Winston-Salem, NC – August 14, 2007 – Landmark Aviation today announced three key executive appointments.
Jim Hopkins has been appointed Vice President, FBO Operations where he will oversee the Landmark Aviation network of 33 FBOs, including three sites in Canada. Hopkins previously had responsibility for the FBO division’s sales and marketing as well as its fractional and airline relationships. He also had responsibility for five FBOs in the mid-Atlantic region and led the FBO team in the integration of MRO/FBO opportunities. Hopkins has 21 years of financial and operations experience in almost every aspect of business aviation including FBOs, maintenance, aircraft charter and management, airline operations and MRO sales. A graduate of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Hopkins is a commercial pilot with more than 3,500 hours.
Tom Mekis was appointed Vice President--Aircraft Sales, Service and Charter. Mekis began his career at Beech where he held various sales and marketing management positions during his nine years with the company. He then joined American Beechcraft as Sales Manager. American Beechcraft was ultimately merged into Piedmont Hawthorne in 1998, which merged with Garrett Aviation to form Landmark Aviation in late 2004. Mekis has held a variety of senior-level management positions including General Manager of the Leesburg facility with oversight of its FBO, MRO, Parts, and Aircraft Sales operations. He also served as Vice President with responsibility for the Aircraft Charter and Management division. Mekis holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing from Oklahoma State University. He is an active instrument-rated pilot with over 4,500 hours.
Mark Linville was appointed Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Linville is responsible for all financial operations including general accounting, tax and treasury functions and IT operations. He joined the company in early 2005 from LeCreuset of America where he was head of Finance and Administration for their North American Operations. He has also served as Senior Vice President and CFO at Hanes Companies, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Leggett & Platt. Linville's career has been split between both publicly held and private equity firms. He holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration and finance from High Point University, and an MBA from Wake Forest University.
"These three appointments represent a wealth of industry experience and knowledge," said Shawn Vick, Landmark Aviation president and CEO. "I look forward to working with Jim, Tom and Mark to continue delivering the outstanding customer service for which Landmark is recognized."
Landmark Aviation, which is based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, is an integrated aircraft services provider for the business aviation industry. The company offers a full range of fixed base operations, light aircraft repair and maintenance, and aircraft charter, sales and management. Landmark operates an extensive network of 33 FBOs in the U.S. and Canada, the largest of which are Toronto; Dulles, Va.; Westchester, N.Y.; Scottsdale, Ariz., and Los Angeles International Airport. Landmark is a subsidiary of Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE), a global aerospace manufacturing and services corporation. Additional information is available at www.LandmarkAviation.com or www.dubaiaerospace.com.
