EirTrade Aviation has announced the promotion of Lee Carey to Chief Investment Officer and Karl Fitzgibbon to Chief Operating Officer. Both have been on the career fast-track within EirTrade for almost a decade and seen their responsibilities grow accordingly.
Most recently Carey was Vice President Origination & Trading based at the Company’s Dublin headquarters. As Chief Investment Officer, his new role will incorporate continued responsibility and oversight of those activities, alongside a honed focus on nurturing existing relationships with investors and industry partners and fostering new affiliations.
“It has been a privilege to witness and play a crucial role in the exponential growth of EirTrade over the past few years,” says Carey. “During my time at EirTrade, we have experienced a tremendous level of growth, in terms of revenue, the team, our global footprint, and the services we offer. Our business has become more complex as we continue to diversify our asset base across more and more aircraft platforms and continue to expand our service offering through vertical integration.
Newly appointed Chief Operating Officer - Karl Fitzgibbon identifies process optimisation as his greatest challenge. “Continuously identifying and implementing process improvements to enhance productivity and profitability is my key focus,” he says. “This involves analysing current workflows, identifying bottlenecks, and implementing innovative solutions to streamline operations. By fostering a culture of continuous improvement, we can ensure that our processes remain efficient and effective, ultimately driving better results for the Company as we continue to expand our global presence.”
Fitzgibbon joined EirTrade Aviation in 2014 and steadily rose through the ranks to become Vice President of Operations, his most recent position. He currently manages a dynamic operations and repairs team in Dublin and Dallas, while also overseeing the logistics, customs, IT, and facilities functions.
“EirTrade is a business that provides numerous opportunities for growth and development. With operations spanning Europe, the Americas, and Asia, the Company delivers specialist services to the global airline and aircraft leasing community. This international presence enables employees to engage in exciting projects and advance their careers within a dynamic and thriving industry. Hard work and collaboration have been key to our success, and I am proud to be part of this journey.”
Carey and Fitzgibbon both go on to say that the Company’s success to date has all been made possible by the inspiring team at EirTrade. They say that everyone consistently exhibits a fantastic entrepreneurial spirit. “We are all hardworking and passionate about what we do,” explains Carey. “EirTrade has always been a business that embraces talent, nurtures an entrepreneurial culture and inspires creative thinking to improve our service offering to stakeholders.” Fitzgibbon adds “Having been with the Company for over a decade, been a part of the growth, and held different positions across various functions of the business in that time, I can attest to this.”
Commenting on the two appointments, Ken Fitzgibbon – Chief Executive Officer at EirTrade said, “The Company is perfectly poised for further growth which will cement EirTrade as an industry leader in the USM market, and we already have some exciting announcements to come later this year. I firmly believe in the talent and dedication of my young team. I am extremely proud to foster their ambitions and mentor their careers. They bring a dynamism and energy to EirTrade which is entrenched in our spirit and recognised by our company securing one of the ‘Best Places to Work in Aviation 2024’ awards sponsored by Aviation Business News, and the ‘Workplace Achievement 2024’ award presented by Aviation Industry Awards Ireland.”
Ken Fitzgibbon concludes by saying that the investment from Acorn Capital Management in late 2023 was a very significant milestone for the business. “It has greatly increased our resources and continues to underpin EirTrade’s impressive growth trajectory.”
