Hong Kong, China – Reported by Elite Traveler, the private jet lifestyle magazine
International business jet operator Hongkong Jet recently announced the appointment of Chris Buchholz to the position of CEO, and Mark Thibault to the position of COO. Both have a strong background in business aviation and are well known for their work in the Asia-Pacific region.
Hongkong Jet’s key investor, HNA Group, is naturally eager to continue being a leader in business aviation not just on mainland China, but also across the region. In their new roles, Buchholz and Thibault will focus on turning Hongkong Jet into a regional leader, with an international team and best-practice standards.
Buchholz, previously the CEO of Metrojet, said “I’m delighted to have joined Hongkong Jet at this very exciting time and to lead a ‘dream team’ of highly regarded business aviation professionals with the goal of being the best international business jet operator in the region and beyond with an uncompromising focus on safety and impeccable service. I am also very excited to be part of a strong and entrepreneurial corporate group that is committed to investing in resources needed to be a world-class business jet operator with safety as the number one priority always.”
Buchholz’s qualifications for the role include growing Metrojet’s fleet from one to 20 in five years and leading the build-up of the first full business jet MRO in the region with multiple approvals from various OEMs and regulatory agencies. Buchholz holds a bachelor’s degree from Oxford, a master’s degree from MIT and is a jet-qualified commercial pilot fluent in Mandarin, Cantonese and French. He used to work as an investment banker for Goldman Sachs and UBS.
Thibault was previously the Regional Director of Engineering Product Support for Gulfstream and the COO for Metrojet in Hong Kong. He has a bachelor’s degree in aviation management and an MBA in international business. His 30-year aviation career began in the U.S. Marine Corps as an F-4 Phantom and F-18 Hornet fighter aircraft Plane Captain and Engineering Supervisor. He also held mission-critical business, quality and safety compliance management roles for aviation companies on a global scale. He is a land and seaplane pilot who holds an FAA airframe and power plant (A&P) license with inspector authorization.
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