John Petkovic
Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Company Helicopters (SMFLH), a helicopter lessor, has launched today with headquarters in Dublin and officers across Ireland, London, and Singapore. The company was created through the acquisition of LCI and Macquarie Rotorcraft Limited and owns of a fleet of 290 aircraft on order and in service.
Following the launch, it has also been announced that John Petkovic will lead SMFLH as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Designate, with plans for him to fully assume the role of CEO later in 2026.
Additionally, Crispin Maunder has been named Chairman of the company, Jaspal Jandu has become Senior Advisor, Terri Foley is Deputy CEO and Chief Operating Officer, Con Barber has been appointed as Chief Commercial Officer, Padraig Conneely has been named Chief Technical Officer, Ken Dowling will be Chief Financial Officer, and Eric Kataoka has taken the role of Chief Investment Officer.
“SMFL Helicopters consolidates the deep sector knowledge and operational excellence of two respected lessors within our aviation eco-system to create a single, powerful platform,” said Shinichiro Watanabe, Senior Managing Executive Officer at SMFLH. “SMFL is proud to now be present at scale in this dynamic sector, with a goal of becoming the market leader.”
“With the launch of SMFL Helicopters, we have an exciting opportunity to create a lessor that combines the skills and experience of our talented team of people with the financial strength of SMFL to deliver innovative leasing solutions to our customers across the globe,” commented Petkovic.
Photo: SMFLH
