Mark Kelly leaves CHC for Lease Corporation International

Lease Corporation International hires Mark Kelly from CHC to help place helicopters from its $400 million AgustaWestland order.

Mark Kelly joins Lease Corporation International.

Mark Kelly is leaving his role as managing director of CHC Ireland to join helicopter leasing company Lease Corporation International (LCI).

He will become market vice president at LCI and will focus on Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Kelly will be based in Dublin.

LCI was launched in 2004 as a commercial aircraft leasing company, but in February 2012 it placed a helicopter order with AgustaWestland worth over $400 million, including options.

“This is a very exciting time for helicopter leasing and I am very happy to be joining LCI which has proved itself a market leader in the aviation leasing field,” says Kelly.

As managing director for CHC Ireland, Kelly’s main responsibility was providing search and rescue service for the Irish Coast Guard. He led CHC’s bid for the project and also ran the fleet replacement service. Kelly was also a director of CHC Leasing.

Before joining CHC he was a search and rescue commander. He flew more than 250 missions. In 2002 Kelly was given a Letter of Appreciation for Meritorious Service in by the Irish government for rescuing 10 crew from a ship that had run aground off the coast of Ireland .

“Mark brings a wealth of expertise to LCI and will be a huge asset to our helicopter leasing division,” said Mike Platt, CEO of LCI. “It is always good to have someone with commercial and flying experience on the team and Mark Kelly is particularly distinguished in that regard.”

LCI is owned by the Libra Group, a Greek company that invests in aviation, shipping, hospitality, energy and real estate.