API In the News

Business & Commercial Aviation Editor-In-Chief William Garvey talks with Sheryl Barden, president and CEO of Aviation Personnel International (API), based in San Francisco, about the impact of COVID-19 on business aviation and the global pilot shortage.

Fast Five Questions:

1. How have flight departments fared in the COVID-19 crisis?

Layoffs and furloughs have been felt in FAR 135 air charter operations, but in the traditional private and business aviation flight departments they have been more of an exception, and most of those have been in departments supporting service businesses such as restaurants, casinos or hotels. But for the most part, the traditional flight departments, although grounded, remained whole and ready despite the pandemic. The value of business aviation and corporate aircraft has never been greater. This segment likely will be a critical catalyst to the resumption of business. Executives are eager to visit their employees, vendors, partners and customers. Our aviation segment has the means and wherewithal to make that happen, and in doing so help the world at large recover economically. Want to see all Fast Five questions and answers, click to view the full article

Job security is among the top concerns right now for business aviation professionals, and with good reason. How can those people whose jobs have been affected by the COVID-19 crisis prepare for the next step, whether that’s looking for a new job or conveying the best impression at their current workplace? “I would say the first thing is to stay very engaged and very passionate about what you’re doing,” said Sheryl Barden, president and CEO of Aviation Personnel International. “Find new ways to do things [and] new ways to provide value. If you can do that through innovation, there’s a lot of opportunity.” In this episode of NBAA’s Flight Plan, host Rob Finfrock speaks with:

• Sheryl Barden, President and CEO of Aviation Personnel International
• Jennifer Guthrie, Founder and CEO of In-Flight Crew Connections

Business Aviation Leadership: From the Traits to the Trenches is a ground-breaking examination of business aviation leadership from an established leader and researcher in the industry. Using his 2019 research on the impact of leadership traits on personnel retention as an outline, Dr. Chris Broyhill illustrates those traits through the stories of over 50 industry leaders, including Sheryl Barden, the President and CEO of Aviation Personnel International. In Chapter 13, Barden talks to Broyhill about using "grace and humility" as ways to engage employees and bring them closer together. Her first line of defense is to take care of her employees. "If you treat people well and if they have a passion for what they do, they'll stay engaged," she said.

API's Jenny Showalter was quoted in the March 2020 issue of NBAA's Business Aviation Insider magazine regarding the fall 2019 launch of the Central Florida Business Aviation Association (CFBAA). "We are looking forward to focusing on the issues and challenges in our area of Florida, while still collaborating with the other regional aviation groups in the state on legislative issues." Jenny is a Board member for CFBAA, and her husband, Matt Olafsen, is a vice president for the organization. Find the article on page 10 of the March/April issue.

    Sheryl Barden, an NBAA Advisory Board member and president and CEO of API, a business aviation recruiter, says solutions to the problem are only just beginning to emerge, yet she’s concerned. “I’m worried that we’re going to miss an entire generation of pilots because it’s very hard for someone in their 30s to turn down a lucrative airline contract. [They’re thinking], If I join the airline, I’m furlough-proof,” Barden says. “We need to bring pilots into these [Part 91] organizations earlier and partner up to create a career path similar to what’s in place at the airlines.”   Read the full article here

Aviation Personnel International promoted Jennifer Pickerel to director of client and candidate services and Jenny Showalter to client services manager. The firm also named Debbi Laux candidate services manager. Pickerel has provided talent identification and placement services to API’s clients and more recently assumed responsibility and oversight of the company’s Candidate Services division. Showalter is transitioning to client service delivery, where she will assist with project management, including the intake of a new search project, candidate identification and selection, and the offer and placement of a hired candidate within a Part 91 or 135 flight department. Laux joined API in a part-time capacity as a candidate specialist and is expanding her role to full-time. To see the original article listing People in Aviation, visit AINonline.com. To view the original press release, click here.

Employers are using benefits and incentives as creative retention tools to hold on to business aviation professionals. As some business aircraft pilots continue to pursue what they believe to be greener pastures with the airlines, business aviation employers are increasingly looking to new incentive programs and implementing other job-related benefits to attract and retain qualified industry professionals. “Companies are getting creative,” said Sheryl Barden, president and CEO of the recruiting firm Aviation Personnel International. “One company recently purchased a small airplane for employees to use on a recreational basis, while others now offer company cars to their pilots. Another is looking at how to help employees pay off their student loans.” Business aircraft operators may also counter perceived airline perks, such as guaranteed days off and fixed schedules, by appealing to those with a sense of entrepreneurialism who appreciate a diverse and ever-changing work environment. This article was originally featured in the Nov/Dec 2019 issue of NBAA’s Business Aviation Insider magazine. Please visit NBAA.org or download a copy here.