Partners In Aviation (PIA) has appointed aircraft finance, sales and operations veteran, Perry D. Bridges as its new vice president of Operations.

“My aviation career started with a 20-year run at Cessna Aircraft Company, which included 11 years with Cessna Finance Corporation,” said Bridges. “My experience in contract administration, sales and aircraft lending gives me unique and pertinent insight into aircraft purchasing and financing. My new role with Partners In Aviation brings that involvement full circle, pivoting my inside knowledge to bear to support customers on the acquisition side. I’m thrilled to be a part of the team.”

Bridges also recently served as vice president, Aviation, for Bank OZK, based in Chicago, where he led turbine-lending efforts for a 13-state region of the Midwest. As regional sales director for Textron Aviation in Chicago, Bridges tallied $202m in new Cessna Citation and Beechcraft King Air sales for his region.

Partners In Aviation founder and President Mark Molloy, said: “Perry just brings a wonderful and singular skill mix and attitude to Partners In Aviation at this important time in our story. His experience and expertise will add volumes of benefit for our aircraft co-owners as we continue our market growth and PIA Managed Co-Ownership becomes a more and more popular aircraft solution.”

A native of Wichita, Kansas, Bridges holds both bachelor (accounting) and masters (MBA) degrees in business administration from Wichita State University. Bridges lives in Geneva, Il, with his wife and three daughters.

“Flying privately as an aircraft co-owner for a lower cost not only allows business owners to grow faster and more efficiently, it delivers a way to better enjoy the successes of life,” Bridges concludes. “Managed Co-Ownership gives you all the access at half the cost. Partners In Aviation provides the formula for all of this to occur. I’ve been a big believer in the success of this program ever since Mark Molloy first told me about his plan to bring a fully realised co-ownership product to the market…it’s brilliant.