Peter DeSutter's father worked full time active duty at the Air National Guard when he was growing up and his uncle is a private pilot that was always willing to take him up for a flight. While he was in high school he had the opportunity to tour the Northwest Airlines (now AAR) facility in Duluth, and he knew it was what he wanted to do.
He received training at Northland Technical and Community College in Thief River Falls, MN. Mentors include Rob Coretz and Robert Jared at Omni Air international; Brian Loomer, Mark Ketterer, and Mark Osiecki at AAR; along with all the experienced mechanics DeSutter has worked with over the years that took the time to share their knowledge. Advanced training includes factory training on many types of commercial aircraft, ASAP, SMS, ETOPS, RVSM, lower minimums, Lean Six Sigma, Advanced Excel, and Bell leadership training. He has received FAA AMT awards and AAR Ideas Matter awards.
DeSutter started his career as an aircraft technician at Sun Country Airlines in Minneapolis, after a year he transitioned to Omni Air International where he worked for over 12 years. He took opportunities to grow his career in to different levels of management within the maintenance organization, and worked with different customers in an operational role. Robert Jared at Omni Air International gave me an opportunity to work in the business development realm of aviation. When AAR re-opened the former Northwest Airlines Airbus facility in Duluth, he moved back to his hometown to work in the facility that inspired his career path. Currently, he is the program manager for the AAR MRO in Duluth, MN. He is the first point of contact for all commercial issues dealing with AAR's customers. He's responsible for all the commercial aspects of the business from administering contractual estimates to final billing. He also works with our corporate sales and market teams on contract negotiations for new business.
Nominated by Mark Ketterer, vice president operations, AAR MRO Services Duluth: "Peter graduated from Northland Community and Technical College in Thief River Falls, MN, in 2000 as an A&P technician. He grabbed his training and newly acquired license and began his career in aviation right away. Over the next 10 years, Pete worked as a technician on many different types of aircraft in many parts of the world. He expanded his career into the management part of the aviation business and then moved into business development. Pete joined AAR Aircraft Services in Duluth, MN, his hometown, in 2013 and quickly advanced from the maintenance supervisor role into a program manager position for the MRO. Pete's strong background in all phases of the aviation industry and his incredible work ethic have helped him excel in his position. Managing the intricacies of contracts, assisting in negotiating new contracts, and focusing on business development have proven to be Pete's strongest attributes. Pete's “doing it right” attitude and desire to grow and learn will certainly prepare him for top leadership positions in the aviation industry for years to come."
DeSutter is excited when he has the opportunity to talk to others about the industry. "I enjoy putting together presentations to help others understand the aviation maintenance experience," he says. "I especially like when I can give young children the opportunity to see airplanes up close, the excitement on their faces is priceless."
His goal is to be an industry leader and influencer in the fast-changing business of aircraft maintenance. "I want to drive positive changes in the world of commercial aviation maintenance to improve the safety of the aircraft we service."
