Head of Transaction Management

• Mar 2019 - Present

RESPONSIBILITIESDepartment head responsible for effecting Avation’s global corporate goals as supervisor of all of its financing, leasing and trading projects.Influenced the development of Avation’s corporate strategy by providing regular strategic and tactical advice to its board of directors.Optimised team performance by developing and introducing more efficient internal/external transaction management operating systems.ACHIEVEMENTSCo-ordinated the achievement of Avation’s 2019/2020 20% growth strategy, which included the acquisition and financing of 11 aircraft (value c.USD292m), by identifying inefficiencies and successfully implementing company-wide operational changes to boost productivity.Initiated Avation’s sustainability strategy by collaborating with colleagues and external consultants to create a multi-step business plan and by successfully executing the plan’s initial steps, which included the completion of the world’s first commercial aircraft green financing.Reduced Avation’s financial exposure to COVID-19 by utilising internal/external relationships both to accelerate the completion of its largest ever debt restructuring (involving 16 facilities covering c.75% of Avation’s fleet) and to minimise additional financial obligations

Vice President - Legal

• Nov 2013 - Mar 2019

RESPONSIBILITIESSenior manager responsible for co-ordinating Aircastle’s Asia-Pacific (APAC) expansion plans as supervisor of its regional projects.Partnered with Aircastle’s APAC Head of Marketing to expand relationships with Indian, Indonesian and South Korean customers.Supported the development of Aircastle’s APAC transaction policies by providing strategic advice to its senior management committee.ACHIEVEMENTSAccomplished pivotal elements of Aircastle’s APAC growth strategy by directing the completion of leasing and/or trading projects for over 40 aircraft (value c.USD1.5B) and by effecting Singapore team communication and co-ordination improvements to shorten timelines.Implemented Aircastle’s Asia fleet modernisation programme by co-developing new corporate strategies with Singapore colleagues, which facilitated the completion of lease extension/last lease and subsequent trading negotiations for 25 aircraft (value c.USD500M).Increased Aircastle’s profits by c.15% for a 6 aircraft portfolio (leased to Garuda Indonesia) by leading the completion of a complex, tax-driven refinancing and lease restructuring and by enhancing the relationship with the airline by helping it to mitigate its tax exposure.

Senior Associate

• Aug 2011 - Jul 2013

RESPONSIBILITIESSenior manager responsible for the development and growth of Watson, Farley & Williams' Singapore asset finance/leasing and general finance practices.Improved junior team value by coaching/mentoring team members and identifying and encouraging the utilisation of their key skills.Supported the creation of Watson, Farley & Williams' new Singapore aviation financing/leasing unit by building relationships with Asian airlines and lessors.ACHIEVEMENTSGenerated c.USD1M revenue from new asset finance and general banking projects by preparing and presenting seminars to existing financier clients and sourcing opportunities to improve existing relationships and to establish relationships with new departments.Reduced a syndicate of Italian and Singaporean financiers' risk exposure to the restructuring of the TORM shipping group by co-constructing and successfully executing a tactical plan to leverage their weak position within the secured creditor steering committee to obtain critical concessions.Strengthened existing relationships with Singapore Airlines by co-ordinating a pioneering debt capital markets financing for the sale and leaseback of 2 Airbus A380 aircraft and by acting as a principal point of contact for the airline’s fleet management and legal teams.

Senior Associate

• Aug 2010 - Aug 2011

RESPONSIBILITIESSenior manager responsible for co-establishing and developing Freehills’ (now Herbert Smith Freehills') Singapore asset finance/leasing, finance and projects units.Led all Asia-originated finance and restructuring projects and collaborated with colleagues to increase Freehills’ Asia market presence.Strengthened team soft/technical skills by designing and delivering a skills training course and by providing individual coaching/mentoring.ACHIEVEMENTSProduced USD1.25M revenue by working closely with colleagues throughout Freehills to establish and/or deepen relationships with local branches of existing Australian financier clients (including ANZ, CBA and Westpac) throughout South-East Asia.Introduced 3 new clients (creating c.USD1M revenue) by successfully devising and implementing a business plan to build awareness of Freehills’ Asia brand and source new business opportunities by delivering presentations at conferences throughout South-East Asia.Supported the completion of Indonesian rolling stock financing and mining projects (value c.USD1B) for financier and investor clients by constructing and managing project roadmaps, which included effective risk strategies to address Indonesia’s complex regulatory regime.

Associate

• Mar 2007 - Jul 2010

RESPONSIBILITIESManager responsible for supervising complex and innovative financing and restructuring transactions across a wide range of industries.Directed corporate growth, finance and restructuring projects (value c.USD5B) across all asset classes for borrowers and financiers.Increased team efficiency by designing parts of a firm-wide training programme to improve commercial knowledge and technical skills.ACHIEVEMENTSCo-ordinated the completion of a leading operating lessor's initial financing and portfolio purchase of 21 aircraft (value USD950M) by developing and implementing internal/external communication and co-ordination improvements to achieve tax-driven project closing deadlines.Facilitated GOL’s 2007 expansion strategy by constructing and managing a project roadmap which allowed the airline to expedite the commencement of flights from Brazil to 4 European jurisdictions, which also included risk mitigation strategies for potential project failure.Reduced a UK financier's risk exposure to an international hotel chain by planning and leading a multi-step refinancing to allow the financier to transfer profitable parts of that hotel chain's portfolio into a joint venture as part of a pre-packaged administration.

Associate

• Aug 2005 - Mar 2007

Manager responsible for supporting the development and growth of Clyde & Co’s asset finance/leasing and general finance practices.Generated c.USD1M revenue by organising successful marketing campaigns for aviation/shipping projects for borrower/financier clients.Improved team performance by creating and maintaining various user-friendly precedent documents to accelerate transaction timelines. Manager responsible for supporting the development and growth of Clyde & Co’s asset finance/leasing and general finance practices.Generated c.USD1M revenue by organising successful marketing campaigns for aviation/shipping projects for borrower/financier clients.Improved team performance by creating and maintaining various user-friendly precedent documents to accelerate transaction timelines.

Legal Assistant

• Aug 2004 - Aug 2005

Paralegal

• Jun 2002 - Aug 2004

Paralegal

• Nov 2001 - May 2002