Omni Helicopters International S.A. [“OHI” or “the Company”] announced the appointment of Jeremy Akel as Group Chief Executive Officer. The announcement was supported by OHI shareholders Stirling Square Capital Partners [“Stirling Square”] and Omni Aviation [“Omni”].

Rui Almeida, Executive Chairman and co-founder of both OHI and Omni Taxi Aéreo [“Omni Brazil”], said “We are very pleased to welcome Jeremy into the OHI Group and are confident that his experience in delivering top quality helicopter services across the world will be instrumental for our future development.”

Mr. Akel has 30 years’ experience in the aviation industry, of which 15 spent in offshore helicopter services. He started his aviation career in safety as an Accident Investigator with the US National Transportation Safety Board. After earning an MBA from Georgetown University, he became a trusted advisor to airline executives on issues such as business strategy, fleet planning and capital structure. Mr. Akel joined Bristow Group in 2004 as part of a turnaround team and concluded his tenure there in 2016 as Chief Operating Officer. During that time, he championed a transformational culture centered around safety and efficiency that achieved milestone records in incident-free operations and unprecedented international growth, including the multi-billion dollar award of the UK SAR contract in 2013. Mr. Akel oversaw the complex introduction of this service, which lasted over two years and required 22 new helicopters and more than 300 new Bristow employees to transition services across 10 bases. Prior to joining OHI, Mr. Akel was the Commercial Executive Vice President for Milestone Aviation, the world’s largest helicopter lessor.

OHI owns and supports helicopter operators providing services to the offshore energy sector. The Company’s main affiliate is Omni Brazil, the country’s largest oil and gas helicopter service provider, while future developments are expected across Latin America and Africa. Its business model is based on three pillars: (i) pursuing local excellence via the transfer of proprietary intellectual capital in safety, reliability and cost-efficiency; (ii) providing sustainable access to investment in the sector; and (iii) continuous innovation with flexible and customized service that enhances efficiency in the oil and gas supply chain. Mr. Akel’s appointment will further develop this formula, as he works with Company stakeholders to expand OHI’s business beyond traditional boundaries.

Gregorio Napoleone, Co-Founder of Stirling Square, said: “Jeremy’s experience and perspectives will greatly add to our business model and expansion – organic and external. We view him as an important catalyst for the strengthening of our international customer relationships and creating real value for them.”