Baines Simmons, part of Air Partner plc, has appointed Ian Holder as Managing Director. In his new role, he will be reporting directly to Air Partner CEO Mark Biffa and will also sit on the Group’s Operating Board.

Ian Holder joined Baines Simmons in 2015 as a Principal Consultant, working with numerous global brands including national flag-carrying airlines. His particular interest in the power of organisational safety cultures to drive enhanced business performance made him the ideal candidate for the promotion. He will remain based at the Baines Simmons office in Fairoaks airport and will focus on accelerating the growth of the company.

“I am delighted to welcome Ian to the role of Managing Director. His extensive industry experience and existing customer relationships make him the ideal person to build on what we have already achieved since acquiring Baines Simmons in 2015. Already this year we have won a significant four-year contract with the Ministry of Defence and the pipeline ahead is strong. We are making good headway against our strategic objective to create a balanced business between Broking and Consulting & Training, and I have no doubt that Baines Simmons’ growth trajectory will gain further traction under Ian’s leadership,” commented about the appointment Mark Biffa, CEO of Air Partner plc.

Ian is a safety management specialist, with over 25 years in the industry. He began his aviation career with the RAF in 1990, serving as both a military and civil airline pilot, before joining Flybe in 2009, where he held a number of senior positions.

Air Partner was founded in 1961 and is a global aviation services group that provides worldwide solutions to industry, commerce, governments and private individuals. The Group has two divisions: Broking division, comprising air charter broking and remarketing; and the Consulting & Training division, comprising the aviation safety consultancies, Baines Simmons, Clockwork Research and SafeSkys, as well as Air Partner’s Emergency Planning Division.