Hawker Beechcraft Corporation announces new sales management in Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa

HBC has appointed Dan Keady to lead the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa sales team as divisional vice president. Jason Liao has been appointed as regional vice president for China and S.E. Asia, while Jeff Anastas, Allan Stanton and Brett Carlson are regional sales directors for India, Africa, Middle East and Australia, respectively.

"With our global footprint continuing to expand and more than 60 percent of our bookings coming from the international market, we are reorganizing and expanding our sales team to respond to the growing demands for business aircraft," said Brad Hatt, president, Commercial Sales. "These changes in sales management across the Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East will allow our sales force to spend more time with our customers in these areas."

Keady will oversee sales efforts in the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East, India and Africa. In addition to the sales office in Singapore, four outlying sales offices - located in Beijing, Dubai, Johannesburg and Australia - will report to him. Having spent eight of his 12 years at HBC working in international markets, Keady was formerly regional vice president of Sales for Africa, Middle East, Asia and Australia.

Previously, he held a variety of sales positions in the domestic U.S. and internationally. He also served as international jet special mission sales manager, managing the sales of government and special-mission applications of HBC commercial aircraft.

Prior to joining HBC, Keady spent six years with Allied Signal Aerospace as an OEM and regional sales manager. Keady earned bachelor's degrees in Aeronautical Science and Geography from the University of North Dakota. He is a commercial, multi-engine pilot and was a certified flight instructor for 12 years.

Jason Liao will manage sales of Hawker and Beechcraft products in China and S.E. Asia as regional vice president. Previously, Liao served as regional sales director of North Asia. Liao is based in Beijing with a territory that includes Bhutan, China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Macau, Mongolia and Taiwan.

Liao joined the company in 1995 as a senior lead engineer for the Premier 1 business jet program and has also had the role of manager of Asian Market Analysis. Prior to joining HBC, Liao spent two years with Boeing Company as a senior design engineer for the Boeing 737 program. Liao also served at Dee Howard Co. and Chengdu Aircraft Co., where he held various positions in engineering. Liao earned a master's degree in Science from the University of Illinois and a bachelor's degree from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics.

Liao serves as the vice chairman of the Asian Business Aviation Association (AsBAA). As a funding member of the Association, he has served as a board member, chairman before he was elected the vice chairman in February of 2007. Liao is also the co-chairman of Aerospace Forum, American Chamber of Commerce - China.

"Dan Keady and Jason Liao posses the caliber of leadership and market knowledge that will further expand our sales in these markets," said Hatt. "They are both veterans in the Hawker Beechcraft organization and we believe they will lead the tremendous international progress that is taking place."