Jeff Pino

United States of America

 

1954 - 2016

Jeffrey P. Pino was born in 1954 in Aberdeen, Maryland. He attended the University of Arizona, and graduated with a BA in Psychology in 1976. Through the Army, he received a Master's Degree in Business Administration and Management in 1985 from Webster University.

Pino was a retired Master Army Aviator and served in US Army active, Reserve, and National Guard assignments for 26 years — ten of them on active duty. Positions included US Cavalry assignments both on the ground and in the air, culminating as a development test pilot/project officer specializing in armament testing.

He was a certified flight instructor for helicopters and fixed-wing airplanes, as well as an accomplished aerobatic and airshow performer.

Pino joined Bell in 1985 and held various positions including Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Executive Director for Europe, Director for Latin America and Regional Manager for South America. Other assignments included Program Manager for the Bell Helicopter Team bidding on the LHX competition, and Program Manager for the production of the Kiowa Warrior (OH-58D) and Cobra (AH-1S) Modernization Programs. Pino left Bell after 17 years, as Senior Vice President for Commercial Business.

Pino joined AHS (now VFS) in 1999, while at Bell Helicopter. He served as the AHS President (2007-2008) and Chairman of the Board (2008-2009). Pino was the winner of the 2009 AHS Membership Competition as a result of his enthusiastic personal involvement in recruiting members, significantly increasing the number of AHS members in the Stratford Chapter. During his tenure, he sponsored more than 100 new AHS members. He was famous for his motorcycles, barbeques and friendly demeanor with his employees.

In February 2002, Pino began his career at Sikorsky as Senior Vice President for Corporate Strategy, Marketing and Commercial Programs. Pino served as the 18th President of Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation from March 8, 2006 to July 1, 2012. During this time, he oversaw the acquisition of PLZ Mielec in Poland in 2007 and LifePort, Inc. in 2010, and funded the flight testing of the S-94 / X2 Technology demonstrator, as well as the initiation of the S-97 Raider. In 2006, annual sales were $3.2B, with an operating profit margin of 5.4%. In 2012, those numbers were both approximately doubled to $6.8B and 10.5%, respectively.

After retiring from Sikorsky, Pino served as the initial CEO of Macquarie Rotorcraft Leasing from July 2013 until leaving for the XTI Aircraft Company, where he was serving as Vice- Chairman. XTI is developing a VTOL aircraft called the TriFan 600. XTI Chairman David Brody wrote, "Jeff loved flying and he was genuinely excited about what the TriFan 600 will mean to the future of flight. As a man with big ideas, and even bigger dreams, Jeff was committed to bringing the TriFan 600 to market, and now, more than ever, so are we."

AHS Update: Vertiflite March/April 2016