Press Release

BOC Aviation Announces New Appointments

18 Mar 2013

BOC Aviation is pleased to announce that Claire Leow has been appointed as Head of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications, taking over from Elsie Ng who joins the Treasury department as Vice President.  Elsie succeeds Saeed Quadri who joins the Aircraft Sales team as Vice President.

As BOC Aviation’s official spokesperson, Claire reports to Robert Martin, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer.  She will manage a team to effectively support the Company in investor relations, media relations and corporate communications.  Claire has more than 20 years of experience as a journalist, having worked with the Singapore Business Times, and Bloomberg News where she had held the position of chief reporter in the Singapore bureau and subsequently as bureau chief in Jakarta.  Prior to joining BOC Aviation, Claire worked in the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, specializing in research dissemination.  Claire holds a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Literature from the National University of Singapore.

In her new role reporting to Peter Davis, Head of Treasury, Elsie is primarily responsible for all debt capital markets issuance and rating agency relationships in addition to pricing of leases.  Elsie has 15 years of banking experience in credit and risk management in corporate banking, syndications and project financing.  Prior to joining the Company in 2002, she was with the project financing division of Mizuho Corporate Bank in Singapore.  Elsie assumed the position of Head of Corporate Communications in 2008 after her return from the US where she worked with the Dow Chemical Company.  Elsie is a CFA charterholder and holds a Masters in Applied Finance degree from the National University of Singapore.

Saeed reports to Steven Townend, Deputy Managing Director & Chief Commercial Officer, in his new role as Vice President, Aircraft Sales.  He joins an existing team of five aircraft sales professionals with responsibility for sales to investors and generating fee income from airlines, investors and financiers.  His role also includes the origination of Islamic Finance and finance lease syndication.  Saeed has 23 years of diverse finance experience including 17 years with the Emirates Airline Group in audit, treasury and finance functions.  Saeed is a professionally qualified accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.  He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Osmania University in Hyderabad with specialisation in Mathematics, Applied Mathematics & Statistics.

“With BOC Aviation on track to grow to a US$10 billion company by assets this year, the extensive experience and track records of Claire, Elsie and Saeed further strengthen the Company at a time of expansion,” said Mr. Robert Martin, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer. 

BOC Aviation is the leading Asia-based aircraft leasing company with a portfolio of 213 owned and managed aircraft operated by airlines worldwide, with another 92 aircraft on firm order and 22 on committed purchase and leaseback. The Company has one of the youngest fleets in the industry; the aircraft we own are on average less than four years old. 

BOC Aviation is 100% owned by Bank of China, one of the largest banks in the world. 

BOC Aviation will be celebrating its 20th anniversary this year.