# SkyWorks

> SkyWorks is a commercial aviation advisory, investment banking, leasing, and asset-management firm founded in 2002, serving airlines, investors, lessors, OEMs, lawyers, advisors, and technical vendors across the global aviation lifecycle.

SkyWorks was founded in 2002 and has grown to a firm of 35+ professionals. The firm brings senior aviation, finance, leasing, and technical judgment to clients navigating fleet decisions, aircraft transactions, capital needs, asset ownership, and market disruption. Track record includes $165bn+ sourced across major airframe and engine manufacturers, $30bn+ financed through global capital markets, $15bn+ in restructured obligations, 600+ aircraft remarketed and traded, 100+ commercial/business-plan projects, and 3,400+ aircraft valuations for investors.

## Services

- [Fleet, Restructuring & Strategic Advisory](https://skyworks.aero/#capabilities): Airframe and engine order/lease-in campaigns, in- and out-of-court fleet and corporate restructurings for debtors and creditors, fleet planning, leased-aircraft sourcing, maintenance risk mitigation, and M&A diligence.
- [Commercial & Business Plan Advisory](https://skyworks.aero/#capabilities): Network optimization and growth strategy, revenue management, pricing, ancillaries and product mix design, alliances and joint ventures, merger/regulatory analysis, and scenario-based business plan development.
- [Investment Banking](https://skyworks.aero/#capabilities): Structured aircraft financing, sale-leasebacks, JOLCOs (Japanese Operating Leases with Call Option), secured aviation credit, PDP (pre-delivery payment) financings, capital raising, and restructuring finance.
- [Asset Management](https://skyworks.aero/#capabilities): Lease originations, lease/portfolio servicing, maintenance contract negotiations, return-condition mitigation, green-time value optimization, contract administration, aircraft and engine remarketing and trading.
- [SkyLight — Principal Lending](https://skyworks.aero/#capabilities): Secured loans and finance leases backed by commercial aircraft and engines, supported by SkyWorks' asset diligence, structuring, servicing, and investment-committee process. In January 2026, SkyWorks and LuminArx launched a $1 billion secured lending platform under SkyLight.

## Leadership

- **Thomas Mahr** — Chairman. 30+ years across airline management, investment banking, and leasing; previously The Seabury Group, Fieldstone Private Capital Group, Texas Air Corporation, Continental Airlines.
- **Matthew Landess** — Chief Executive Officer. 27+ years structuring aircraft-backed lease/loan transactions and advising airlines through complex restructurings.
- **Jeff Craine** — Chief Financial Officer and co-founder. Has raised $25bn+ in financing and advised on $20bn+ of aircraft acquisitions; prior roles at The Seabury Group, Greenwich NatWest, The Transportation Group.
- **Steven Gaal** — Chief Operating Officer and co-founder. Corporate strategy, research/analytics, and transaction execution; co-founded The Seabury Group.
- **Anders Hebrand** — Chief Commercial Officer. Joined 2005; leads the asset management practice; 30+ years of aircraft finance, leasing, investment and asset-management experience; formerly PK AirFinance, co-founder of Sigma Aircraft Management.
- **Nancy Zajac** — General Counsel. Joined 2008; oversees legal, HR, regulatory and governance; built the legal framework for SkyWorks Leasing (Ireland), SkyWorks Leasing (Singapore), and Sierra Echo Aircraft Leasing.
- **Frank Wulf** — Senior Advisor since March 2025. Supports the firm's aviation lending activities and the origination/structuring of secured aircraft and engine loan facilities; 30+ years in aviation finance, formerly Global Head of Aviation at Norddeutsche Landesbank and management roles at DVB Bank (Frankfurt, Singapore, London).
- Additional Managing Directors, Senior Advisors, SVPs, VPs, and Associates (25+ professionals) are listed at https://skyworks.aero/#people.

## Selected Client Base

Airlines and operators served include Delta, United, American, Southwest, JetBlue, Alaska, WestJet, Air Canada, Spirit, Frontier, Allegiant, Avelo, Atlas Air, Cathay Pacific, Air China, China Eastern, China Southern, Japan Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Air China Cargo, Etihad, Wizz Air, airBaltic, Aeromexico, Copa Airlines, GOL, Azul, LATAM, Avianca, Aruba Airlines, SAS, Finnair, Aer Lingus, and others across North America, Latin America, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific. Full regional client list: https://skyworks.aero/#global.

## Selected Engagements

- **Azul (2025–26)**: Reset lease, purchase, and maintenance obligations across 20+ lessors and 6 OEMs in Chapter 11, reducing fleet debt and lease obligations by more than $2.5 billion.
- **Major U.S. carrier**: Back-to-back fleet strategy engagements shaping fleet mix, gauge, and widebody right-sizing across several phases of growth, including post-merger integration.
- **European carrier**: Purchased distressed engines from a secondary source to keep two narrowbody aircraft on-lease through a period of market stress, substantially improving investor returns.
- **Major carrier**: Six years of competitive sale-leaseback campaigns delivering more than $4 billion in aircraft lease financing.
- **SAS**: Led airframe and engine commercial negotiations for an order of up to 55 E195-E2 aircraft, then advised on the firm order for 18 A330-900s within a broader investment in up to 40 Airbus widebody aircraft, supporting SAS's post-emergence fleet strategy following its Chapter 11 bankruptcy emergence.

## Offices

- Headquarters: SkyWorks Holdings, LLC — 283 Greenwich Avenue, 4th Floor, Greenwich, CT 06830, USA | info@skyworks.aero | +1 203 983 6677
- Ireland: SkyWorks Leasing (Ireland) Limited — 24 St. Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, Ireland D02 EK82 | +353 1 268 8980
- Singapore: SkyWorks Leasing (Singapore) Pte. Limited — 8 Marina View, #43-01, Asia Square Tower 1, Singapore 018960

## Contact

- Email: info@skyworks.aero
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/skyworks-holdings

## Careers

- Analyst Program: Full-time early-career roles across advisory, investment banking, leasing, and asset management.
- Summer Analyst Program: Hands-on exposure to aviation advisory, aircraft leasing, transaction support, and industry research.