ADVISORY GROUP
Juan Nicolás Rhoads
Principal
Is a senior aviation executive and advisor with over 30 years of hands-on leadership across network strategy, alliances, fleet planning, operations, and commercial transformation. He has played a central role in scaling a Latin American flag carrier from a regional operator into a global airline spanning three continents, including the design and execution of alliance integration, long-haul network expansion, and operating model transformation. Nicolás brings a rare combination of strategic vision and execution discipline, trusted by CEOs and boards to drive complex change while protecting margins, aligning partners, and delivering measurable bottom-line impact.
CEOs call Nicolás when strategy cannot fail and execution must deliver.
Lisa Mota-Pinto McNally
Co-principal
Is a senior global commercial aviation executive with nearly three decades of leadership across major international carriers, including British Airways. She has led enterprise-level commercial strategy spanning revenue management, network positioning, global sales, brand strategy, and market expansion across competitive long-haul markets. Her track record reflects disciplined revenue growth, yield optimization, and customer value enhancement in complex, multi-jurisdictional environments—combining analytical rigor with decisive commercial execution.
CEOs and Boards trust Lisa to convert commercial strategy into measurable revenue performance.
Executive Advisors
Nawal Taneja
is a GLOBALLY respected aviation thought leader and senior executive with deep experience advancing airline strategy, technology adoption, and cross-industry communication at scale. With leadership roots in major Asian airlines and academic grounding from MIT Sloan, he brings a rare combination of operational insight, strategic foresight, and global perspective. Boards and executive teams value his ability to frame complex industry shifts—digital, technological, and organizational—into clear strategic implications that support long-term competitiveness and informed decision-making
CEOs and boards turn to him for clarity at the intersection of aviation strategy, technology, and global transformation.
Jakob Funkenstein
Delivers enterprise-level fleet and capital strategy, aligning aircraft selection, lifecycle economics, utilization, and financing with network profitability and long-term return on invested capital. He also guides airlines in evaluating and integrating Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and eVTOL platforms—assessing economic scalability, regulatory pathways, infrastructure impact, and strategic positioning in emerging mobility ecosystems.
Safeguards capital discipline while building the platform for tomorrow’s growth.
Arturo Duhart
is a senior aviation safety and security executive with deep expertise in enterprise risk governance, accident management, and operational resilience. His leadership spans regulatory compliance, safety management systems, crisis response coordination, and health protocol implementation in complex global environments—including large-scale operational disruptions such as pandemic-era continuity frameworks. Within the Advisory Group, he anchors enterprise-level safety governance, institutional credibility with regulators, and operational risk mitigation at Board level.
He protects enterprise value when operational risk threatens the business.
Peeter Kivestu
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specializes in advanced data mining, modern IT architecture, and performance-driven programming frameworks that transform operational and commercial data into measurable enterprise insight. His expertise spans digital integration, analytics infrastructure, and performance optimization in high-volume airline environments. Within the Advisory Group, he enables digital modernization grounded in measurable ROI rather than technology adoption for its own sake.
Converts data into measurable operating advantage.
Loren Aandahl
is a senior network planning and alliance executive with global carrier experience across legacy and international airline platforms. His leadership spans route profitability, hub optimization, bilateral strategy, alliance structuring, and cross-border commercial coordination. Within the Advisory Group, he ensures network expansion, partnership structuring, and global positioning are aligned with long-term enterprise value creation.
Designs networks that scale profitably under real-world constraints.
Stephen Luben
is a senior aviation executive with 40+ years of airline and airport leadership across the U.S., Latin America, the Caribbean, and Africa, including Delta Air Lines, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, and Air Jamaica.
His expertise spans global alliances, revenue management, network strategy, sales and marketing, and enterprise transformation—consistently translating strategy into incremental yield, revenue growth, and cost efficiency.
Steve converts commercial strategy into measurable enterprise performance.
Rodger Whittle
is a seasoned aviation executive with deep expertise in airline operations, revenue strategy, and commercial network performance across competitive global markets. His career includes senior leadership roles with major carriers and aviation organizations where he led operational transformation, revenue optimization, and strategic planning initiatives that delivered measurable performance improvements. Rodger’s experience spans commercial execution, operational alignment, and enterprise delivery at scale, making him a trusted advisor to airline leadership teams seeking disciplined growth and operational excellence.
Rodger turns aviation strategy into measurable commercial and operational results.
José Luis Quirós
is a senior aviation industry executive with over 25 years of leadership across airline and aerospace sectors, most recently serving as CEO of Industrial NEOTEX where he drives operational and commercial transformation with measurable enterprise impact. His career includes executive roles at major carriers and aerospace organizations, bringing deep expertise in global aviation operations, strategic partnerships, revenue management, and cross-border commercial execution. José Luis combines rigorous operational discipline with strategic foresight to help airlines and aviation enterprises translate strategy into measurable financial and operational results.
José Luis turns strategic aviation leadership into measurable enterprise performance and commercial execution.
Mariano Villarreal
is a senior aviation strategy and transformation advisor with hands-on leadership experience across airline operations, IROPs management, customer relationship management (CRM), digital platforms, and commercial execution. During his tenure at a network carrier, he led enterprise-wide initiatives spanning conversational AI, customer self-service, disruption handling, revenue enablement, and operational efficiency—delivering measurable reductions in call center demand, increased digital sales, and improved customer satisfaction at scale. With a background combining product leadership, data-driven decision-making, CRM-driven customer intelligence, and regulatory rigor, Mariano supports executive teams in navigating complex airline environments where operations, disruption recovery, technology, and customer outcomes must align without execution risk.
Airline executives rely on Mariano when digital transformation, customer experience, and operational performance must translate into measurable financial impact.
Diane Chung is a legally trained professional with international exposure and a growing profile in advisory and independent consulting environments. With a background from the College of Law in London and experience operating across European markets, she brings a combination of legal grounding, cross-border perspective, and a network-driven approach to business development and advisory engagements. Her profile reflects adaptability across sectors and geographies, positioning her as a connector between strategic intent and execution in evolving business environments.
C-Level Executives rely on her ability to navigate international environments and connect opportunities with execution through trusted relationships.