PremiAir Management Team

PremiAir’s business is structured around teams of people with clear ownership and responsibility for delivery of specific services. These teams are supported by central resources responsible for supporting each business with specific skills.


David McRobert - Group Managing Director

David joined the company as Managing Director in March 2002, where he then led the acquisition of Air Hanson Engineering and Signature Helicopters by McAlpine Aviation Services Ltd to form PremiAir. He became Group Managing Director of the new organisation in November 2002.

David is responsible for all PremiAir’s business activities, reporting directly to shareholders.

With an impressive 25 years experience within the aviation services industry under his belt, David has worked with a number of well known organisations in this field.

Prior to joining PremiAir, David worked for BBA Group PLC as Managing Director of Oxford Aviation Services Ltd which included Oxford Aviation Training and Oxford Airport (250 employees turnover £26m) and before this role he was Managing Director of Honeywell’s UK jet engine repair facility at Luton (125 employees turnover £90m). Previously David also held the position of Marketing & Business Development Director of H+S Aviation Ltd, a global aircraft turbine engine overhaul company (350 employees, £50m turnover).

David trained as an Aeronautical Engineer in which he holds BSc Hons; he is also a Chartered Engineer.

Christopher Forrest - Group Operations Director

Christopher was Operations Director with McAlpine Aviation Services and has been working with PremiAir's aviation interests for more than 25 years. During this time, he has held senior management appointments in Scotland, New Zealand and England.

Having learned to fly helicopters in the Army whilst on a 4 year attachment with the Army Air Corps, Christopher holds an ATPL (H) /IR and has accumulated more than 6,500 hours on various types of helicopter undertaking charter, managment, HEMS and Police air support duties.  He is the Accountable Manager for both the fixed-wing and rotary Air Operator's Certificates and the Type Rating Training Organisation and is responsible for the oversight of The London Heliport.

Christopher is also on a number of Civil Aviation Authority, British Helicopter Association and European Helicopter Association committees as well as being a member of the European Aviation Safety Agency Ops 001 Review Group.

Mike Harding - Finance Director

Mike joined PremiAir in September 2004, taking responsibility for the Finance and IT infrastructures. Managing the team that oversees the day to day running of the Finance & IT departments, Mike's role also involves reporting on accounting issues as well as advising on risk management, reviewing contracts and taking financial control for the business.

Prior to joining PremiAir, Mike worked in a number of financial roles for organisations such as De Le Rue plc and Price Waterhouse Coopers.  He joined PWC where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant having completed his degree in Accounting & Finance.

Mike Preston - Director, Engineering & Maintenance

Mike joined PremiAir in 2011, bringing with him more than 35 years’ professional experience in the aircraft maintenance and engineering sector of the aviation industry.  For the past seven years he was Accountable Manager/Director of Maintenance for Netjets (Europe) Technical Services, responsible for its key Northolt aircraft maintenance operation.  Mike helped establish this new organisation in 2003 and developed it to the significant size it is today.  Prior to working with Netjets, Mike gained highly relevant experience with engineering posts at major business aviation companies including Signature, Chauffair Ltd and Anglo American Airmotive.

Mike is an EASA Form 4 post holder and is also an EASA Part 66 type rated engineer.

Shuen Coles - Head of Human Resources

Shuen joined PremiAir in 2003 to work alongside the business heads, managing all elements of human resources for the group. Responsible for ongoing recruitment programmes, training & development, and employee relations.

Before joining PremiAir, she worked for Equinox Converged Solutions Ltd in the role of HR Manager (Operations) for the group & subsidiary companies and has also held the post of HR Consultant at Moorepay Ltd (Rebus HR Group). Shuen was also UK HR Manager for Guerlain Ltd (Louis Vuitton Group), leading a team of five, initially to modernise and improve professional standards.

Shuen has been in HR for 20 years, working across a variety of industries including engineering, finance and leisure companies, from SME’s to large corporations managing a HR team of ten. With a background in Psychology, she gained professional training both with the Institute of Training & Development and the Institute of Personnel Management. She is a long serving Fellow of the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development).

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