Amanda Gower
Hollywood,FL
Summary
Recognized and proven leader with over 34 years of experience in the passenger, cargo, and MRO commercial and military aviation industry, building new organizations and implementing positive changes to existing organizations. Over 20 years’ experience delivering results by leading large strategic sourcing events for complex commodities, with major focus on commercial engine maintenance and asset acquisitions. Led powerplant repair operations for major airlines with annual budgets exceeding $600MM. Executive level decision maker and P&L owner that ensures development and implementation of unique initiatives to support and sustain growth with proven ability to thrive in complicated environments, assume increasing responsibility, and utilize technical expertise to create effective systems and processes. Experienced managing complex projects, driving cost reductions, increasing efficiency & profitability, and successfully communicating with technicians and board members alike.
Overview
25
25
years of professional experience
Work History
Chief Commercial Officer
CTS Engines
02.2022 - 01.2024
- Responsible for commercial strategy, business development and marketing, and customer programs (P&L) for MRO services for CF6, PW2000 and GP7200 engine overhaul and testing
- Successfully negotiated and contracted $1B in new business forecasted over five-year terms
- In final BAFO rounds for services in excess of $750M with three major cargo and passenger carriers
- Restructured sales, business development and customer program functions, implemented salesforce, hired ten new employees to position CTS globally, while onboarding two new engine product lines
- Responsible for P&L ownership of engine work orders to ensure predictable profitability
- Restructured commercial division organization, processes, and SOPs to sustain planned growth and improve customer experience
- Set strategic plan to expand CTS footprint to 215,000 square foot greenfield facility which consolidates four buildings under one roof.
Head of Powerplant Maintenance Services, Technical Operations
Amazon Air
07.2017 - 02.2022
- Developed and executed heavy maintenance strategies for startup cargo operation to enhance the customer delivery for Amazon ordered products by adding air cargo capacity to sustain growth of Amazon package volume
- Responsible for negotiating all maintenance services for all CF680C2 and CFM56-7 engines, 767-300 landing gear, APU’s and thrust reversers and schedule and manage repair operations for powerplants
- Owned budget in excess of $250MM, which was 75% of the annual maintenance budget
- Solidified all process implementation and sourced technical tools to manage forecasts, records, financials and workscoping
- Led efforts for aircraft and engine asset acquisitions and developed metrics to support supplier performance management
- Successfully executed 10-year maintenance services agreements for AIR fleet, justifying to e-commerce Senior VP Leaders over $1B in services spend by analytical white-paper presentations, cost analysis and RFP process timelines as an individual contributor
- Negotiated new aircraft fleet lease acquisitions to ensure best engine, airframe and component terms and conditions
- Built the powerplant organization to focus on Repair Operations, MRO Oversight, Planning, Engineering and Strategic Sourcing to manage all powerplant operations and maintenance sourcing requirements for all fleets at Amazon
- Negotiated the purchase of eleven owned aircraft (two airlines) with engine maintenance services agreements in less than three months
- Negotiated CMI agreements with AIR carriers which resulted in favorable engine maintenance terms saving $40MM in known costs to date
- Created and currently executing spares strategy in conjunction with heavy maintenance forecasts to ensure spares coverage at the lowest possible cost
- Justified $50MM in CAPEX requirements to purchase ten engines and APU’s to support the heavy maintenance forecast
- Set long-term strategy by analysis of green time aircraft engine leases against traditional aircraft leases where lessee executes heavy maintenance on airframe, engines, APU”s, thrust reversers and landing gear to determine best lease options
- Developed forecasting strategy to optimize heavy maintenance spend events over 10- year aircraft leases to solidify total cost of ownership considering lease return conditions
- LLP management, module swaps, lease vs repair and material build management used to reduce overall cost by 10% or more over the aircraft leases.
Senior Manager Powerplant Supply Chain
Southwest airlines
09.2010 - 07.2017
- Built a team to focus on strategic sourcing and repair operations as separate structures that collaborate to ensure alignment and smooth execution of contracts
- Negotiated and presented to CEO first independent MRO engine maintenance contract in over 25 years
- Led team to manage exit of Classic fleet engines, APU’s, and LRU’s to maximize utilization, meet lease return conditions, preserve remaining residual value of assets
- Negotiated large engine maintenance agreements in excess of $2B spend
- Managed budget in excess of $600M annually
- Negotiated and executed COP management of Classic aircraft and engine parts (eat the fleet)
- Sales of run out CFM56-3 engines and APU’s
- Managed team leader that is point of contact for technology projects such as Aeroxchange and Mosaic
- Negotiated high and low thrust lease agreements
- Negotiated numerous engine lease deals including a 22-engine long term agreement
- Negotiated fleet acquisitions which saved in excess of $200M against the current spend baseline
- Classic engine contract management and renegotiations with savings over $150M over 4-year term
- Negotiated aircraft and engine consignment agreements for the part out of 150 737-300’s.
Powerplant Supply Chain Manager
Southwest airlines
09.2010 - 10.2014
- Heavy emphasis on contract renegotiations to acquire AirTran fleet
- Negotiated contract and set up mature engine maintenance program for Classic fleet
- Built new Supply Chain team from ground up
- Built internal relationships with Engineering, Planning, Reliability, Legal and Finance
- Reported directly to VP of Supply Chain
- Developed and executed a comprehensive end of life strategy with independent MRO (first in 20 years) that concentrated on use of customer owned property, teardowns, leases, and consignments to reduce expense by $50M annually
- Renegotiated AirTran NG fleet contract which resulted in cost savings of $500M
- Negotiated new GTA, thrust and maintenance services agreement for 737-800 engine fleet
- Developed key metrics for repair operations team which improved parts availability by 30%.
Manager, Repair and Modification Services – Tech Ops
Continental Airlines
08.1998 - 09.2010
- Served as primary interface for GE partnership
- Developed, negotiated, and executed contracts for GE90, CF680C2, CF6-50, CFM56-3/7
- Implemented and executed a successful exit plan to maximize reconciliation credit clause which resulted in $20M
- Managed staff responsible for the repair, overhaul, and modification of CFM56-3, GE90, CF680C2 engines and LRU’s under long term maintenance contracts to ensure quality, cost, and supply
- Trained staff on all engine maintenance contracts, technical knowledge of engine operations, supplier negotiations, engine package audits, invoice audits, legacy maintenance programs, Excel cost analysis, and project management skills
- Maintained strong relationships with internal customers.
Education
BS - Aeronautics
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
AS - Aeronautics
San Jacinto College
Skills
- Large Contract Negotiations
- End of life maintenance strategies
- Repair life cycle process creation
- Multi-billion-dollar Contract Management
- High performance team building and mentoring
- Long- and Short-term Maintenance Strategies
- Proven results driven leader
- Long term scenario-based growth strategies
- Customized IT Tool creation leveraging Data Scientists
- Asset Acquisition and Management
- Regulatory Program Management
- Partnership/Supplier Management
- Aircraft lease and acquisition contracts
- Aircraft conversions and deliveries
- Total cost of ownership focus
- P&L Responsibility
- Customer Programs (MRO)
- Maintenance Operations – Powerplant
- Building and improving organizations
Training
- Commercial Pilot with Instrument and Multi-engine ratings
- Certified Flight Instructor
- Continental Airlines Pilot Entry Program/Line Oriented Flight Training Program
- CF6-50, GE90 and CF6-80C2, CFM56-7/-3 Line Maintenance Jet Engine – General Electric
- Southwest Airlines and Continental Airlines leadership training classes
- Harvard Negotiations Institute
- Southwest Airlines MIT II class of 2015 – Executive Training
- Leading by Example
- Founding Member and Board of Director Member of Women@AIR Chapter – Women@Amazon
- Diversity and Inclusion Leader at Amazon Air
- Former IAWA Member
- Vinyasa Yoga Instructor
Timeline
Chief Commercial Officer
CTS Engines
02.2022 - 01.2024
Head of Powerplant Maintenance Services, Technical Operations
Amazon Air
07.2017 - 02.2022
Senior Manager Powerplant Supply Chain
Southwest airlines
09.2010 - 07.2017
Powerplant Supply Chain Manager
Southwest airlines
09.2010 - 10.2014
Manager, Repair and Modification Services – Tech Ops
Continental Airlines
08.1998 - 09.2010
BS - Aeronautics
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University
AS - Aeronautics
San Jacinto College