John Hatfield

Executive Leader Business Aviation | International Captain | Global 7500 & Gulfstream G650ER | Strategic Leadership | Culture Transformation | Fiscal Discipline | Coaching & Mentorship

Greater New Orleans Region

About

As an experienced flight department executive leader and international captain typed on the Bombardier Global 7500 and Gulfstream G650ER, I bring deep Part 91 and Part 135 expertise supporting ultra-high-net-worth principals and global enterprises in complex international operations. Whether flying or leading, my focus is on disciplined decision-making, accountability, and consistent performance across safety, service, and fiscal responsibility. Through a values-driven leadership approach, I have transformed teams, modernized flight departments, and positioned aviation as a disciplined business unit aligned with broader organizational priorities. I am known for elevating safety culture, strengthening standards, and bringing structure and clarity to complex environments. My leadership style is grounded in integrity, respect, and emotional intelligence. I believe strong teams are built through clarity, accountability, and trust, and that meaningful change happens when people are supported, challenged, and empowered to perform at their best. ๐™๐™‡๐™„๐™‚๐™ƒ๐™ ๐™€๐™“๐™‹๐™€๐™๐™„๐™€๐™‰๐˜พ๐™€ ๐—ง๐˜†๐—ฝ๐—ฒ ๐—ฅ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด๐˜€: BBD7500: Recurrent 9/25 | G-650: Recurrent 8/24 | G-550 | G-V | G-450 | G-IV | G-280 | IA-Jet | HS-125 | G-1159 | CE-500 ๐—™๐—น๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ต๐˜ ๐—›๐—ผ๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐˜€: Total Time: 9,950 | PIC: 6,450 | Turbine Jet: 8,700 | BBD 7500 Total: 300 | G650 Total: 750 ๐—–๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ณ๐—ถ๐—ฐ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐˜€: ATP-AMEL | CPL-ASEL | PPL-Rotorcraft | CFI | CFII | AGI | FAA First Class Medical | FCCROP | U.S. Passport ๐™†๐™€๐™” ๐˜ผ๐˜พ๐˜พ๐™Š๐™ˆ๐™‹๐™‡๐™„๐™Ž๐™ƒ๐™ˆ๐™€๐™‰๐™๐™Ž โ€ข ๐˜‹๐˜ช๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ค๐˜ต๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ the post-acquisition integration of the Dow Corning Corporation flight department into Dow, partnering with Dow Chemical aviation leadership to unify two independent operations while supporting teams through change and maintaining continuity. โ€ข ๐˜‹๐˜ฆ๐˜ญ๐˜ช๐˜ท๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ $1M in cost reduction at Dow Corning through acute evaluation of the corporate shuttle, reallocating resources to business priorities, and increasing aircraft availability for the executive team. โ€ข ๐˜š๐˜ฉ๐˜ข๐˜ฑ๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) Leadership Conference into a lasting annual event, setting direction, navigating volunteer dynamics, and enabling strong attendance and financial performance through the Business Aviation Management Committee (BAMC). โ€ข ๐˜›๐˜ฆ๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ช๐˜ง๐˜ช๐˜ฆ๐˜ฅ before the Michigan House Transportation Committee on behalf of the Michigan Business Aviation Association (MBAA) in support of HB 4025, helping advance legislation redirecting aviation fuel sales tax revenue to Michiganโ€™s State Aeronautics Fund benefiting general and business aviation.

Experience

  • International Captain | Safety Manager at ETPC Aviation, LLC
    Sep 2024 - Present ยท 1 yr 11 mos

    ๐˜‰๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฅ๐˜ช๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ ๐˜Ž๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ญ 7500 ๐—ฃ๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜ ๐Ÿต๐Ÿญ ๐—ข๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€ | ๐—จ๐—›๐—ก๐—ช ๐—ฃ๐—ฟ๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐—ฎ๐—น | ๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐˜๐˜† ๐—ข๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ต๐˜ โ€ข Operates Bombardier Global 7500 aircraft in Part 91 domestic and international operations for a high-profile principal, delivering safe, discreet, and reliable service within a highly dynamic schedule. โ€ข Leads the flight department safety function as safety manager, overseeing IS-BAO and BASC compliance, hazard reporting, flight risk assessment mitigation, and safety documentation to maintain disciplined, audit-ready operations.

  • Owner & Operating Principal | International Captain at Contrail Holdings, LLC
    Jan 2017 - Present ยท 9 yrs 7 mos

    ๐˜Ž๐˜ถ๐˜ญ๐˜ง๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ฎ ๐˜Ž650๐˜Œ๐˜™/๐˜Ž550/๐˜Ž450/๐˜Ž280 & ๐˜‰๐˜ฐ๐˜ฎ๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ณ๐˜ฅ๐˜ช๐˜ฆ๐˜ณ ๐˜Ž๐˜ญ๐˜ฐ๐˜ฃ๐˜ข๐˜ญ 7500 ๐—•๐˜‚๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฒ๐˜€๐˜€ ๐—”๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—–๐—ผ๐—ป๐˜€๐˜‚๐—น๐˜๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด | ๐—œ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—–๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐—ป | ๐—˜๐˜…๐—ฒ๐—ฐ๐˜‚๐˜๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ ๐—”๐—ฑ๐˜ƒ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐˜† โ€ข Provides business aviation consulting and pilot services to aircraft owners and flight departments, supporting private and large organizations with high expectations for safety, discretion, and performance. โ€ข Advises on flight department effectiveness across leadership development, industry best-practices, fiscal oversight, KPIs and executive reporting, operational efficiency, and process improvement. โ€ข Leads safety program governance, including IS-BAO and BASC implementation, risk mitigation, and audit readiness; previously served as Client Aviation Manager liaison with Solairus Aviation for a private client reinforcing safety culture. โ€ข Supports long-range fleet planning, aircraft acquisition and completion projects, facilities planning, and pilot services, contributing practical operational insight to strategic decisions.

  • Vice President, Aviation | International Captain at Cox Enterprises
    Aug 2018 - Jan 2022 ยท 3 yrs 6 mos

    ๐˜Ž๐˜ถ๐˜ญ๐˜ง๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ฎ ๐˜Ž650๐˜Œ๐˜™/๐˜Ž280 ๐—ข๐—ฟ๐—ด๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜‡๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—น ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ด๐˜† & ๐— ๐—ผ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜‡๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป โ€ข Led a six-aircraft Part 91 flight department and actively flew as an international captain (Gulfstream G650ER, four G280s, and a Pilatus PC-24) supporting a UHNW family and family-owned enterprise, with responsibility for all corporate aviation functions. โ€ข Transitioned a flight department without a formalized structure into a disciplined, performance-driven operation by establishing role clarity, trust, and accountability across a 40-person aviation team. โ€ข Implemented core business processes and financial discipline to manage a $21M operating budget and support a $160M capital plan. โ€ข Drove strategic aviation initiatives including long-range fleet planning aligned with tax and capital objectives and advancement from IS-BAO Stage II to Stage III. โ€ข Evaluated scheduling platforms and led the transition from PFM to flightplanning.biz, improving operational efficiency. ๐—ฃ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ๐—บ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ฒ & ๐—œ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป โ€ข Achieved a Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 92 and 94% employee engagement, reflecting strong trust, clarity, and team alignment while outperforming most operating units. โ€ข Partnered with FP&A and IT to deliver executive Business Intelligence (BI) dashboards and performance metrics, improving cost visibility and operational transparency. โ€ข Executed a full Aviation Emergency Response Plan (ERP) exercise with communications, legal, family office, and HR partners, reinforcing preparedness and organizational confidence. โ€ข Oversaw sustainability efforts resulting in a 100% carbon-neutral aviation operation. โ€ข Strengthened cross-functional relationships across tax, finance, legal, IT, HR, and the family office, supporting charter and fractional program oversight.

  • Director of Global Aviation | International Captain at Monsanto Company
    Apr 2016 - Jan 2017 ยท 10 mos

    ๐˜Ž๐˜ถ๐˜ญ๐˜ง๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ฎ ๐˜Ž550 ๐—œ๐—ป๐˜๐—ฒ๐—ด๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป & ๐—ง๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ถ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป ๐—Ÿ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—ฑ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ต๐—ถ๐—ฝ โ€ข Directed and actively flew within a Part 91 flight department supporting a global business, leading a 36-person aviation team and overseeing four aircraft (two Gulfstream G550 and two Dassault Falcon 900EASy). โ€ข Managed a $31M operating budget while maintaining operational continuity, safety, and service standards during a period of enterprise-level change. โ€ข Completed construction and commissioning of a new Gulfstream hangar facility and delivered a new G550 on schedule through coordination with corporate legal, finance, engineering, airport authorities, and the manufacturer. โ€ข Facilitated aviation integration planning in preparation for Monsantoโ€™s merger with Bayer; the flight department was subsequently closed as part of post-merger consolidation.

  • Aviation Director | International Captain at Dow Corning
    Oct 2009 - Mar 2016 ยท 6 yrs 6 mos

    ๐˜Ž๐˜ถ๐˜ญ๐˜ง๐˜ด๐˜ต๐˜ณ๐˜ฆ๐˜ข๐˜ฎ ๐˜Ž450 ๐—ฃ๐—ฒ๐—ผ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ฒ, ๐—ง๐—ฒ๐—ฎ๐—บ, & ๐—–๐˜‚๐—น๐˜๐˜‚๐—ฟ๐—ฒ โ€ข Directed and actively flew within a Part 91 flight department operating two Gulfstream G450 aircraft in extensive international operations, supporting global business needs while overseeing all aviation functions. โ€ข Built and led a high-performing aviation team of 15 direct reports by intentionally aligning roles to individual strengths, fostering trust, accountability, and professional ownership. โ€ข Established a people-centered culture through structured performance management, goal setting, and regular feedback aligned with corporate objectives and HR standards. โ€ข Developed talent through targeted internal and external training programs, strengthening engagement, retention, and succession readiness. ๐—ฆ๐—ฎ๐—ณ๐—ฒ๐˜๐˜†, ๐—™๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—ป๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฎ๐—น & ๐—ข๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป๐—ฎ๐—น ๐——๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ฐ๐—ถ๐—ฝ๐—น๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ฒ โ€ข Led the organization through IS-BAO Stage I, II, and III certifications, embedding disciplined safety practices and operational consistency across the department. โ€ข Oversaw a $9M+ annual operating budget, implementing reporting metrics and vendor strategies that delivered $1M+ in cost reductions. โ€ข Executed a long-range fleet strategy aligned with corporate growth objectives, partnering closely with the CEO and CFO to ensure financial and operational alignment. โ€ข Guided aviation integration planning following Dow Chemicalโ€™s acquisition of Dow Corning, maintaining operational stability and team engagement through post-acquisition consolidation and eventual flight department closure.