 | | | | Roger Sperry to Regional Senior Vice President for International Sales |
Savannah, GA, United States, Aug 6, 2010 - ( JCN Newswire ) - Over a 37-year career selling aircraft, Roger Sperry has found that taking the long view pays off when it comes to building new markets. When Sperry made his first Chinese sale, a pre-owned mid-cabin aircraft, not a few questioned whether the country would ever emerge as a serious market for business jets. Today, that modest transaction has blossomed into a close-knit relationship between Gulfstream and Deer Jet, its largest Chinese customer with 13 Gulfstream aircraft in service. Gulfstream now has 63 percent of the large-cabin business-jet market in China, Hong Kong and Macau.
That kind of foresight has landed Sperry a promotion to regional senior vice president, International Sales, Gulfstream. Sperry will continue to report to Larry Flynn, senior vice president, Marketing and Sales.
"Roger has been a visionary when it comes to seeing the possibilities of new markets for Gulfstream and has been absolutely tenacious in opening the door to those markets," Flynn said. "Roger is probably the only person in the industry to directly manage sales forces in Asia and Latin America, and may be the only person capable of doing it."
Sperry previously served as division vice president for Gulfstream's South America and Far East (SAFE) territory, and continues to oversee the area, which also encompasses the Pacific Rim. These international markets have become increasingly important to Gulfstream as the business-jet market globalizes. Both the importance of the territory and Sperry's exceptional performance merit the promotion, Flynn said.
Sperry started in aircraft sales with Cessna in 1973, managing sales across all of the company's product lines. He joined Learjet in 1992, ultimately assuming its top sales and marketing position. In 1996, with the launch of Galaxy Aerospace, Sperry formed the company's Sales and Marketing department, serving as executive vice president, Worldwide Sales and Marketing. He held that position until Galaxy was acquired by Gulfstream in 2001 and Galaxy's two products, the Astra SPX and the Galaxy, were rebranded the Gulfstream G100 and Gulfstream G200, respectively.
At Gulfstream, Sperry set about building a network of high-performing regional experts who now have long tenure in key market regions, such as Brazil; Hong Kong and Macau, China; India; Australia and New Zealand.
"It wasn't until 2002 that we succeeded in selling the first new Gulfstream in Brazil. Now we are steadily placing new aircraft into that market," Sperry noted. "Once Gulfstream gets a toe hold in a market, its reputation, the quality of our aircraft and our organization open more and more doors."
But it's not enough to open the door to a market, in Sperry's view. It's vital to build the sales and support infrastructure to expand on gains. "We have only scratched the surface in places like China," he says. "China and other emerging economies have so much potential. There is much more work to do."
With such drive and fortitude, Sperry is able to juggle sales activities across continents and cultures. "It becomes a little easier when you have superb regional sales teams and the best sales support in the business back in Savannah," Sperry says.
Sperry, who travels nearly nonstop, resides in the Dallas/Fort Worth area. He is a pilot with more than 3,500 hours in a range of piston and jet aircraft.
About Gulfstream
Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of General Dynamics (NYSE: GD), designs, develops, manufactures, markets, services and supports the world's most technologically advanced business-jet aircraft. Gulfstream has produced more than 2,000 aircraft for customers around the world since 1958. To meet the diverse transportation needs of the future, Gulfstream offers a comprehensive fleet of aircraft, comprising the wide-cabin, high-speed Gulfstream G150(R); the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G200(R); the new large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G280(R); the large-cabin, mid-range Gulfstream G350(R); the large-cabin, long-range Gulfstream G450(R); the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G550(R); the large-cabin, ultra-long-range Gulfstream G550(R) and the ultra-large-cabin, ultra-long-range G650(R). Gulfstream also offers aircraft ownership services via Gulfstream Pre-Owned Aircraft Sales(R). The company employs more than 12,500 people at 12 major locations. We invite you to visit our website for more information and photos of Gulfstream aircraft at www.gulfstream.com.
General Dynamics, headquartered in Falls Church, Virginia, employs approximately 93,700 people worldwide. The company is a market leader in business aviation; land and expeditionary combat systems, armaments and munitions; shipbuilding and marine systems; and information systems and technologies. More information about the company is available on the Internet at www.generaldynamics.com.
Contact:
Jeff Miller
Communications
jeff.miller@gulfstream.com
+1-912-965-7372
Source: Gulfstream (XNYS: GD)
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