Graeme Shanks leads African push for Global Jet Capital

Robert Gates, Global Jet Capital’s managing director, EMEA and APAC sales, said: “Graeme’s wealth of knowledge and experience of European and African business aviation will be invaluable to our expansion plans. Graeme is the third important hire in recent months as we have moved quickly to build out of our international origination team.”

From his base in London, Shanks’ primary responsibility will be coordinating and overseeing business jet financing and leasing for clients across the UK, Scandinavia and northern Europe as well as key sub-Saharan markets such as Nigeria and South Africa.

His career began as an officer in the British Royal Navy, before entering the world of aviation consulting, firstly with roles at European defence and aerospace company Thales, and then joining leading London-based aviation consultancy AMS Aircraft as head of marketing. At AMS, Graeme was responsible for the development of the company’s business aviation services with a wide range of clients, including banks, leasing companies, multinationals and high-net-worth individuals.

He said: “Clients across Europe and Africa are looking for business aircraft financing solutions and the expanding Global Jet Capital platform is ideally suited to meeting their needs.”
Global Jet Capital launched in 2014 and it is capitalized by three global investment firms – GSO Capital Partners, a Blackstone company in partnership with Franklin Square Capital Partners*; The Carlyle Group; and AE Industrial Partners. In January 2016 Global Jet Capital completed the purchase of GE’s corporate aircraft lease and loan book in the Americas.

Graeme Shanks - set for Africa