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Kennedy has 13 years of experience in business aviation and has been with Gulfstream for eight years. For the past three years, he served as Gulfstream’s sales development manager for North American Sales, Central division. In that role, he coordinated closely with sales directors in client research and territory management. Prior to that, he held positions of increasing responsibility within market research at Gulfstream.
“As a veteran of Gulfstream’s Sales and Marketing organization, Grant will bring a business acumen, as well as extensive knowledge of Gulfstream’s customers and products, to his new role as sales director,” said Scott Neal, senior vice president, worldwide sales and marketing for Gulfstream. “This experience, combined with his natural energy and creativity, will make Grant a great resource for current and prospective customers in this region.”
Kennedy holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Ramapo College in Mahwah, New Jersey. He will be based in the Boston area.
Gulfstream has also named Brian Jones regional vice president of sales for Northern Europe. Jones reports to Trevor Esling, Gulfstream regional senior vice president, international sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Jones’ territory includes the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Benelux region (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg) and Scandinavia.
Jones, a 17-year veteran of the aviation industry, comes to Gulfstream from Volare Aviation in the U.K., where he served as CEO of the corporate aircraft and acquisition company. Jones was responsible for all aspects relating to the business as well as the sale and acquisition of used business jets. Prior to that, Jones started his own aviation company, Aeronautics, that focused on the sale, acquisition and management of corporate aircraft and helicopters.
“Brian’s years of experience in sales and marketing and, most importantly, his direct involvement with business aviation, will make him a valuable asset to Gulfstream,” said Scott Neal, senior vice president, Worldwide Sales and Marketing, Gulfstream. “His aviation knowledge and his dedication to providing the best experience for our customers will help grow the industry’s leading brand in the northern European market.”
Jones holds a Federal Aviation Administration fixed wing pilot’s license and a U.K. Civil Aviation Authority pilot’s license, and is rated on a variety of aircraft. He is closely associated with the fly2help charity in the U.K. and the Boultbee Flight Academy, an organization that promotes the training of individuals who wish to fly old warbirds, chiefly the Supermarine Spitfire, which he also has piloted.
Jones is based at the company’s sales and design center in the Mayfair district of London, U.K.
Gulfstream has also promoted Matthew Sandidge to regional vice president of sales for Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States. Sandidge reports to Trevor Esling, Gulfstream regional senior vice president, international sales for Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Sandidge’s territory includes Russia, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan and Ukraine. He is based in the Gulfstream Sales and Design Center in the Mayfair area of London, U.K.
Most recently, Sandidge served as Gulfstream’s senior regional sales manager for International Sales in Russia.
“Over the past two and a half years, Matt has been instrumental in securing new airplane sales in Russia,” said Scott Neal, senior vice president, Worldwide Sales and Marketing, Gulfstream. “Customers in this region will be able to leverage Matt’s broad experience and depth of knowledge.”
Sandidge began his career with Gulfstream in 2006 as a sales engineer, serving as the primary source of technical information on Gulfstream and non-Gulfstream aircraft for the company’s Sales team. He went on to work as a business development specialist in international sales. His responsibilities included coordinating all aspects of aircraft sales activities related to Europe, the Middle East and Africa, organizing prospect sales meetings and providing sales support to the regional sales team.
Before joining Gulfstream, Sandidge worked as a munitions test engineer for the U.S. Air Force.
Sandidge earned an aerospace engineering degree from the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, and holds a Master of Science degree in industrial and systems engineering with a management concentration from the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida.
