Five members of private aviation flight providers were awarded in the National Business Aviation Association’s 40 Under 40 list for 2026.
Among the 40 Under 40 awards list for 2026, the NBAA named five members of private aviation flight providers.
Below are some highlighted award winners, alongside the full list of awardees for 2026.
The 2026 Business Aviation Top 40 Under 40 list recognizes rising leaders in the industry.
Other industry members nominate candidates, and the NBAA’s Young Professionals Council selects them.
Award winners are not ranked; instead, they are organized by category and company.
Information is drawn from the NBAA 2026 40 Under 40 awards, or otherwise from LinkedIn.
Over 20 years ago, Bobby Perez was working as a dog sitter when one of his clients, who owned a charter brokerage, offered him an internship.
Years later, after serving as an executive at a large charter brokerage, Perez joined Clay Lacy Aviation to lead charter services from the operator side instead.
“There weren’t many people who looked like me in leadership,” said Perez, regarding when he entered the industry. “So I’ve made it a priority to mentor and create opportunities for individuals who may not have otherwise found a place in business aviation.”
After studying aeronautical engineering at the University of São Paulo, Brazil, Eloy Freitas joined Embraer‘s business aviation division and chose to stay in the industry.
After living in several countries and moving between companies, he eventually settled in the U.S. and joined Clay Lacy, where he became an executive.
In addition to his current responsibilities at Clay Lacy, he oversees operations/management initiatives and contributes to industry boards and committees.
“Every day, talented professionals from diverse backgrounds come together to operate some of the most advanced machines in the world,” said Freitas, “Delivering exceptional service with an outstanding safety record.”
After working as an apprentice maintenance technician in high school, where he first discovered business aviation, Clayton Walters enlisted in the Air Force.
He served in Washington, DC, in the Air Force Honor Guard, where he became an instructor. After that tour, he enlisted in the Air National Guard, where he still serves.
After gaining a private pilot certificate, he became a mission planner with Wheels Up and has continued his career in business aviation ever since.
“Our field is becoming increasingly more visible,” said Walters, “And that opens the doors to new talent, new ideas and new collaborations across industries.”
Emily Tobler first started flying lessons at 15, and her interest in business aviation only deepened later in college.
There, she volunteered with the Greater St. Louis Business Aviation Association and Wings of Hope, and later interned at the NBAA.
While she initially expected to become a pilot, Tobler eventually worked at the NBAA, promoting environmental sustainability initiatives.
She now works for 4Air, supporting aviation sustainability, and wants to make environmental progress.
“Working with operators who are willing and able to adopt sustainable solutions, like uplifting SAF (sustainable aviation fuel),” said Tobler, “Has been incredibly rewarding because we can see positive change happen now, not years down the road.”
After interning at various technology and finance companies, Ryan Rudolph entered business aviation in 2017 as the first employee of Fly Louie, a boutique Part 380 shuttle service.
He then served as president and founder of Edgehill Group, a consultancy firm for private aviation and startups.
Now, after joining Bark Air, a subsidiary of pet products marketplace Bark, he helps negotiate suppliers, support operations, and drive cost savings.
“It is deeply fulfilling to prove that travel can be reimagined around an underserved passenger (dogs),” said Rudolph. “The most rewarding part of my career is hearing from grateful families who were able to relocate or travel stress-free, knowing business aviation spared their pets from anxiety.”
| Category | Name | Company / Organization |
|---|---|---|
| Airport Business | Bridget Gonchar | Signature Aviation |
| Erick Lanier | Tri Cities Airport | |
| Audrey Myers | Atlantic Aviation | |
| Ysabella Tetley | Henriksen Jet Center | |
| Broker/Sales | Michael Barber | jetAVIVA |
| Cameron Harris | Textron Aviation | |
| Bobby Perez, CAM | Clay Lacy Aviation | |
| Melissa Tarkett | World Fuel Services | |
| Business Management | Eloy Freitas, CAM | Clay Lacy Aviation |
| Jennifer Hoffman | Azure Flight Support | |
| Joanna Kiel | Embraer | |
| Amy Karnikian | Crowell & Moring LLP | |
| Peter Makredes | Sol Aerial Surveys | |
| KJ McCarter | Aviation Tax Consultants | |
| Eric Ramsey | Higginbotham | |
| Ryan Rudolph | BARK Air | |
| Michael Vanacore-Netz | Global Air Charters | |
| Clayton Walters | Wheels Up | |
| Noah Yarborough | Signum Aviation | |
| Flight/Cabin Attendant | Charli Miro | Part 91 Flight Operation |
| Lindsey Savko | LinRose Worldwide | |
| Innovation and Technology | Eloa Guillotin | Beyond Aero |
| Ashley Hanson | Deere & Company | |
| Sarah Rith | Amazon | |
| Emily Tobler | 4AIR | |
| Maintenance | Jake Ansbach | Otter Air Services |
| Adam Barron | ACI Jet | |
| Brandon Doramus | Textron Aviation | |
| Tom Leone | Duncan Aviation | |
| Mitch Lutze-Morris | Fargo Jet Center | |
| Veta Traxler | West Star Aviation | |
| Marketing | Lindsay Allmon | The Blackhawk Group (Blackhawk Aerospace, AVEX Aviation, Finnoff Aviation Products) |
| Carolina Moreira | MedAire, Inc. | |
| Pilot | Chad Decker | The Whitewind Company |
| Jamie Ingall, CAM | Part 91/Part 135 Flight Operation | |
| Melanie Hight | OpenAir | |
| Charles Roberts | ENG Aviation | |
| Michael Smith, CAM | Adam Aviation LTD | |
| Scheduler/Dispatcher | Susan Aucoin | Dell Technologies |
Facts Only
* Five members of private aviation flight providers were awarded in the National Business Aviation Association’s 40 Under 40 list for 2026.
* Award winners are organized by category and company, not ranked.
* Bobby Perez joined Clay Lacy Aviation to lead charter services from the operator side.
* Eloy Freitas joined Embraer's business aviation division and is an executive at Clay Lacy Aviation.
* Clayton Walters served in the Air Force Honor Guard and the Air National Guard.
* Emily Tobler interned at the NBAA and now works for 4Air supporting aviation sustainability.
* Ryan Rudolph worked for Fly Louie, founded Edgehill Group, and now works at Bark Air.
* The list includes categories such as Airport Business, Broker/Sales, Business Management, Innovation and Technology, Maintenance, Marketing, Pilot, and Scheduler/Dispatcher.
Executive Summary
Full Take
The composition of the recognized group suggests a convergence between operational expertise (flight operations, maintenance) and forward-looking business strategy (consulting, sustainability, technology). The narrative arc presented by individuals like Perez and Freitas highlights a pathway from service roles into executive leadership within high-value aviation sectors. This demonstrates that industry growth is supported by internal mobility, where technical backgrounds can translate into management roles.
The presence of focus areas like environmental sustainability, exemplified by Emily Tobler's work with SAF, alongside technological integration (Ryan Rudolph’s experience in boutique services and consulting), points toward an underlying systemic shift in the industry. The recognition serves to validate leadership emerging from diverse experiential paths, suggesting that value is increasingly placed on cross-sector knowledge rather than purely traditional aviation pedigree. This pattern implies a demand for leaders who can bridge technical execution with evolving external pressures, such as sustainability mandates and novel market opportunities.
The implication lies in how the industry structures opportunity: recognition flows to those demonstrating adaptability across operational, financial, and ethical dimensions. The focus on mentorship by individuals entering later in the field reflects a self-perpetuating cycle where established leaders seek to build pipelines for future talent, reinforcing an internal dynamic of knowledge transfer within the business aviation ecosystem. What questions remain about whether this visibility translates into equitable resource distribution for those who started outside traditional pipelines?
Sentinel — Human
The text appears to be a compilation of real-world biographical details related to an award announcement, framed by personal narratives, suggesting human authorship of the narrative structure.