Executive Officers based in Europe
Alan Robinson
Alan Robinson is a recognised businessman and entrepreneur in the fields of Aviation, telecommunications and media, with a 30 year track record as the Chairman, CEO or Managing Director of companies specialising in the licensing, ownership, design, build, operation and development of complex high technology and infrastructure projects of medium to long duration and high capital growth.
These have included the development and certification of new VLJ aircraft and air taxi; the ownership, development and operation of privatised Regional Airports in Europe as well as the design, construction and operation of new-build airports; the franchising, design, installation and operation of large scale broadband telecommunications and submarine cable systems; the creation of local Cable and Satellite channels; and the creation of a national guide publication. As an innovative industry leader and founder of many small to medium sized companies (including Telewest), this has necessitated the ability to deal with national and international government licensing of infrastructure, complex international corporate structures, raising substantial equity and debt finance and sitting on the boards of many UK and European companies and trade Associations.
Gail Farrin Robinson
Gail specialises in managing large multi-disciplined capital projects and in the human resources field. Her expertise in general management, project management, contract negotiations, operations management and manpower management has been gained in over 30 years working in the UK, Europe and the Middle East. She is skilled in multi-disciplinary engineering project management in the heavy civil engineering, contracting, broadband telecommunications and cable television industries.
Eamonn Leonard
Eamonn is a vastly experienced project manager in the ICT and E-Commerce field. He has in-depth experience of both public and private sectors in many developed and developing economies. He has managed major projects for IBM and global ICT organisations in Europe, North America, Africa and the Far East.
During his career Eamonn has worked with multinational enterprises, on highly complex, global, multi-language, multi discipline, multicultural projects which required a high order of diplomacy, technology and project management skills, including recent work for the World Bank developing ICT infrastructure programs for E-government initiatives in Indonesia and Algeria.
David Waterhouse
David is an experienced finance manager and has worked for companies including Tube Investments and Smiths Industries in a variety of operating and HQ accounting roles. He was Financial Director of Britax Restmor (part of the BSG International group) and then joined TeleWest’s London South operation as Director of Business Resources; this included responsibility for a variety of local functions including finance. He has worked with Alan Robinson and Gail Farrin Robinson since 1994, focussing on business planning, financial modelling and financial control.
Executive Officers based in the USA
Orval Yarger
Orval has an extensive and long career in owning and operating diverse, but customer-focussed businesses in the aviation, transportation and educational sectors. For some time he owned and operated a Fixed Base Operator (“FBO”) in Springfield, Illinois; a long-haul trucking firm in Normal, Il.; and a full service aircraft Avionics shop in Bloomington, Il. As one of four principal partners and the operator of The Alamo II, University bookstore serving the faculty and students at Illinois State University in Normal, for over 37 years, he has managed extensive real estate holdings.
In addition he has been a pilot for over 40 years with the following ratings: ATP, CFI, CFII and CFIR, with a Learjet type rating. He has flown internationally to over 20 countries with numerous North Atlantic crossings.
Kenneth Rittenhouse, Sr.
Ken is CFO and Director of Operations of Image Air L.L.C., which is a Fixed Base Operator (“FBO”) at Central Illinois Regional Airport, Bloomington-Normal. As such he is deeply involved in all aspects of commercial and general aviation in the South East and Mid West regions of the continental United States. Ken has owned and operated the following Aviation businesses: Image Air (FBO, 1996-present); Clark Aviation (FBO, 1973-1994); Mid-America Aviation, Inc. (Distributor, 1986-1991); Ambuair, Ltd (Learjet Air Ambulance, 1983-1988); Execair, Ltd (Learjet Air-taxi 1983-1988).
Ken remains an active pilot with over 20,000 flight hours and has held an FAA Pilots Certificate since 1968, with ratings including Airline Transport Pilot, Flight Instructor with Instrument and Multi-engine; and type ratings for Learjet, Citation, Falcon 20 and Challenger CL-60.
Greg Vail
Greg is the General Manager of Bloomington Avionics Inc. in Bloomington, Illinois, and he has more than 26 years experience in the aviation business. He is a licensed single-engine pilot with instrument endorsement. Bloomington Avionics is a FAA Class I & II Full Service Avionics Repair Station specializing in high performance single and twin engine aircraft.
Greg devotes a significant amount of his time to the development and furtherance of the Avionics industry at all levels. In April 2009, Greg was elected as the vice chairman of the board of the Aircraft Electronics Association (“AEA”). Greg was a member of the AEA’s Strategic Planning Committee before being elected to the board of directors in 2005. He chairs the Government & Industry Affairs Committee. He is also spearheading the new AEA Ambassador Program to promote better communications between AEA member companies and FAA Flight Standards District Offices.
