The management shakeup at NetJets continues, with the sudden departure of NetJets chairman and CEO Jordan Hansell and the return of two senior executives to take the helm of the company. NetJets announced today that Hansell has left his posts as chairman and CEO after leading the company since 2011.

Succeeding him in those roles is Adam Johnson, who had left the company just a month ago and rejoined before he was set to take a new role with another company. Also returning to his role as president and COO is Bill Noe, who departed NetJets two months ago.

“NetJets is very well positioned for future success and to grab hold of the opportunities before it. I wish my colleagues across the company every future success; they are a remarkable group of people who operate an extraordinary company,” said Hansell, who is joining Columbus, Ohio-based insurance marketer QuickInsured as executive chairman.

Hansell previously was a founding member and served on the board of QuickInsured. He will be charged with expanding the executive and capital structure of the firm to fuel its growth, the company said. "I have watched this company grow from start up to a leading digital insurance marketer in only one year. I am very excited to have the opportunity to join in the creation of something new that is clearly so needed in the marketplace," he said.

Hansell had taken the reins of NetJets as the company was returning to profitability in the wake of the economic downturn. Under his leadership, NetJets has been streamlining its fleet with new Signature Series models and posted continued gains in revenue and profit. But his leadership also has been marred with labor strife that has led to lawsuits and mediation. 

Hundreds of NetJets pilots, represented by the NetJets Association of Shared Aircraft Pilots (NJASAP), had picketed in front of Omaha’s CenturyLink Center during the recent annual shareholders meeting of parent company Berkshire Hathaway to protest the protracted contract negotiations. NJASAP president Pedro Leroux recently reported that 98 percent of the pilots voted “no confidence” in Hansell, with 94 percent of NJASAP members participating in the vote.

The labor strife also led to the firing of a vice president in April for his role in anti-union activities. NetJets said at the time that the firing was a single incident unrelated to other management changes.

NetJets, noting that both Johnson and Noe were long-time company executives, said that bringing them back underscores its commitment to both its owners and employees.

“Just a few months ago I left NetJets for a ‘can’t say no’ sort of opportunity,” said Noe, who had served with the company since 1993 and originally became president and COO of NetJets Inc. in 2006. “The only thing that could have caused me to reconsider that decision was the chance to return to the company where I’ve worked for 22 years in a role that touches every department, every function and which lets me have a direct impact on our future success.”

“NetJets has been my passion for nearly two decades,” said Johnson, who joined the company in 1996 and also had been president of NetJets Inc. with responsibilities for marketing, sales, owner services and Marquis Jet. “We have an exciting opportunity to build on the strong performance the company achieved under Jordan’s leadership.”

NJASAP's Leroux said he was “cautiously optimistic” that the leadership changes could help rebuild strained labor relations and possibly lead to a quicker resolution of contract negotiations. He called the leadership transition "an opportunity for the company to restore the trust of all employees.”

The company and pilots union representatives already have begun mediation with further scheduled throughout the year. But Leroux believes that, with outreach from the new leadership, a deal could be reached over the next few months. That outreach began almost immediately. Shortly after stepping into his new role, Johnson contacted the union to set up a meeting. The last time labor leaders formally met with Hansell was in December 2011, NJASAP said. Leroux praised Johnson's past efforts to work with labor. But he cautioned, “Time will tell whether the new team has been empowered to work with employee unions."

Editor's Note: This article has been updated.