Scott Gibson and Marty Kuehne join FTI's aviation practice
Scott Gibson and Marty Kuehne have joined FTI Consulting’s aviation practice as managing directors. The pair of new hires bring decades of experience in aviation industry strategy, growth, investment, and talent development.
Gibson, who is based in New York, and Kuehne, who is based in Chicago, will strengthen the consulting firm’s aviation practice – which offers services across business transformation, communications and regulatory, transactions, turnaround and restructuring, and valuation and disputes.
Gibson brings more than 35 years of senior-level airline strategy, cost and revenue improvement, and restructuring consulting and management experience. He has worked with airlines on strategy, transformation, and restructuring engagemnets and with private equity clients on due diligence and turnaround engagements in the aviation industry.
Gibson spent the last 12 years at SkyWorks Capital, where he was a managing director and managed and developed the consulting and restructuring business. Before that, he spent over seven years as a managing director at Seabury Capital, a venture capital firm focusing on companies in aviation, aerospace and defense, maritime, and fintech.
Earlier in his career, Gibson held senior management roles in commercial, finance, strategy, and communications at Trans World Airlines, Continental Airlines, Texas Air Corporation, New York Air and Pan American World Airways.
He has a bachelor’s degree in economics, organizational management, and transportation from the University of Pennsylvania.
Kuehne has nearly 40 years of human capital experience, with nearly 30 years focusing on airline, travel and hospitality, and gaming. He has deep expertise in organizational design, compensation and benefits, and leadership development.
Kuehne spent the last 13 years at Seabury Consulting, an aviation industry management consulting firm that was acquired by Accenture in 2017. At the firm, he was COO and lead partner for human capital, and after the Accenture acquisition he served as a managing director focusing on workforce planning and analytics, talent and organization, and compensation.
Before that, he held senior leadership roles related to compensation and HR at American Express, Wells Fargo, and Northwest Airlines.
Kuehne has a master’s degree in human resources and industrial relations and a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Minnesota.
In addition to his work with FTI’s aviation clients, Kuehne will co-lead the firm’s human capital offering, where he will advise on the development and management of senior leadership teams, including talent assessment, executive coaching, leadership development, and succession planning.
“FTI Consulting has had a remarkable track record in aviation, working on assignments for both domestic and international airlines,” said Marc Bilbao, a senior managing director and co-leader of the aviation practice at FTI Consulting. “The aviation industry is a crucial part of any economy, and Scott and Marty bring valuable expertise to help management and boards address their most complex challenges and opportunities and optimize their business operations.”
Perhaps no industry has borne the impact of the Covid pandemic as heavily as aviation. According to a recent McKinsey report, the sector suffered $230.1 billion in economic losses in 2020 – with airlines driving the bulk of losses at $167.9 billion. Airports (-$31.6 billion), manufacturers (-$12.2 billion), and lessors (-$8.6 billion) bore significant but lesser losses.
“The availability of talent is critical to the aviation industry’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Neal Cohen, a senior managing director and co-leader of the aviation practice at FTI Consulting. “Experts such as Scott and Marty, who have first-hand industry experience, provide clients with a unique viewpoint to help them unlock value and ensure sustainable growth. We are excited for them to join the team.”
