Melbourne, Florida-based jetAviva, coming off a year of record sales, is transitioning leadership with Emily Deaton taking the helm as CEO. Deaton, who had been COO, succeeds Tim White, who has led the aircraft brokerage firm since 2016. White is taking the role of vice-chairman, working alongside company founder and executive chairman Cyrus Sigari.

Deaton joined jetAviva in 2019 as v-p of sales after serving as manager of CRM strategy and customer experience for Embraer Executive Jets. She was promoted to COO in March 2020, just as the global pandemic was setting in.

The change comes as jetAviva marked the highest annual revenue in its 15-year history and reported more than 100 transactions in 2021. The company found particular success with the Citation Excel, Pilatus PC-24, and Phenom 100, among others, it said.

“Deaton’s role in exceeding our company objectives, despite the challenges and uncertainty of the last two years, speaks volumes about her ability to successfully lead this organization,” White said, adding that her “positive impact on our organization in her previous role as COO has well-positioned jetAviva for its next phase of growth and expansion.”