AJW is in the press again, as CEO, Clyde Buntrock, speaks to journalist, Chuck Grieve, in the latest issue of ADS Advance, and offers insight into his leadership style and the aviation industry supply chain.

 

Grieve opens this feature article by delving into Buntrock’s work experience and management style touching on his love of rugby, and this being a source of inspiration to build high-performance teams in the workplace.

 

‘One of the things I love most is building high-performance teams and nurturing talent.’

 

Buntrock took to the floor when starting his position at AJW Aviation, meeting people in their workplace to find out what it is they do, and learning about the opportunities and challenges in their roles so he could hear about the business from ‘the ground up’.

 

The AJW CEO’s primary focus is on digital transformation as a means to improve aviation efficiency and affirms that ‘At AJW Group, we are our people.’

 

The article explains more about Buntrock's career history, from his studies through to his experience as Chief Executive of Hong Kong-based EV Cargo before joining AJW Group as CEO. He has been able to transfer his skills from EV Cargo, which at its core, ‘was also a supply chain and technology business,’ says Grieve.

 

The writer mentions the ongoing challenges in the supply chain and Buntrock discusses the unique nature of the aviation supply chain. He mentions various influencing factors and how these will remain challenges for the foreseeable future. MROs will feel the impact of the fractured supply chain until the end of 2023 at least, but Buntrock notes that AJW is ‘seeing some green shoots with SPT showing marginal improvements in some areas as we move in Q2.’

 

The positive aspect coming out of the situation is that it is driving greater regionality in MRO sourcing and stakeholders are sharing services and data to better understand the vulnerabilities in the supply chain and how to overcome them. 

 

AJW Group is utilising its agile approach to sourcing from third-party suppliers rather than, or alongside OEMs. The Group runs a sophisticated pool of inventory hubs strategically located across the globe to best serve customers. This independent company has entrepreneurship as one of its core values and puts this into practice to adapt its business practices amid the challenges currently facing the industry.

 

The article offers insight into the sustainability practices and efforts which are at the forefront of the Group’s efforts to contribute to a greener industry through its participation in the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC). Buntrock explains what AJW is doing on a practical level to achieve this, giving details about the success of its rainwater harvesting system and solar panel installation.

 

‘Participating in the UNGC is part of our efforts to bring about a more Earth- and people-friendly aviation industry. We signed the declaration and hope others will follow,’ says the Group CEO.

 

He also discusses the labour pillar of the UNGC ten principles, and how AJW is focusing on diversity, equality, and inclusivity in its administrative and People strategies. ‘It allows the company to engage with the wider community and to select people based on skill,’ he notes.

 

Grieve concludes with a quote by the chief executive reinforcing AJW's commitment to a corporate culture of flexibility, ‘which means we find a solution to deliver what the customer needs, and, as a result, we are aligned with the service level our customers require.’