Meet The Team: Lucy Cooke - Account Manager

Here at SHY Aviation, our team has extensive knowledge and experience in private aviation. We are known for sourcing the best private jet charter solutions worldwide at the most competitive prices.

In this article, we sit down with Lucy Cooke, SHY’s Business Development Account Manager, to discuss her career, her advice for those looking to follow a similar path, and how she contributes to keeping SHY Aviation at the forefront of private aviation.

After growing up and attending school and college in Surrey, I chose to jump straight into work instead of attending University.

My first full-time job was at Nationwide Building Society, where I had my first taste of sales before moving into the telecommunications sector in London. I found a real passion for account management; however, I lacked any enthusiasm for the industry itself; but after moving into private aviation, I realised I had finally found a role and industry that I could be excited about. I spent 3 years in a private jet charter broker role, but I knew I wanted to progress my career in account management and move away from sales.

Therefore, in September last year, I moved to SHY and joined our rapidly growing business development team. I could not be any happier about my decision!

My role is to engage our business partners, so this involves a lot of calls, virtual and in-person meetings, webinars, and administrative support.

My main focus is on helping our partners understand how a charter works, from the quoting stage through to booking and then flight planning; for example, helping them understand the difference in aircraft categories, how we secure slots or permits for a charter, and how pricing typically works.

Further, a lot of my day-to-day is spent liaising with our commercial and operations teams, acting as the point of contact for our partners and all of their requests. 

Working in aviation, no two days are ever the same. My role always presents new challenges, which keep me on my toes and provide a lot of excitement (but also some stressful moments!).

I am constantly finding new ways to engage with our partners, who are based all around the world and from all manner of backgrounds. I really enjoy meeting new people, and it is very rewarding to help them grow their own businesses.

Three skills that are crucial for success in business development are:

• communication,
• problem-solving
• sales/negotiation skills.

Every partner I work with has extremely specific requirements and business needs, so I make sure to take the time to listen to their unique stories and ask what their vision is for their companies’ growth. Also, all of our partners have diverse client bases from all around the world, so I am always available 24/7 to support any of their requests and to answer any questions they need my expertise.

Clients are certainly growing more conscious about the environmental impact of private aviation and want an aviation partner who shares the same interest in carbon emissions, sustainable aviation solutions, and electric/hydrogen aircraft.

At SHY, we offset 100% of the carbon emissions of our flights, and we offer our clients the opportunity to offset even more in global projects of their own choice. We are also planning to utilise emerging electric and hydrogen-based engines as part of our carbon strategy at the earliest opportunity. 

That we have to constantly refresh our knowledge. The private aviation industry is so fluid and you need to be aware of all changes globally in regards to taxes, aircraft fleets, airport NOTAMS and endless other variables. You truly can never know it all, and every day I find myself learning something new that adds to my knowledge and therefore adds value to our partners.

I would say it is very important to immerse yourself in the industry. Whether you are a new starter or an experienced broker, try to get out to the airport FBOs for your client’s arrivals/departures, attend industry conventions and events, visit aircraft operators, and really build meaningful relationships with your peers.

I already had key knowledge about the industry from my previous broker role, but if you are looking to move over from a different industry, I would emphasise that you need to have a real thirst for knowledge.

It takes a lot of time to really understand how a private jet charter works and why people choose to spend the money to fly privately.

In business development within aviation, there is a constant learning curve as the industry evolves and grows so quickly, so you need to make sure you can keep up!

A standout moment would be taking on our 100^th corporate account this month. When I joined in September this was around 40, so we have had exponential growth and countless successes in that time.

SHY Aviation is an industry-leading provider of global private aviation solutions including private jet charter, group charter, and helicopter transfers. The expertise of our team and our access to the finest aircraft and the world's premier operators ensures we deliver the most convenient, private, safe and luxurious private travel experiences possible.