Don Spruston Is Stepping Down At The End Of The Year

The NBAA has been notified by the International Business Aviation Council (IBAC) that IBAC is seeking a successor for Don Spruston, who has served as the group's Director General for the past 12 years, and announced recently that he will leave the post at the end of the year. IBAC has issued a call to all of its member associations and the broader aviation community to assist with its search for Spruston's successor.

A Notice of Position Availability issued by IBAC notes the Director General "manages the secretariat services for the Council and as such is responsible to the IBAC Governing Board for the management of all aspects of IBAC's accountabilities as described in the IBAC Business Plan."

Other tasks of the Director General include appointing and directing various IBAC officers, including the Director of ICAO Liaison, IS-BAO Program Director, Environmental Specialist and others; serving as the primary media contact and spokesperson for the organization; creating and delivering presentations and position papers to promote the business aviation community; developing a business plan and strategic plan for approval by the IBAC board; and managing the organization's finances. A full listing of job responsibilities is available at the link.

"The IBAC Director General should have a broad understanding of the pressures on the civil aviation system and the capability of influencing positive change," Spruston explained. "Leadership and vision are critically important to development of universal policies and positions, and communication skills are needed to implement them."

IBAC has appointed a Selection Committee tasked with finding a new DG, chaired by IBAC Chairman Peter Gatz and consisting of the IBAC Executive Committee and all available previous chairmen of the organization. Skills vital for the position, according to IBAC, include senior management experience, preferably in the aviation field; strong negotiating skills, and a proven track record of delivering results; and, a high level of experience and understanding of the rules applying to business aviation, as well as of the rules, policies and structure of IBAC and the organizations IBAC interacts with, including the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO.)

"Considerable travel is involved in the duties as business aviation is a global community and Member Associations exist in all corners of the globe," IBAC's notice adds. While it is not required for the new DG to relocate to the organization's headquarters in Montreal, the position does require a regular presence to oversee the Council's operations.

FMI: www.ibac.org