Q&A with Ryan Shannon

Ryan Shannon, Corporate Council, Jetcraft
Location: Minneapolis, MN, USA

How long have you been at Jetcraft?

Close to 5 years (since June, 2012).

What are your responsibilities within the global Jetcraft team?

I handle most of the day-to-day legal matters for Jetcraft, including internal corporate matters, vendor agreements, employment agreements, etc. I also work on aircraft acquisition and sale matters, with a primary focus on Jetcraft’s owned aircraft inventory and trade transactions.

Describe a typical day or week in your role.

I spend the majority of my time working on aircraft transactions. This entails drafting letters of intent, aircraft purchase agreements and ancillary documents, and negotiating the terms with buyers and sellers. I begin a typical day by reviewing emails and prioritizing my workload, and then drafting or revising various agreements related to our pending aircraft transactions. In the run-up to a closing, there is a lot of email and telephone correspondence with my colleagues and other parties as we get everything in place. I also spend a fair amount of time coordinating with Peter Antonenko (COO) and Chad Anderson (President) on deal matters and taking direction from them on which ones need focus.

What do you love most about your job?

I enjoy seeing a deal through from start to finish. It can sometimes be a long and demanding process, but it is also very rewarding at the end of a closing call knowing that I was part of a team that was able to navigate through a complex transaction and end up with a happy buyer and seller. As a corollary to that, I also love the fact that I get to learn something new on every deal. Some of our more complex deals are often trade transactions that involve multiple aircraft registries and lenders and there are always new issues that arise and must be solved with each one.

I also enjoy the people with whom I work. I think that who one works with is probably the most important factor in job satisfaction. Having great colleagues and leadership makes work enjoyable, even on the stressful days.

Describe the company culture at Jetcraft and what it means to you?

Jetcraft is made up of smart, driven people who also have senses of humor. It’s great to be able to step out of my office and interact with friends and colleagues – whether we are talking about airplanes or something completely unrelated to our business. The salespeople never lack for good stories from their travels.

What do you want your customers to experience when dealing with Jetcraft?

I want customers to come away feeling like Jetcraft is the best at what we do and we treated them with professionalism and integrity.

Who or what has been your greatest professional influence?

My family, including my wife Nicole, my parents and extended family. Everyone in my family has a strong work ethic and a desire to keep learning new things. I learned by example to find a career that is challenging and where I am able to continue growing.

Describe yourself in 3 words.

Loyal, tenacious and inquisitive.

If you were to buy a business jet, which aircraft would suit your needs and why?

I would choose a Global 6000 or G650ER for their long range. I love the idea of being able to step onto an aircraft and go non-stop almost anywhere in the world. As my wife can attest, I am not the most patient traveler and I don’t like the stress of trying to make a flight during a tight layover. Flying non-stop without the hassles of commercial flying would be wonderful.

What stands out to you as good customer service?

Being solution-oriented. We may not always have the answer to a particular issue immediately, but we know how to work through it and problem-solve. Jetcraft stands out in its ability to orchestrate complex transactions to solve issues that may at first seem insurmountable.

Finally, what is your hidden talent or hobby?

I’m a pretty good ping-pong player (table tennis, for you purists). We bought a new table last year and I have been dominating our household matches against my wife, our two boys and guests that are brave enough to challenge me.