News
Field Aviation reorganizes to concentrate on specialized aircraft modifications

John Mactaggart, Field Aviation president and
CEO, today outlined the company’s focus on its core capabilities in a
move to strengthen its leadership in a highly competitive market. This
means the Toronto and Calgary based company will increase its
commitment to specialized aircraft modifications, which currently
account for the majority of its business.

The company will be more active in the pursuit of opportunities beyond
maritime surveillance and flight inspection, including reconfigurations
and upgrades of existing aircraft of various types.

“We have traditionally operated in several market segments,” Mactaggart
said. “Over our first 60 years, we started from supporting geophysical
surveillance, grew to provide specialized modifications for aircraft,
entered into fixed base operations, into international activity in
aircraft sales, as well as commercial and military aircraft
maintenance, repair and overhaul.

“Each of these sectors has been helpful to our growth, but we are not
immune to changes in market needs, nor to strong industry trend
towards  consolidation, so if we are to continue our success, we must
ourselves focus  on our core strengths and capitalize on them.”
Field has become a recognized market leader in modifying commercial
aircraft for special mission roles and had success in highly
competitive international markets including Australia, Denmark,
Iceland, Japan, Sweden and the USA,” Mactaggart added, “and this is
where I see the opportunity for growth as we work with an increasing
number of customers, manufacturers and aircraft types.” 

The aircraft modification business is sufficiently complex to require a
range of internal competencies – which are Field’s main assets, and the
company will continue to apply these assets in a pragmatic manner.

“This reorganization does not impact our  business lines in military
aircraft repair and overhaul, in parts manufacturing and in wireless
communications and test equipment, and we will seek to grow these
business lines as complimentary to the aircraft modifications,” he
added.  

Five senior management appointments were made, to support the new initiatives.

– Joar Gronlund has been made chief operating officer.                                                                                                   

– David Jensen has been appointed vice-president, business development.                                                                                        

– Christina Friesen is named chief financial
officer.                                                
– Brian Love has been appointed vice-president, operations.                                 
– Chris Cooper-Slipper has been appointed vice-president, marketing.        

As COO, Gronlund is responsible for overall performance of the aircraft
modification business and will ensure the appropriate balance between
new business, existing programs and capability. He will also be
responsible for day-to-day interactions of the separate business units.

As CFO, Friesen has overall responsibility for the company’s business
support functions (finance, accounting, information systems, property,
human resources). She will also be responsible for the company’s
performance measures, both financial and non-financial.

As VP operations, Brian Love is responsible for the management of
aircraft modification programs. He will also take charge of contract
and program management, supplier performance, project engineering,
production and supporting new business development sales activities.

As VP business development, Jensen has responsibility for the
management of all Field Aviation’s business development and sales
activities at the company’s facilities in Toronto and Calgary.

As VP marketing, Cooper-Slipper is in charge of developing and
coordinating Field Aviation’s marketing strategy as well as
coordinating the company’s marketing activities, including trade shows
and advertising. He will also be responsible for corporate
communications and will continue to manage the company’s aircraft sales
activities.