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Issue link: http://airportbusiness.epubxp.com/i/193245
40 under forty AGE 29 AASIYA SHAIKH ❘ AFTER successfullypicking stocks for Fidelity Investments' mutual funds, Aasiya Shaikh brought her financial prowess to Flight Crew International, an aviation staffing company based in Dallas, Tex. In her first year as managing director, Shaikh nearly tripled the company's profits and assisted many unemployed aviation professionals who were adversely impacted by the global recession in finding new, long-term career opportunities both domestically and abroad. Shaikh graduated summa cum laude from the McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin with a double major in finance and business honors and a minor in accounting. She also speaks four lan- MANAGING DIRECTOR FLIGHT CREW INTERNATIONAL guages and has traveled the world, which has allowed her to develop a strong understanding of different cultures. By being aware of and sensitive to the varied cultural distinctions around the world, Shaikh provides her global clients with utmost respect and discretion. Part of Generation Y, Shaikh recognizes the key role social media and technology will play in connecting talent to opportunity as the aviation industry enters an unprecedented era of record aircraft deliveries and passenger growth. Airports, airlines, MROs and manufactures will require skilled aviation professionals globally to meet the solid, long-term growth of our industry, many times in remote areas of the world. Shaikh continuously works to expand the international footprint of Flight Crew International in order to effectively serve the needs of clients worldwide. The company's mission is to remove the inefficiencies and high costs of hiring by pioneering technology-driven staffing solutions specific to the aviation industry that help clients find the right candidate, at the right time, anywhere in the world. Her advice to other young people in the industry is: "You're going to be met with challenges … keep persevering." Shaikh heeds her own advice in her career. Stay tuned to see what innovations this unstoppable, under-40, out-of-the-box thinker will bring to the YEARS IN AVIATION aviation and staffing industry! "Aasiya plans to take inefficiencies and high costs out of the hiring process by using social media and digital interviews to help clients find the right candidates. She and her team are currently working with an award-winning team of Web developers to roll-out an on-demand interview platform for the aviation industry." 4 HEENA JESSA, RECRUITMENT DIRECTOR, FLIGHT CREW INTERNATIONAL AGE 39 CHAD LEQVE ❘ CHAD Leqve has worked in the aviation industry for 20 years and has been employed by the Minneapolis-St. Paul Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC) since 1996. During his years at the MAC, he has taken on progressively increasing leadership roles, and currently serves as the MAC's director of environment. Leqve has amassed an impressive record of building and leading effective technical teams and successfully engaging stakeholders in a manner that has contributed in tangible ways to the aviation industry. Many of his accomplishments have contributed to the betterment of airport community engagement programs and the advancement of technical noise/environmental analysis utilities and process models. 12 airportbusiness October 2013 DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENT METROPOLITAN AIRPORTS COMMISSION Leqve has pioneered innovative synergies between environmental review and community communication programs. He served as one of the founding architects of the Minneapolis - St. Paul International Airport (MSP) Noise Oversight Committee (NOC) structure. He also authored an extensive environmental assessment that modified the assumptions and impact conclusions of the Final Environmental Impact Statement for a $3.2 billion airport expansion at MSP, which reduced opposition related to community impacts from a new runway. The effort included a comprehensive community public information program, for which he was awarded the FAA, Great Lakes Region, Outstanding Achievement Award for Community and Public Outreach in November 2008. Leqve's contributions to the industry in the area of technological advancements include leading the development of an open source aircraft flight tracking and noise monitoring system at MSP and supporting Performance-Based Navigation (PBN) procedure implementation at U.S. airports. Leqve was a contributing member of the RTCA, NextGen Advisory Commission–CatEx Taskforce, and led the development of an Airport Council International–North America NextGen policy paper, providing strategies for airports and the FAA to effectively engage stakeholders in the PBN design and YEARS IN AVIATION implementation process. 20