Introducing Samantha Nero, the newest member of Venari Partners’ Aviation team

Sam joined as Partner in March and will focus on hiring senior leadership into the business and private aviation sectors.

Now that she’s had some time to settle in, we wanted to provide a longer introduction to her background and what she’ll be working on. Keep reading for more about her background and what makes her arrival intriguing for Venari Partners.

For Sam, working in aviation started as a family affair. Her family’s experience with aerospace engineering companies gave her early exposure to the industry – though while this provided Sam with a good bird’s eye view of aviation, she would eventually follow a different route: hiring into corporate and private aviation. Sam joined the company from GOOSE Recruitment, a firm specialising in human capital in aviation, where she was an Associate Director.

Sam’s focus

‘I was drawn to corporate and private aviation by a fascination with the people behind such a high-stakes, precision-driven industry,’ Sam notes. ‘It goes beyond traditional executive search to focus on identifying leaders with the expertise and judgement to operate at the highest level.’ That the niche nature of private and corporate aviation is more relationship-driven than volume hiring makes the work particularly engaging for her; Sam also enjoys that her role requires a high level of discretion and trust, especially with ultra-high-net-worth and private clients. Working with beautiful aircraft fleets is a plus, too!

Her work takes in clients across aviation services, helicopters, medivac, offshore and utilities sectors, all the way through to corporate and private aviation. ‘In the latter two areas, it’s more client-facing, personal, and smaller,’ Sam notes. ‘With aviation services in particular, it tends to expand naturally after you work with someone, but in corporate and private it’s all about the customer.’ This covers everything from MROs, business jet companies, and even families that own their own fleets.

Areas of interest

Sam has also carved out a niche in the helicopter space, in which she deals more with rotary aviation rather than Boeing-sized aircraft. ‘I enjoy the complexities around rotary aviation in particular, having placed individuals in some challenging remote locations across Africa, Indonesia, and Papua New Guinea,’ Sam says. ‘As you can imagine, such a relocation would not be a fit for everyone – candidates have to assess and really dig deep into family considerations to understand if this is a practical move for everyone involved.’

Her arrival is an intriguing one for Venari Partners’ Aviation team, as she brings business and private specialisation to the practice. How much difference is there between her markets and commercial aviation? ‘There is some crossover,’ Sam notes, ‘though the main difference is that business and private aviation run predominantly on demand, while commercial is naturally much more scheduled. They’re very distinct ways of operating.’ She also points out that the scale of the commercial market is much larger than what she typically works with; smaller fleets mean companies in the space have different demands and logistical concerns.

Leadership profiles

The candidate profile in Sam’s markets also tends to differ from what you might expect in commercial aviation. While some of her key contacts started at airlines like Flybe early in their careers and then moved into business and private, seniority in commercial aviation wouldn’t necessarily translate directly into an equivalent role in her sectors. In rotary aviation in particular, Sam notes that ex-military candidates are well represented; the remote bases and logistics are second nature to many former service members after retirement. In business and private jets, senior leaders tend to start in operations or sales roles and work their way up; it’s rare for candidates to jump straight into a C-suite role.

Recent trends

Sam notes that the market has been buoyant for the past few years. Where COVID posed a significant challenge to commercial aviation, helicopter and medivac services naturally carried on, as did the business and private markets. Indeed, business travel has been up year-on-year since pandemic restrictions were eased, though Sam notes that concerns about fuel costs spiralling from the Iran war are not restricted to commercial aviation. It’s an increasing worry for many clients in her sectors, not least in spaces like fractional jet ownership where fuel cost is included in prices. How companies review contract terms going forward in this new reality remains to be seen – though of course, demand in areas like rotary aviation and medical rescue will always remain stable.

Looking ahead

We’re delighted to welcome Sam on board and are certain she’ll be a valuable member of the Aviation practice. Our Director James Parker certainly thinks so:

I love a good news story – especially when it concerns our Aviation team. Sam can target markets we’ve served previously, but never before with the intention and deliberate strategy we can now employ with her on board. She has a great reputation in the space and will further enhance the practice’s capabilities. I’m very excited to be working alongside Sam, and look forward to celebrating her successes.

If you would like to find out more about Sam’s work and how she can assist hiring strategy for your aviation business – or if you’re a candidate in the business and private aviation sectors thinking about a change – please reach out today!