In the aerospace and defense industry, unpredictability is a constant—but there’s a big difference between manageable risk and outright volatility.

With tariff changes, shifting trade policy, and rising political uncertainty, the real threat isn’t just higher costs. It’s the cascading impact these factors have on employment, supply chain stability, and economic confidence across the sector.

But while headlines focus on chaos, the real story is unfolding elsewhere.

Aerospace market fundamentals are solid. Demand is strong. And strategic investors are making big moves—especially in business aviation.

Behind the scenes, this sector is evolving fast, and the implications for OEMs, MRO providers, and private equity are significant.

In this episode of The Aerospace Executive Podcast, sell-side investment banker Bill Alderman joins us for his quarterly deep dive into the state of the industry.

We unpack why business aviation remains a top-performing segment, how consolidation in the MRO and aftermarket services space signals deeper transformation, and what smart leaders are doing to stay ahead—by focusing on what they can control rather than chasing headlines.

Key Topics Covered:

→ Tariff Whiplash and Aerospace Workforce Planning How rapid shifts in international trade policy could lead to unintended layoffs across aerospace and defense sectors.

→ The Rise of Business Aviation Why record-low inventories, continued demand, and strong order backlogs are fueling growth for business jet OEMs and MRO providers.

→ Private Equity’s Big Bet on MRO What’s driving the surge in M&A activity as investors snap up smaller aerospace maintenance and repair shops.

→ Boeing’s Cultural Crossroads Why Boeing’s biggest challenge isn’t global politics—it’s rebuilding internal morale, leadership credibility, and trust with customers.

Anecdotally, things look good in the M&A market, but I am worried that the noise in the system could lead to layoffs, and that’s not good for anybody. -Bill Alderman

Guest Bio

William H. Alderman (Bill) is the Founding Partner of Alderman & Company. Bill is an M&A specialist in the middle market of the aerospace and defense industry with over $2 billion in mergers and acquisition-related transactions to his name. Prior to founding Alderman & Company in 2001, Bill worked for 15 years on Wall Street and in the Aerospace & Defense Industry, principally on M&A transactions in the middle market. His employers included BT Securities, Fieldstone, and General Electric. Bill is a Securities Principal registered with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) and has four securities industry licenses (Series 7, 24, 63, and 65). Bill is a commercial pilot and owns and operates a Cirrus SR22.

• URL Link: https://www.aldermanco.com/
• LinkedIn - William Alderman https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamalderman/

About Your Host

Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association.

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The way we travel hasn’t changed much in decades, and it’s not because people don’t want better. It’s because legacy systems have kept the industry locked into outdated models.

But a major shift is underway, and it’s poised to radically redefine the entire experience of booking, flying, and managing travel.

At the heart of this transformation is AI-powered personalization and the modernization of airline infrastructure. The goal? To give travelers a seamless, flexible, customizable, retail-like experience, from the moment they think about a trip to the moment they return home.

That means smarter pricing, bundled offers, and digital self-service that actually works—even when your plans don’t.

FLYR is one of the companies leading this evolution, helping airlines move from rigid legacy systems to modern platforms that allow for dynamic retailing.

Joining me today is Sam Chamberlain, Chief Product Officer at FLYR and a veteran in the travel technology space. Sam and his team are building the digital engine behind what they call the “limitless future of travel” and today, he’s giving us a look under the hood.

We explore what this shift means for travelers and what airlines need to do to stay competitive in a world where customers expect more than just a seat from point A to point B.

You’ll also learn:

• Why booking travel hasn’t changed in decades
• “Offer-and-order” booking and how it will change how we travel
• How airlines can capture more customer loyalty and revenue
• How to shift legacy travel booking into the modern world

We’re crafting the limitless future of travel. It’s the notion of moving away from the flight being the center of everything, to a more digital retail standard. -Sam Chamberlain

Guest Bio

Sam Chamberlain is the Chief Product Officer at FLYR. He is an experienced product leader in travel technology, having worked in and with airlines for the last 20 years, predominantly in the Pricing and Revenue Management space. He helps airlines optimize revenue generation through the entire ecosystem of offer-and-order-based travel retailing and, more recently, in the development of ancillary-powered travel experience products. Sam has launched multiple new commercial revenue optimization products that have helped power the generation of billions of dollars of annual airline revenue globally. He has a broad experience of leading teams that bring value-driving products to market through a market-driven (outside-in) product development philosophy and has held responsibility for multiple aspects of the product life cycle. Visit https://flyr.com/ for more information, and connect with Sam on LinkedIn.

About Your Host

Craig Picken is an Executive Recruiter, writer, speaker and ICF Trained Executive Coach. He is focused on recruiting senior-level leadership, sales, and operations executives in the aviation and aerospace industry. His clients include premier OEMs, aircraft operators, leasing/financial organizations, and Maintenance/Repair/Overhaul (MRO) providers and since 2008, he has personally concluded more than 400 executive-level searches in a variety of disciplines. Craig is the ONLY industry executive recruiter who has professionally flown airplanes, sold airplanes, and successfully run a P&L in the aviation industry. His professional career started with a passion for airplanes. After eight years’ experience as a decorated Naval Flight Officer – with more than 100 combat missions, 2,000 hours of flight time, and 325 aircraft carrier landings – Craig sought challenges in business aviation, where he spent more than 7 years in sales with both Gulfstream Aircraft and Bombardier Business Aircraft. Craig is also a sought-after industry speaker who has presented at Corporate Jet Investor, International Aviation Women’s Association, and SOCAL Aviation Association.

For more aerospace industry news & commentary: https://craigpicken.com/insights/.

To learn more about Craig Picken, visit https://craigpicken.com/.

Check out this episode on our website, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify, and don't forget to leave a review if you like what you heard. Your review feeds the algorithm so our show reaches more people. Thank you!