Aviation broadband connectivity company, Gogo, has appointed a new president and CEO in the shape of Oakleigh Thorne, who takes the place of Michael J. Small. Thorne has been a director at Gogo since 2003, and brings with him around 30 years of leadership, operational and financial expertise.
Thorne has served in numerous senior management positions, including CEO of two public companies, and he also currently serves as CEO of Thorndale Farm LLC, the family office of the Thorne family, which is Gogo’s largest shareholder, owning approximately 30% of the outstanding common stock.
“I am excited to work with the Gogo team as we move forward with urgency to execute on four strategic priorities: driving quality for airlines and passengers, sharpening our operational focus, achieving profitability with the money we have in the bank and driving shareholder value,” said Thorne. “We are highly confident in our ability to achieve our strategic and financial objectives as we improve execution and realize our significant growth opportunities.”
Ronald T. LeMay, chairman of Gogo’s board of Directors, added, “The Board believes that Gogo has a clear path to achieving our objectives and that now is the right time to transition leadership. After a comprehensive search process, the board determined that Oak [Oakleigh Thorne] is the best person to help Gogo achieve our next phase of growth. Oak is a seasoned executive with a strong track record and his interests are aligned with all shareholders. Oak has made significant contributions to Gogo as a member of our board and has a deep understanding of our business, strategy and operations. On behalf of the Board, we also thank Michael for building Gogo into a global leader and we wish him the best.”
