Behind AWAR’s success is our dedicated team of experienced leaders, drawn from multiple sectors of the aviation industry including major airlines, leasing companies, financial institutions, law firms and professional services organizations. We share a passion for the advancement of women in all aspects of the industry, and an unwavering belief that by engaging with our male and female industry colleagues, we can drive real change.
AWAR BOARD MEMBERS EMERITAE
AMELIA ANDERSON
AWAR Co-Founder
Amelia Anderson is Treasurer, Co-founder and President Emeritus of AWAR. During her 30-year career in corporate finance, Amelia saw first-hand the challenges that women often face in advancing their careers. She also saw how dialogue across gender lines can help leaders recognize and overcome bias to level the playing field.Prior to her retirement from corporate finance in 2018, Amelia was Managing Director, Assistant Treasurer of American Airlines, the largest airline in the world in terms of revenue passenger miles, scheduled passengers carried, and fleet size. At American Airlines, Amelia and her team executed over $50 billion of best-in-class transactions, including financing 500+ new aircraft. Amelia also served as co-chair of the American Airlines Women’s Leadership Program.
In 2021, Amelia joined the Advisory Council of the Texas A&M Transportation Institute (TTI), an agency of the State of Texas created in 1950 to address problems and challenges facing all modes of transportation.
From 2019-2020, Amelia served as Chair of the DCU and Aviation Year of Inclusion, a joint initiative between Dublin City University’s Center of Excellence for Diversity & Inclusion and the Irish aviation industry.
In 2017, Amelia was honored to be named the inaugural recipient of the Aviation Woman of the Year award by one of the global aviation industry’s leading news sources, Euromoney’s Airfinance Journal.
Before relocating to Texas in 2014, Amelia lived in Phoenix, Arizona, where she held the positions of Assistant Treasurer and Director of Corporate Audit for copper mining giant Phelps Dodge Corporation, and Managing Director of Corporate Finance for US Airways. She also served the community as a Trustee of the Arizona Opera from 2012-2016, and as Board Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair of Arizona’s Children Association, one of Arizona’s oldest and largest statewide child welfare and behavioral health not-for-profit agencies, from 2009-2013.
Amelia holds a BS degree in Finance and Economics from the University of Alabama in Huntsville, and an MBA degree in Corporate Finance from Georgia State University in Atlanta. Amelia and her husband Robert, a retired attorney, have two daughters and reside in Coppell, Texas.
DANA BARTA
AWAR Co-Founder
Dana joined JPMorgan in July 2021 as an Executive Director to focus on EETC origination and to work with the bank’s other capital markets experts on both aviation and transportation deals. Dana’s responsibilities now encompass Aerospace and Defense Leverage Finance as well.
Prior to JPMorgan, Dana spent 11 years at Morgan Stanley’s Capital Markets division where she was responsible for originating and executing deals in the transportation space. Dana has been involved in all Morgan Stanley EETC transactions 2010-2020, raising $45Bn+ for domestic and international EETCs.
In 2016 Airline Economics recognized Dana as one of the “40 under 40” to watch. Dana is a co-founder of AWAR.
Dana graduated Magna Cum Laude from Mount Holyoke College with a B.A. in Economics and Computer Science and from Columbia’s MBA – the Executive Program with Dean’s Honors, sponsored by Morgan Stanley.
Dana was born and raised in Romania and moved to the U.S. to attend college. She lives in Westchester with her husband and two kids.
Executive Committee
EMILY WICKER
AWAR President
Emily Wicker became president of AWAR in July 2022. Ms. Wicker is a partner in the New York office of the law firm Clifford Chance and a member of the Global Asset Finance team. Emily joined Clifford Chance as a partner in 2013, and has experience in all aspects of aircraft finance, leasing and related restructuring transactions, including EETCs and other structured finance transactions. Emily advises clients across the commercial aviation, cargo and business jet sectors. Emily is listed as a “Leading Lawyer” by in The Legal 500 US Transport: Aviation and Air Travel- Finance. She is ranked in the “Band 2” tier of Aviation Finance lawyers in Chambers USA.
Before joining Clifford Chance, Emily was counsel at Debevoise & Plimpton where she represented Delta Air Lines in its EETC financings and American Airlines in its Chapter 11 reorganization. She started her career at Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft, where she represented Northwest Airlines in leasing, financing and EETC transactions and in its Chapter 11 reorganization.
Emily received her J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law and her B.A. cum laude from Dartmouth College. Emily loves running and has completed several marathons, and she has recently started cycling. Emily and her husband, Ian, live in Westchester County, New York with their Corgis, Penny and Wayne.
MURRAE ROSS-ESKELL
AWAR Secretary
Murrae Ross-Eskell is Managing Director and Founder of Horizon Executive Search Int’l Ltd.
Murrae has 22+ years of working in executive search and has developed experience over the last 20 years as a specialist in the Aviation Industry. She has successfully placed people in executive and senior roles across the value chain, including aircraft leasing companies, aviation financiers, airlines, airports and service providers (including MRO, catering and ground handling).
The type of roles Murrae has filled extends from C’Level, senior and middle management in varying functions, across the globe from Ireland, Asia, North America, Europe and Africa, giving her a wealth of experience.
Recent roles filled include a variety of C’ Suite and Head of Function roles for a number of top ten global aircraft lessors.
Passionate about aviation, Murrae has been a member of the International Society of Transport Aircraft Traders (ISTAT) for 20 years and sat on the ISTAT Foundation board for nearly ten years, though still remains on multiple ISTAT Foundation Committees. Murrae has a keen interest in ensuring that the industry has a future talent pipeline and is the Immediate Past Chair of the Education Committee which includes both the Internship Committee and ISTAT U programme.
Additionally, Murrae is also an ardent supporter of seeing change around D&I in the industry and is Secretary and Board Member of Advancing Women in Aviation Roundtable. She is also a member of the Aviation Club of the UK.
Olivier Trauchessec
AWAR Treasurer
Olivier is Head of Global Aviation at MUFG. He joined MUFG in 2016 to start the Aviation Group for the Americas and he became Head of Global Origination for the Aviation Group in 2019.
Before joining MUFG, Olivier held various management positions in the Aviation Group of BNP Paribas in Paris, Brazil and New York.
He started his career in the Structured Finance Group of BNP Paribas in Montreal, Canada.
Olivier received a B.A in Commerce in International Business from La Sorbonne in Paris, a graduate degree in business from EDHEC Business School in Lille, France and an M.B.A. from the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana.
Board members
Mehtap Cevher Conti
CUNNINGHAM
Mehtap Cevher Conti is a partner at Hogan Lovells, where she concentrates her practice on asset finance, particularly in the aviation and transportation industries. Her broad-based experience includes working with clients on secured debt and export credit agency supported transactions, revolving credit facilities, leveraged leases, operating leases, portfolio acquisitions, and asset-backed structured financings and securitizations for commercial and investment banks, insurance companies, financial institutions, aircraft operating lessors, and airlines. She also advises clients in the purchase and lease financing of corporate aircraft and helicopters.
Ms. Cevher Conti frequently handles finance transactions that involve multiple global jurisdictions. She has been recognized in The Legal 500 US for Aviation/Air Travel Finance, as well as in Euromoney’s Expert Guides for Aviation.
Ms. Cevher Conti received her BA from Koç University in Istanbul and her JD from Boston College Law School. She is a native of Turkey and is fluent in Turkish.
MUISIN CHAN
MuiSin Chan is currently the Head of Treasury at BOC Aviation Limited (“BOC Aviation”), overseeing all treasury functions, including debt financing and liquidity management, globally. MuiSin joined BOC Aviation in 2005 and prior to her current role, she was EVP, Deputy Head, Aircraft Sales, responsible for aircraft sales in the Asia Pacific region, covering both equity investors and aircraft financiers.
Before she joined BOC Aviation in 2005, MuiSin spent more than 8 years as an investment banker, covering origination and transaction management for both the debt and equity capital markets.
MuiSin has an Accountancy degree (Hons) and is a CFA Charterholder.
LAURA CUNNINGHAM
Laura Cunningham is General Counsel of World Star Aviation. Among other corporate duties, Laura oversees all of World Star Aviation’s transactions and lease documentation and has been taking a lead role in the business. Laura has the proven ability to manage multiple work-streams across different functions and jurisdictions and advise on multiple projects simultaneously, while developing and nurturing positive relationships with colleagues, investors and clients.
In her role as General Counsel and in her previous roles she has dedicated herself to the advancement of women to positions of leadership. Aswell as being an AWAR board member, Laura is a mentor to professionals in the industry including as part of PropelHer’s mentoring programme which aims to help women in the aircraft leasing industry advance their professional and personal development through connections with senior aircraft leasing professionals.
Prior to joining World Star Aviation, Laura was a partner at Arthur Cox in Dublin, Ireland. Prior to that, Laura worked internationally in aviation with Milbank, principally in their London office having spent time on secondment in their Singapore office. Laura also worked in Freshfield Bruckhaus Deringer’s aviation and asset finance team, having begun her career training as a solicitor with Arthur Cox.
Laura graduated with a Bachelor in Corporate Law and Spanish and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) from the National University of Ireland, Galway. She holds a Master of Laws in Commercial Law from the University of Cambridge. She has been admitted as a solicitor in the jurisdictions of Ireland and England and Wales.
MARILYN GAN
Marilyn is currently VMO Aircraft Leasing’s Head of APAC (sales and leasing). As Head of Region, she is responsible for defining and implementing Vmo’s revenue strategy and managing the company’s presence in the Asia Pacific region.
Marilyn joined Vmo from MUFG where she was Regional Head of Asia Pacific Aviation Finance. She was also a member of the management board of the Global Aviation Finance Office. At MUFG, Marilyn was responsible for the aviation loan book of business totalling US$4B across airlines and lessors in Asia and led a team of 12 based in Singapore and Hong Kong.
Prior to MUFG, Marilyn spent over ten years at DVB Bank, both in their Singapore and London branch where she served as Deputy Head of EMEA and then subsequently Head of APAC and Deputy Branch Manager of DVB Bank, Singapore Branch.
Marilyn started her career in aviation with SALE (now BOC Aviation), where she gained valuable experience in the legal department and aircraft trading.
She is currently serving on the Board of the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT) as well as the Executive Committee of ISTAT.
Marilyn was awarded Air Finance Journal’s Woman of the Year Award in 2020 for her contributions to the aviation industry and for promoting and advancing women in aviation. She is a frequent speaker and moderator at aviation conferences primarily in the Asia Pacific region.
Marilyn holds an LLB (Hons) from University College London and has attended various execution programs at INSEAD and the London Business School.
FIONA SCOTT
Fiona Scott is Chief People Officer (CPO) at CDB Aviation where, as a member of the C-Suite, she is responsible for setting and overseeing the execution of the business’ overall People strategy in line with its ESG goals, leading all aspects of talent acquisition and engagement, training and development, performance management, as well as building an agile culture of diversity, inclusivity, and personal growth.
With more than 20 years of experience in managing talent and operations, Fiona has served in managerial and consulting roles at several organizations, both in Ireland and across Europe. In 2017, Airline Economics recognized her as one of the industry’s ‘40 under 40.’ Fiona co-founded PropelHer, a grass roots initiative focused on the exchange of ideas, opinions, and experiences around topics relevant to the aircraft leasing industry. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Advancing Women in Aviation Roundtable (“AWAR”) and not-for-profit Aoibhneas.
Fiona is a graduate of Dublin City University. She earned a B.A. in International Marketing and Languages and is currently completing a M.Sc. in Talent, Leadership & HR Strategy.
ZOE TITE
Zoe Tite is a Legal Director at Clyde & Co LLP, based in their Dubai office. She specializes in aviation finance and has extensive experience advising airlines and lessors on a wide variety of cross-border aviation financing, leasing and trading transactions. Zoe trained as a lawyer at another global aviation law firm in London, Paris and Hong Kong before landing in Dubai in 2011, where initially she worked for Emirates airline for 5 years.
Prior to joining Clyde & Co, Zoe worked for a leading international aircraft leasing company.
Zoe graduated from the University of Oxford in 2002 and qualified as a solicitor in England & Wales in 2007.
Steering Committee Members
Marie Amelie Clotteau
Marie-Amelie has been in the aviation industry for more than 20 years.
She has been in her current role since 2020 and is responsible to lead Airbus Commercial marketing-related activities for half of Southeast Asia.
She has previously worked for BOC Aviation in Strategy & Market Research and has undertaken roles within Airbus Group HR department in Change Management and Business Transformation, after 10 years working in the Airbus Commercial Marketing department supporting aircraft campaigns in various regions from Americas to Asia.
She started her career at Airbus Marketing department working on the A380 and on Environment-related topics.
She holds a Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from the French Civil Aviation University (ENAC).
Fiona Coughlan
Fiona Coughlan, hailing from the west coast of Ireland, joined Aircastle in Stamford CT at the end of 2022 as a Corporate Finance Analyst within Aircastle’s Capital Markets department.
Prior to Aircastle, Fiona started her career in aircraft leasing at GECAS as a Technical Claims Specialist as a part of her university’s co-operative placement. Once graduated from university, she worked on assignment to GECAS with CAE Parc Aviation as a Technical Operations Analyst. She then completed Avolon’s one-year graduate program in 2021 and spent six months in the departments of Risk and Capital Markets respectively.
Fiona graduated from the University of Limerick with a B.Sc. in Financial Mathematics and is currently undertaking the ISTAT Professional Development Program Americas 2023-2024.
LEANNE McLAUGHLIN
Leanne McLaughlin is the Director of Contracts and Vendor Management at Riyadh Air, the new national carrier based in Riyadh Saudi Arabia where she has been based since October 2022.
Her focus is on managing complex relationships with global suppliers across every asset class of the new global airline, which includes structuring and negotiating contracts, monitoring ongoing performance of strategic contracts and the ongoing relationship management of strategic partners.
Leanne was admitted to practice in NSW Australia in 2007 and began her professional legal career in Sydney as Legal Counsel for Capgemini Australia before moving to Singapore as Legal Counsel for Teradata Singapore. She began her aviation career in 2013 at Qantas Airways in Sydney, where she held several roles, the most recent being Senior Category and Supplier Relationship Manager (Lawyer).
In addition to being a proud mum of 3, Leanne holds a Bachelor of Arts degree (majoring in Sociology and Philosophy) from Macquarie University; a Bachelor of Law degree from Western Sydney University; and a Graduate Diploma in Law from College of Law NSW Australia.
Patricia Molinero
Patricia Molinero is an aircraft leasing and finance professional with extensive international experience across several platforms. She is currently Vice President of Risk Management with Aircastle in Connecticut, USA. She is responsible for assessing and managing portfolio and credit/country risks on Aircastle projects in the Americas and Spain.
Prior to assuming her current role in December 2021, Patricia was Head of Pricing & Valuations, responsible for leading the company’s pricing and valuation function as well as providing critical input to the C-suite to inform investment decisions for managed and owned aircraft.
Patricia joined Aircastle in 2018 from Intrepid Aviation in Ireland, where she was responsible for the Pricing and Portfolio Management functions. Prior to Intrepid, Patricia spent 8 years at AWAS in Ireland and Miami, where she held various roles in Financial Planning & Analysis, Pricing and Portfolio Management. Patricia’s direct responsibilities included management of all secondary market pricing activities, the Airbus and Boeing order book, and aircraft leasing activities in EMEA and the Americas.
Patricia began her professional career as an accountant in Oracle in Ireland, working in the Finance team for 5 years before making the move into aircraft leasing in 2007.
She earned her Master of Business Administration from Griffith College in Dublin and a Finance degree from Pontificia de Comillas University in her hometown of Madrid, Spain.
Marie Ryan
Marie Ryan is the Head of Asset Allocation with Avolon in Dublin, Ireland. Her focus is on accurate evaluation of all commercial transactions, transaction structuring, model development and commercial portfolio analysis. In portfolio analysis, Marie is responsible for driving the strategic outlook of Avolon’s roll-off and trading portfolios incorporating technical, commercial and financial factors. She previously held the role of Head of Contracts Management & Pricing from 2012 to 2019.
Marie began her professional career as a Market Risk Analyst in Ulster Bank, working in financial markets for seven years prior to a move into aircraft leasing in 2007.
Marie has a Bachelor of Business from University of Limerick and a Masters in Financial Engineering from National University Ireland, Maynooth.