring to our team. Their extensive expertise and wealth of experience serve as invaluable assets, enabling us to stay ahead of the curve and deliver exceptional service to our esteemed clients. By learning from their remarkable journeys, we not only enhance our own capabilities but also empower our clients to reap the benefits of their profound knowledge and insights.