Meet our Team
MICHAEL WEISS
cco
Michael has over 30 years’ experience in aviation and is a widely respected member of the aviation banking and aircraft leasing sector.
He joined ABL Aviation as Chief Commercial Officer to further develop and support the company.
Michael started his aviation career at Swiss Bank Corporation in the early 1990s before moving to Australia and New Zealand Banking Group, both in London and Singapore. He built up the bank’s aircraft finance activities with a particular focus on India, China, Southeast Asia, and Australia. He joined Investec Bank PLC in 2002 where he was Head of Aircraft Finance and was instrumental in driving the bank’s strategy of establishing dedicated aircraft related funds. The bank was also a major provider of capital to African airlines in the form of structured debt solutions and operating leasing.
From 2014, Michael worked for SMBC Aviation Capital where he was Head of Aircraft Trading, and a member of the senior management team. Under his leadership, the Aircraft Trading Team extended its reach into new markets and building its presence in Asia, specifically Japan by offering new and innovative solutions to investors, alongside the company’s Japanese shareholders. In the six (6) years that Michael was at SMBC Aviation Capital, the team sold in excess of 275 aircraft with a value of approximately $7bn.
Michael was also a Director of ISTAT, the industry’s not for profit trade association from 2017 to 2021.
Michael holds a BSc in Aeronautical Engineering from Manchester University.