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News Release

Victor announces Co-CEO appointments

September 4, 2020:

Victor, a leading global on demand jet charter company, has announced the appointment of longstanding employees Toby Edwards and James Farley as Co-CEOs, with former CEO, Clive Jackson stepping up to the role of executive chairman. This follows the company's successful management buyout (MBO) in March of this year.

Edwards and Farley both joined this now iconic global brand in its infancy in 2012. Over the past eight years they have been pivotal in establishing Victor as one of the industry's most well-known and respected on demand business aviation companies. Having worked closely during this time, Edwards and Farley have developed a blend of strategic thinking and tactical execution that has earned Victor a place in the Sunday Times Top 100 Fastest Growing UK Tech Companies rankings for five consecutive years. This has included focusing on a constant programme of improvement across customer acquisition, retention and cost of servicing through sustained investment in technical infrastructure and marketing.

Victor's Co-CEOs will continue to build on the company's industry-leading climate action strategy. Since 1st July 2019, every Victor flight is mandated to fly with a 200% carbon offset programme. In the past 12 months, the company has offset more than 48,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions through a series of UN accredited carbon sequestration programmes. The longstanding aim of becoming the world's most environmentally responsible private aviation company remains centre stage for Farley and Edwards.

A prominent figure in the business aviation industry and leading voice on reducing aviation emissions, former CEO Clive Jackson led a successful management buyout of Victor in March with the support of a small group of new investors. Now as chairman, he remains committed to developing a lower carbon future for business aviation and continues to promote the adoption of sustainable aviation fuel and emissions management across the industry.

Following a career in recruitment, Toby Edwards joined Victor as the first member services executive in July 2012. Over the course of seven years, he has built and trained the sales, operations and flight management teams in the UK. He has also recruited for the US team, when Victor launched in North America in 2015. In 2018, Edwards was appointed managing director for the Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East and north Africa regions. In addition to leading the UK-based sales, operations and flight management teams, Edwards drives revenue and operational efficiency across the entire organisation. He leads the business development department to deliver new revenue streams in verticals such as group charter and works alongside the marketing team to establish commercial partnerships for Alto, the first loyalty programme in jet charter, bringing brands SIXT, Scott Dunn and Spencer Hart into the Alto ecosystem.

James Farley is responsible for Victor's global P&L oversight, ensuring that the consumer and commercial objectives are correctly set and met across the organisation. He is also responsible for the brand and marketing team, leading product innovation and driving cross-departmental efficiencies. With a background in corporate finance advisory for TMT ventures, he was fundamental in securing early-stage financing for Victor in 2010. Farley joined in 2012 as the first head of product to help shape the business' consumer and trade offerings, and has also served as head of CRM, head of data and head of strategy and planning over his time at Victor.

The post-MBO leadership structure also sees the appointment of Bobby Perez to executive vice president of North America to spearhead Victor's growth in the U.S market, supported by Edwards and Farley. Perez has been a key player in the Victor team since the business acquired Californian based YoungJets and expanded into the U.S in 2015. As director of operations, and most recently vice president of operations, he has overseen the air travel logistics for multileg global tours for the world's biggest musicians and facilitated large capacity complex charters such as the Cannonball Run Rally to Cuba; strengthened operator relationships; and ran point on client management for Victor for Music, the company's dedicated division for music and entertainment tours. Perez has long-spanning specialist experience in fulfilling some of the most complex charter requirements and itineraries, formerly managing the operations for YoungJets, the company for top tier music artist tours including Rihanna's 777 tour and the Bacardi Triangle. With 14 years of industry experience, the region is in a strong position to deliver an upward growth trajectory post-MBO with Perez at the helm.

Clive Jackson, founder and chairman comments: “Victor has weathered the COVID-19 crises and emerged stronger than ever, a testimony to the leadership of Toby and James through some very challenging times.”

He adds: “I look forward to providing support and guidance to James and Toby in the coming years. They have worked hard for this moment, and this is their time to take this great company and powerful brand forward to become the world's most successful and environmentally responsible private aviation brand and set a new benchmark in business aviation.”

James Farley, Co-CEO comments: “I would like to thank Clive and the co-investors for their support and commitment to our future success. I look forward to this exciting opportunity to take Victor to the next level with Toby as true equity partners along with the management team. Toby and I have worked extremely closely together over the last few years and have a shared passion for the company and staff. I look forward to continuing to build on the Victor legacies of innovation and climate action, and developing this truly world class brand.”

Toby Edwards, Co-CEO comments: “It's a privilege to be appointed by Clive and the investors as Co-CEO alongside James. I would like to thank them, many of whom I have known for a long time, for the recognition and opportunity. There's still so much to be done and yet I continue to be inspired on a daily basis by the culture that the whole Victor team has created that encourages each of us to continually strive to innovate, improve and remain in tune with our customer needs. I look forward to continuing to work closely with James to achieve our business goals.”

 

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