Q&A with Alasdair Whyte – Corporate Jet Investor

Alasdair Whyte, Editor and Co-founder, Corporate Jet Investor
[email protected]

How long have you been at your current organization?

Louisa Whyte (my wife) and I launched Corporate Jet Investor in 2010. We felt there was a need for an online magazine and conferences for the business jet market.

We spun out helicopters in 2012 and in 2016 launched a commercial aircraft version called Aircraft Investor. We also run a superyacht conference.

Although the business jet market was in a downturn in 2010, we were confident that we would be there for an upturn. We are still waiting.

What are your responsibilities within your organization?

I focus on the content (with Louisa managing pretty much everything else). This includes newsletters, longer articles and the agendas for different conferences. But we are a small business so we all get involved in lots of different things.

Describe a typical day or week in your role.

If I am not travelling, I usually drop our children off at school. Louisa and I then often have a meeting whilst walking our office dog. When I get to the office I look at all of the major news stories that day. We divide up who is writing what and I will typically write a short opinion piece before lunch.

After lunch I might discuss some of the biggest issues in the market for one of our conferences. Most days involve a number of phone calls and a lot of emails. Some of these can be very late if I am dealing with the US or very early if Asia or Australia.

What do you love most about your job?

I am an extrovert who enjoys meeting people and getting new ideas. But I also enjoy sitting down and writing about what is shaping the industry. One of the great things is that I get paid to sit and think.

Why did working in the Business Aviation industry interest you?

One of the things that is great about business aviation is that there are a lot of entrepreneurial people across the industry and this makes it a really interesting one to be involved in.

It may not feel like it, but the industry is changing fast. Business aviation will look very different in a few years. One of my jobs is trying to show how this is happening for people who are too busy to sit back!

Who or what has been your greatest professional influence?

My first boss Roger Davies, was a gardening journalist who became an aviation publisher. I ending up working for him for more than 10 years.

Describe yourself in 3 words.

Disorganized. Nosey. Tired.

What one item would you never travel without on a long haul flight?

My kindle. One of my nightmares is being stuck on an aircraft without something to read. I read fast so I used to have to travel with several books.

Finally, what is your hidden talent or hobby?

I am still looking for my hidden talent.

I enjoy walking and – after holidaying in Greece – boating. I was actually a really keen long-distance runner until the cartilage in my right knee gave up.