Our Expertise
MAG’s team of international experts is comprised of seasoned aviation talent with combined experience of more than 200 years in the Aviation Leasing and Finance operations worldwide. The team has been involved in over 400 aircraft asset management deals worldwide worth over $5 billion, and have managed companies and operations worldwide, including Airline companies, Leasing Companies, Finance Companies, Aircraft Capital Funds, Private Equity Investments, Asset Management, and other aviation operations.
Our Values
MAG brings years of experience and close relationships with key personnel in the aviation industry. We have local experts that focus on bringing the right projects to the right place when needed.
Our people are our most valuable assets, and we believe that with a strong leadership and close relationships, we make a difference in everybody’s life.
Our clients are the foundation of our success, and we treat them all with the respect and honor they deserve. We observe their desires and needs, we formulate a plan that meets their expectation and we achieve their goals by utilizing our relationships and experts for each project.
Our Team
LYDIA SHENG, CO-FOUNDER & CEO
Sheng has more than 10 years of management experience in China's aviation industry. Since employment, she has been engaged in the development of China’s aviation industry, focusing on large aircraft, business aircraft, general aviation, and aviation service industries. Sheng has successfully introduced a number of foreign aviation enterprises to the China market, established joint ventures, introduced first-class aviation brand, technology and management models to China. Sheng started Mentis Aviation Group in 2018 together with Claude Franco, with special focus on development and growth of the Aviation Industry in China.
CLAUDE FRANCO, CO-FOUNDER & CHAIRMAN OF ADVISORY BOARD
In the past 30 years Claude Franco has worked at United Technologies Corporation (Sikorsky Aircraft – helicopter design), GE Capital (commercial aircraft leasing/airline restructuring worldwide), Gulfstream Aerospace, Guggenheim Partners, Carlyle Group, and Blackstone. The last three formed the two aircraft funds he founded – the latest being Global Jet Capital . Carlyle and Blackstone subsidiary, GSO Capital, funded it with $700 million in equity. The deal was closed in October 2014. Claude wrote the business plan, built all models, educated both funds on the industry and their assets and raised the equity capital to close the largest fund for private aircraft ever completed. Prior to Claude developing these two funds, Wall Street had never invested capital in business jet financing/leasing sector.
MARK CALVER, PARTNER & PRESIDENT
Mark Calver has more than 40 years of experience and success in various aspects of the global aviation industry, primarily focused on creating long-term business strategies centralized around leasing and assets management, as well as maintenance and technical operations. With strong leadership and operational skills, Calver helped guide significant leasing, commercial and technical projects for such companies as Aeronave Company Pte. Ltd., a company he founded to create an enhanced aircraft leasing platform; Aergen Management Services, where he served as Managing Director responsible for aircraft origination, lease placement, repossession/transition management, customer relationship management and pricing; DAE Capital, where he managed a portfolio of 52 aircraft under operating lease arrangements with 18 airlines operating in various regions of the world; Relaer Asia, a company he founded to provide asset management and technical advisory services to banks, lessors and investors; Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise and ORIX Aviation Systems Limited, where he also served in a technical director capacity.
JEFF LUND, ADVISORY BOARD MEMBER
With over 45 years of experience, Jeff has led multiple organizations across the supply chain. Prior to joining Mentis Aviation Group, Jeff was the President and CEO of Kellstrom Aerospace, which included The Aircraft Group and Vortex Aviation. Prior to that Jeff was also SVP of Corporate Business Developments for AeroTurbine. Jeff has held senior positions at Chromizing Southwest, GKN Aero Space (Chemtronics, Inc.), Volvo Aero Services , AeroVision International, SIFCO Industries. Jeff has a unique blend of experience as CEO, President, SVP Business Development, VP of Marketing & Sales, Director of Sales & Business Development, Manager of Marketing & Contracts, Manager of Engineering & New Product Development, Program Engineer, Manufacturing Technician & General Supervisor. Jeff also has experience in M&A, integrating business and fundraising.
PAUL COAKLEY, CTO
Paul Coakley is an experienced technical executive with a proven track record in several senior leadership roles in both airlines and leasing companies. Among most recently he was the CTO of Aergen Management Services. He provided full technical oversight/management of the Aergen fleet whilst built from two to thirty aircraft, including transfer of fleet into an ABS structure, airframe end of life part out with engines leased out to burn off green time, aircraft repossession and transfer to new lessees. Paul has 28 years of technical, operational and asset management experience in the commercial aviation sector. He also has extensive knowledge of the varying airworthiness and legislatorial requirements for cross boarder transfer of aircraft between EASA, FAA, Transport Canada and other jurisdictions.
JIMMY MA, VP OF ASSETS SALES & LEASING
Jimmy has over 16 years of experience working in foreign aviation companies, covering areas such as Boeing and Airbus commercial aircraft leasing, as well as aircraft cabin equipment sales. Jimmy has rich management and marketing experience: established and maintained good business partnerships with major airline clients in China and Asia, proficient in strategic planning, market development, and contract negotiation. From 2011 to 2020, he served as the Marketing Director and Vice President of ACG Aviation Capital Group (the world's tenth largest aircraft leasing company with over 400 wide and narrow body aircraft) in China. Prior to joining ACG, he served as the Sales Manager and Director of B/E Aerospace (a world leading manufacturer of aircraft cabin equipment) in China for seven years. In 2021, Jimmy joined Aeronave and officially participated in the MAG Aircraft Recycling Project, assisted in completing multiple aviation asset transactions.
Guo Ruochen, Finance Director
Guo “Frank” Ruochen spent the last decade working in finance related capacities for both international and local well-known public listed corporations and financial institutions. Most recently, Guo served as Senior Director, Capital Development Center, for the Fosun Group, where he was responsible for cooperating with banks, financial leasing firms, and non-banking financial lending institutions, as well as handling other financial matters, in relation to the group’s Yuyuan Division. Prior to that, he served as Assistant to the Chairman and President’s Office of BRC Co., Ltd., where his primary focus was on financing, asset disposal, and debt restructuring. Guo began his career with Zhongrong International Trust, with a focus on financing business, and coordinating other financial related duties. He received a bachelor’s degree from the Shanghai University of Finance and Economics in 2013, and followed that up with a master’s degree in Quantitative Finance from the University of Sydney Business School in 2015.
MA GANG, GENERAL MANAGER OF TEARDOWN & REPAIR CENTER
Ma Gang is a senior aviation engineering maintenance manager who has accumulated nearly 40 years of management and maintenance experience. He specializes in building engineering maintenance teams and formulating maintenance management systems, and is well versed in CAAC regulations. He holds a Chinese Civil Aviation Maintenance License and has multiple aircraft model licenses such as the domestic Y7, McDonnell Douglas and Airbus. Prior to joining MAG, he served as the deputy general manager of China Eastern Airlines Technical Branch, where he completed the improvement of the maintenance capabilities of China Eastern Airline’s Anhui Maintenance Branch. In addition, during the transition to the new airport, he was responsible for supervising the construction of the technical branch's facility building, purchasing, installing and relocating equipment, etc., thus ensuring the uninterrupted operation of China Eastern’s maintenance program. In the professional field of engineering maintenance, he has extensive experience in the establishment of production and quality management systems, improvement of maintenance capabilities, development of maintenance projects, and safe operation of maintenance systems.