Aviation News Item: 01175

11th Jun 2009

Source: fly-corporate.com

Effective, June 26, James K. Bass resigned his position as Piper President and CEO, and will be replaced by two senior executives:Kevin J. Gould, Piper's Vice President of Operations, will become Piper's Chief Executive Officer, and John Becker, Piper's Vice President of Engineering, will become President of the Company.

"All things come to an end," Bass said in remarks to Piper employees. "I have successfully completed my mission at Piper and am leaving the company in very capable hands. What I was brought in to do has been done, and it is now time for me to move on to other challenges. Kevin, John and the rest of the management team are exceptionally talented and dedicated to the future of Piper. They are seasoned, highly determined, and will continue what we have created: a results-driven culture.

"My primary focus when I came to Piper in 2005 was to turn the company around, create a strong, highly competitive business, and make Piper a compelling choice for potential buyers," Bass said. "Now with the sale of Piper to Imprimis, we have achieved that major milestone."

Imprimis, a corporate finance and investment management firm that operates from offices in Bangkok, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, purchased Piper on 1 May 2009.

Commenting on the management changes, Imprimis Managing Partner Stephen W. Berger said: "Jim Bass has been an excellent leader of Piper, bringing about many important changes that made this company an attractive investment for us. Among Jim's many contributions has been to recruit and develop a team of capable successors who are now charged with taking Piper forward. We thank Jim for his enormous contribution and wish him every success in the future. "
Gould joined Piper in 2005 as Vice President, Operations. Since arriving at Piper, Gould has overhauled the company's manufacturing operations to meet production schedule commitments, while improving both cost and quality performance. Previously he served as Senior Vice President, Operations, at Adam Aircraft Industries in Denver, Colo., where he set up the company's manufacturing and quality organisations in preparation for commercial production of its A500 aircraft.

Gould, who also spent 12 years at the Boeing Company in various operational roles within Boeing's commercial aircraft business, holds an M.B.A from Harvard Business School, a J.D. from the University of Southern California School of Law and a B.A. from Washington State University. He is a licensed private pilot.

Becker joined Piper in 1989 and has since held various positions of increasing responsibility and successfully implemented numerous projects including development of the Meridian (Piper's flagship, turboprop aircraft), the Seneca V (Piper's premier twin-engine aircraft), two models of the Saratoga (Piper's midlevel, performance aircraft), and the Archer and Warrior II (Piper's entry-level aircraft). In his capacity as Vice President of Engineering, Becker has led the team responsible for the ongoing design and development of the PiperJet.

Becker, who also worked with Bombardier Learjet as a powerplant engineer/consultant on the Learjet Model 31A, Model 45 and Model 60, has a B.S. in Aviation Technology from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, an M.B.A. from the Florida Institute of Technology and a Master Certification in Program Management from George Washington University. He is an instrument-rated commercial pilot and an airframe and power plant mechanic. Additionally, Becker has served as a Designated Engineering Representative for the FAA.

More Aviation News...