Meet Our Team

Alec is an experienced originator and trader in the commercial aircraft industry. During his close to 20-year career he has bought, financed, marketed and sold several billion dollars worth of aircraft and engines.

Alec co-founded AirWheel in 2015 to focus on opportunistic investments within commercial aviation. Under his guidance, the firm has acquired, managed and/or sold in excess of 50 assets through a range of transactions. While maintaining strong discipline, he instilled his view that everything makes sense at the right price.

Prior to co-founding AirWheel, Alec was with Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation’s (SMBC) Aviation Capital (previously RBS Aviation Capital) for several years. One of the largest commercial aircraft leasing firms in the world, Alec lead the Americas trading team and external financing efforts through the financial crisis.

Prior to SMBC, Alec headed the aircraft sales and third-party management business at Jetscape Aviation, at the time one of the largest independent lessors. During this time, the group completed a range of transactions including the acquisition of one of the only publicly traded firms, International Aircraft Investors (NASDAQ: IAIS).

He has been involved with Angel-Flight, a charity focused on transporting remote based patients to large metropolitan areas for medical treatment, for many years.

Alec is a lifelong aviation enthusiast with a private pilot’s license and an instrument and multi-engine rating.

Allison is a seasoned investment professional and portfolio manager in the aviation industry. During her 30+-year career she has raised capital and has managed or been part of the senior investment team for portfolios in excess of $3 billion.

Allison co-founded AirWheel in 2015 to focus on opportunistic investments in commercial aviation. Under her guidance, the firm has acquired, managed and/or sold in excess of 50 assets through a range of transactions. As co-founder Allison has been instrumental in all aspects of AirWheel’s business, including all aspects of principal investing, investor development and relations, and operations.

Previously, Allison built an in-house business development team and was instrumental in driving AUM growth from $400 million to almost $3 billion and was part of the senior investment team at Litespeed Management LLC, an event-driven hedge fund.  Prior to this, she co-founded Catalyst Partners, an event-driven and special situation hedge fund, where she built and co-managed a $200 million portfolio.  Allison began her career at Kellner, DiLeo & Co, a NYSE member firm focused on merger arbitrage and other special situations, where she co-headed the firm’s Arbitrage research team.

Jeff is an experienced investor, originator, and project developer in alternative assets and aviation. During his 30+-year career, he has invested in and overseen aviation-related portfolios and projects in excess of approximately $3 billion.

Jeff joined AirWheel in 2020 to focus on opportunistic investments throughout the aviation vertical.

Previously, Jeff was a Principal with Casco Bay Partners LLC, where he focused on originating aviation investments for private equity, hedge funds, and MRO’s.  While with Casco Bay, from 2015-2020 Jeff was a Principal in and CIO of Propeller Investments LLC, a boutique private equity fund focused on airport infrastructure development in North America.  Propeller’s primary project was the development and sale of Paine Field Airport in Everett, WA, sold to Global Infrastructure Partners in 2019.  Prior to that, Jeff was a founding member of BlackRock’s Aviation Holdings aviation fund, where he originated and managed aviation investments from 2012 – 2015.

Jeff spent 10 years at MassMutual Financial Group (and its affiliates, Baring’s and Jefferies Finance) where, amongst various roles and achievements, he oversaw the Group’s aviation investments from 2002-2012. Additionally, Jeff headed the Non-Correlated Investment Strategies group at Baring’s, sat on the underwriting committee for Jefferies Finance high-yield lending platform, worked in M&A for MassMutual and helped launch their private equity group in 2007, and oversaw the growth and development of WoodCreek Capital Mgt, MassMutual’s alternative’s asset management platform, eventually merged into Baring’s. Prior to this Jeff was in capital markets and leverage finance at Deutsche Bank Securities and Chase Manhattan Bank from 1990-2002.