Matt brings nearly 20 years of experience in the aviation sector with a focus on managing fleets and organizing private jet charter and will be instrumental in leading Planet Nine’s business development both in terms of fleet growth and company sales. Matt’s previous role, (prior to the merger with Zetta Jet in 2016), was the co-founder, President and Director of Sales of Advanced Air Management (“AAM”) where from 2010-2016 he grew AAM with James Seagrim, from a single aircraft operation to a fleet of 12 ultra long range jets operating worldwide. From 2016-2018 he served as Director of Sales for Zetta Jet. Relying heavily on past experience, gained knowledge, and key relationships Matt will be instrumental in implementing Planet Nine’s plan for controlled growth. He is dedicated to his clients and sets the highest bar in the industry for customer service. He is a qualified private pilot and holds a B.S. in Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

James brings nearly 20 years of flying and private aviation experience as Planet Nine’s Director of Operations. He is a highly experienced pilot with over 10,000 hours logged and a check airman in both the Gulfstream V and Bombardier Global Express aircraft. James’s previous role, (prior to the merger with Zetta Jet in 2016), was the founder and Director of Operations of Advanced Air Management (“AAM”) where from 2010-2016 he grew AAM with Matthew Walter, from a single aircraft operation to a fleet of 12 ultra long range jets operating worldwide. From 2016-2018 he served as Director of Operations for Zetta Jet. A specialist in organizational growth, James has the operational experience, knowledge and entrepreneurial drive to ensure Planet Nine succeeds in every aspect. Prior to his aviation career, Mr. Seagrim was a Bond Trader for a major international bank. Mr. Seagrim holds a BSc in Economics from Bristol, England.

Karen joined Planet Nine in July 2018 as Financial Controller, and assumed the role of CFO in June 2019. She brings 30 years of global accounting and financial leadership to the team. Karen has extensive experience in the areas of corporate treasury, financial reporting and operational and currency risk management programs. Prior to joining Planet Nine, Karen was Senior Manager of Regional Accounting & Finance Division at Honda Trading America Corp. Her responsibilities included all areas of accounting and finance in North and South America. She currently serves on an advisory board for upcoming treasury products and has been a presenter at various treasury conferences. Karen is a CPA and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Otterbein University in Westerville Ohio.

Henrik Thorsell brings nearly 20 years of aircraft maintenance and management experience as Planet 9’s Director of Maintenance. He began his career in 2006 at Jet Aviation Basel where he focused primarily on maintenance of Gulfstream and Bombardier Global aircraft for 6 years. He then moved to the UK Gulfstream owned Service Center, both AOG/Drop-in & base maintenance, in 2012. Henrik became Director of Maintenance in 2013 for a privately owned Global Express for International JetClub (later acquired by Game Aviation), for 3 years. In 2016, he joined Zetta Jet where he spent two years as London Site Manager in charge European maintenance operations. As Director of Maintenance at Planet 9, Henrik’s primary focus is ensuring quality and safety of the aircraft for passengers and crew.

Sam is an experienced pilot with nearly a decade of experience in the aviation industry, specializing in ultra-long-range aircraft including the Dassault Falcon 7X, Gulfstream G550, and Gulfstream G650. As Chief Pilot, Sam's primary responsibility is to ensure the continuous professional growth and development of his pilot team. He believes that a highly motivated and dedicated crew is the cornerstone of delivering exceptional service to clients while maintaining a commitment to the highest standards of safety in every flight operation. Sam holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Aeronautical Science from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, with a minor in Business Administration.

Justin joins the Planet Nine team as the Director of Customer Service with over 16 years of aviation experience in commercial airlines and business aviation operations. He holds a wealth of knowledge in managing flights globally. He spent nearly a decade with Universal Weather and Aviation starting as a mission advisor focusing on global regulations, permits and customs for Part 91 and Part 135 trips. He then moved up to the charter management team as a senior mission advisor where he facilitated and oversaw over 5,000 operational sectors around the world. Justin spent the last 2 years as the Operations / Customer Service Manager at Zetta Jet. Justin’s vast experience with his passion for charter operations is key to ensuring every flight is performed seamlessly with Planet Nine.

Kirti brings over 12 years of sales, charter brokering and customer service experience to head up as Director of Sales at Planet Nine. She spent nearly a decade working with global brokerage Air Charter Service in their London and Mumbai offices as one of the top performers whilst jointly managing the Executive Jets Department. More recently she worked as Sales Manager at Zetta Jet significantly increasing their European presence. Passionate about corporate aviation, Kirti believes in building strong, long lasting relationships and providing the perfect customer experience at Planet Nine. She is a private pilot and graduated with a BA Hons degree in Business Studies from Kingston University in the United Kingdom.

Hilary brings 10 years of commercial and corporate experience to the inflight department at Planet 9. After graduating college majoring in Global Tourism and Marketing, Hilary quickly immersed herself into aviation. Her previous experience has included working for Emirates in Dubai and Zetta Jet out of Singapore. She has managed, developed and facilitated training programs and materials for numerous companies and private aircraft owners. With an eye for talent she and her team of professionals are creating not only a world class product but a department based on integrity. Together, they strive to provide the best inflight service experience.

Carlos joins Planet Nine as Operations Manager with over 35 years aviation experience. He served in the Portuguese Air Force for 24 years starting as a military Air Traffic Controller and then in the Maritime Surveillance Search and Rescue program. Later he spent 8 years with NetJets working in their Lisbon head office as a shift supervisor in the International Trip Planning department overseeing all worldwide operations for all ultra-long range aircraft flights. He joined European operator Masterjet for 5 years as Operations Manager leading a team to co-ordinate and handle all aircraft movements globally. Carlos relocated to Singapore to head up Zetta Jets operations team managing a fleet of 22 aircraft. His dedication to his work and his global operations experience will be a valuable asset in ensuring Planet Nine’s flights are executed to the highest standards and meet our client’s expectation. Carlos holds a Flight Dispatcher License issued by the Portuguese Civil Aviation and is a graduate in History from Lisbon University.

William brings over 22 years of aviation and safety experience to Planet Nine. He began his professional aviation career in the United States Marine Corps where he flew the F/A-18 Hornet and F-5 Tiger II. His passion for aviation safety began during his position as Director of Safety for an aircraft-carrier based squadron in Miramar, California. In the private sector, William served as the Safety Manager for Advanced Air Management and Zetta Jet, in addition to Global Express 5000/6000 captain from 2014-2018. Other flying experience includes B-737 pilot at a US major airline. William holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) from Marist College. He is also a graduate of the Naval Post Graduate school of Aviation Safety. Leveraging this experience, William maintains the premier safety program in the industry fostering a positive working environment for all employees and safe flight operations for our customers.

Ben has been involved in aviation since a young age when a family friend introduced him to flying in a Piper Saratoga. Over 30 years later, his passion for excellence in aviation hasn’t slowed. With experience in both Part 121 and Part 135 flight operations, the majority of Ben’s flying career has been spent involved with safety and training. At Planet Nine, Ben has piloted the Falcon 7X and Gulfstream IV on worldwide operations and maintains a check pilot qualification on the G-IV. Previously, Ben served as Director of Training at Planet Nine where his attention to detail led to numerous improvements to the training and standards programs. Ben is dedicated to maintaining our organization at the highest standards, ensuring the satisfaction and safety of our clients and crew, and fostering a culture where every team member has a voice. Ben holds a B.S. in Aeronautical Science with a minor in Aviation Safety from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Prescott, Arizona.

Steve has worked in the aviation industry for over 40 years since joining the Royal Air Force as an Air Traffic Controller. After leaving the service in 1986 he worked, mostly as an expatriate for Airlines, Governments, Major Corporations and NetJets. During 11 years at NetJets he filled a number of number of senior posts including the setting up of an in house International Planning department, management of the Ground Services and Slot Management departments and finally as Global Category Manager responsible for Fuel and Airport Services with an annual budget of $650 million. Since 1990 Steve has been involved in running the fuel contracting and operations programmes of major business jet operators with fleets of 3 to 700 aircraft ranging in size from Citation to Boeing 747. Steve is instrumental in ensuring all Planet Nine flights benefit from competitive cost savings on fuel and airport services around the world. Steve holds a IATA Airline Management Diploma.

Laura Shepherd joins the Planet Nine team as Marketing Manager with over 6 years of digital strategy and brand marketing experience. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Design at Arizona State University, Laura interned at a digital marketing agency for 6 months before landing a job at Nike Headquarters in Portland, Oregon. Laura spent several years working for Nike in various digital strategy and content planning roles before making the transition into private aviation in June 2018. Laura's combined passion for travel and storytelling has helped bring the Planet 9 brand to life.