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Interview: Vladimir Petak – Road to success

30/06/2014 by Aviation Times

The year 2014 marks the 10th Anniversary of ABS Jets. Corporate entities are invariably represented by their product quality, brand image and…, it’s CEO. Vladimir Petak is the torch bearer of ABS Jets and is, as highest executive, responsible to do everything that will ensure the success of a company that in a ten year period has steadily progressed to become a major global player in the business aviation industry. According to Petak: “Ten years have seen magical cherished memories to reflect back on, now and in the years to come. Who would have thought in 2004 when a modest company by the name of ABS Jets was founded that it would become one of the most outstanding and respected performers in the world of Business Aviation?”

Petak believes that one of the keys to the ten years of success of his company lies in the spirit and motivation of a line-up of well-trained professionals who are prepared to take on whatever challenge, and to provide immediate responses to any customer request or needed business aviation service. “ABS Jets’ real competitive advantage is its people using their ingenuity to save the customers’ time or money, solve their problems, or just make them feel good. Ten years have cemented dedication, devotion and passion of a team of two hundred people with diverse backgrounds. There are still some among us who said ten years ago “today was my first day of work at ABS Jets.” More professionals have joined them through the years, who like me have benefitted enormously both personally and professionally, from their ABS Jets experiences,”

All modesty aside, Petak feels that a strong company is built on team work performance: “I believe in my team, I trust them, and I listen to them. My role is to lead by guiding, encouraging, accommodating, also by protecting, and what is most important, by listening. It is pleasing to see people come to their workplace with a smile on their face and looking forward to handle the challenges of the day. They are all positive and want to see their company grow, extend its services, and perform at its best. We are well aware that none of us can do it alone, but with a strong commitment and a united effort, we will make more great strides and remarkable achievements.”

There are a few remarkable elements of what makes Vladimir Petak the professional that he is. He understands finances and appreciates that shareholders are expecting positive figures. Vladimir joined ABS Jets in 2007 coming from the financial industry. Therefore he has the expertise needed for building profit structures. He did have aviation background as a pilot, but it was a bit more unusual kind of flight experience; his hobby was aerobatic flying. It taught him to respect the human factor and physics in what is defined as “precise maneuvering in three-dimensional space”; trust what instruments are telling but also trust the own judgments and know where limits end. There are three words that cannot be found in Vladimir’s dictionary: mediocrity, failure, and impossible.

Vladimir Petak points out that every year in the decade of ABS Jets’ existence has shown several highlights and benchmarks: “I’m personally impressed by all the accomplishments. Take a look at the compilation of performances and you will see that in all areas where it counts tremendous progress was made. Our success is obvious in the positive annual financial statements and performance records. We operate one of the largest Embraer Legacy aircraft fleets in the world. We have received numerous national and international awards. Our accommodations and facilities are top of the line with our 6,000 m2 ‘Hangar N’ being the pride of the company. In 2004, ABS Jets started as Aircraft charter and management operator, now we also provide flight trip planning, FBO and executive handling, aircraft sales and consulting, and we have one of the finest maintenance departments in Central and Eastern Europe.”

A CEO develops a strategy, creates a vision, and drives growth forward. It takes true leadership to bring all the dynamics and synergy seamlessly and flawlessly together. Vladimir Petak is the resolute company executive who will do anything without compromises to ensure that customers will get high-class performance from ABS Jets that goes beyond their expectations; 24/7! He concludes: “We have come a long away in ten years. There is a popular saying that every day is the beginning of the rest of your life. As for ABS after ten years, I would say: we have arrived where we begin, and we will continue to extend our reputation of top class performer in the business aviation industry from here on!”