Meet the Board

Daniel Ramirez is the Chief Executive Officer of Alerion Aviation, where he oversees a team of more than 100 professionals and a fleet of over 17 private jets. Under his leadership, Alerion continues to set the standard for safety, service, and operational excellence in private aviation.

Before joining Alerion, Daniel served as Chief Operating Officer for Vista Americas (a part of XOJET Holdings), where he managed GMJ/Intel Shuttle, a wholly-owned Part 125 carrier. In this role, he led a team of 92 employees and reported directly to the Board of Directors of GMJ. Daniel was responsible for the overall coordination and management of the company, including operational control, human resources, safety, maintenance, administration, training, and technical aircraft administration. His leadership ensured the seamless operation of one of the most complex corporate flight programs in the industry.

Prior to that, Daniel was the Director of Safety for XOJET, overseeing the company’s flight and non-flight safety programs. This included the Aviation Safety Action Program (ASAP), the Flight Operations Quality Assurance (FOQA) program, the Line Operations Safety Audit (LOSA), and OSHA voluntary programs. He led the implementation of XOJET’s Safety Management System (SMS), spearheaded the adoption of the IS-BAO program, and developed the company’s Internal Safety Audit team.

Daniel’s career also includes roles with Embraer Executive Jets, where he served as Manager of Flight Safety Programs for North America and as Air Safety Officer for Embraer Holdings. In these positions, he was involved in aircraft accident investigations under ICAO’s Annex 13 protocols and participated in the ICAO Pan American Regional Safety Group, the NBAA Safety Committee, the FAA’s Commercial Aviation Safety Team, and the Flight Safety Foundation’s Business Aviation Safety Council.

A former U.S. Naval Flight Officer (Weapons Systems Officer) and Air Safety Officer with Training Wing Six, Daniel holds a Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management from Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida, and a Master of Aeronautical Science in System Safety and Aviation Management from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. He is also a graduate of the University of Florida’s Systems Engineering Program.

In addition to his leadership expertise, Daniel is a commercial-rated pilot with type ratings for the Embraer 145 family, the Embraer Praetor family, and the E-175 aircraft.

Brian Beach is the Chief Operating Officer of Alerion Aviation. He is responsible for Alerion’s flight and ground operations. Mr. Beach brings over 30 years of experience in the aviation industry. Prior to joining Alerion, Brian held senior leadership roles with Amerijet International Airlines, and American Airlines.

As the COO for Amerijet, Brian was responsible for all aviation, maintenance, safety, and warehouse organization. In this role, Brian helped grow Amerijet from 8 to 20 widebody aircraft, doubled revenue and start a worldwide freight operation.

Brian had an extensive career at American Airlines where he had increasing leadership roles with labor and management. During this time, Mr. Beach was the lead accident investigator and then Chairman of the National Safety Committee for the Allied Pilots Association (APA) and then transitioned to become Chief Pilot and Director of Flight for the Miami crew base, overseeing 2,100 pilots and 250 departures a day.

Brian’s military experience includes 15 years of active/reserve duty in the U.S. Marine Corps serving as a Director of Safety and Standardization and instructor pilot flying F/A-18’s.

Brian holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Western Illinois University and graduated from the Naval Postgraduate Safety School and University of Southern California obtaining his Engineering Aviation Safety and Security certification.

Ronald Cinnella is the Chief Financial Officer for Alerion Aviation overseeing all financial activities of the operation at its bases in Teterboro, Farmingdale, Palm Beach and Los Angeles. He oversees a talented team performing accounting, vendor management and client relations competencies.

Prior to Alerion, Ron served 13 years at Jet Aviation Flight Services in Teterboro, NJ as Controller/CFO for its Charter/Management line of business. Additionally, Ron served as a Sr. Client Services Director where he oversaw 14 managed clients to ensure their expectations were met.

Ron is a result-oriented process driven professional with over 30 years experience in accounting and financial management. Ron has worked for several companies throughout his career such as Pfizer, Stryker, Coach Leatherware, and Paradigm packaging. He possesses the analytical and technical skills necessary to translate business metrics into bottom-line value and performance.

Ron earned a BS degree in Accounting from William Paterson University and received his MBA from the University of Phoenix. Ron is a private pilot with an advanced ground instructor certificate.

Richard Ziskind is Chief Commercial Officer of Alerion Aviation. He is responsible for all commercial aspects of the company related to client experience, aircraft management, sales, marketing, and business development. Prior to Alerion, Ziskind was Vice President and Managing Director for Crystal Luxury Air, a business segment for the luxury cruise line Crystal Cruises. Ziskind was responsible to lead the client experience, operations, sales, and marketing for the company’s luxury aircraft fleet of BBJ and Bombardier aircraft, employing over 60 pilots, cabin attendants and technicians. His responsibilities included oversight of all product offering, asset acquisition, corporate structure, and regulatory compliance for the entire Crystal aircraft division.

Before Crystal Luxury Air, Ziskind held senior positions with large multi-fleet airlines, private jet companies, and special aircraft platforms for large commercial programs, international government entities, and heads of state. During Ziskind’s 30 years in the aviation industry, he has led global projects related to aircraft acquisitions, sales, and leasing programs.

Mr. Ziskind has compiled an admirable portfolio of successful luxury aircraft offerings and has earned a reputation for morphing these profitable entities into even more successful private jet ventures and leading new projects into untapped areas of opportunity.“Every day brings new challenges and opportunities. Every day we aim to fly higher – to achieve more for the clients who trust in us and our team – and I would not want it any other way”. – R. Ziskind

Ziskind earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from Bernard M. Baruch College in New York. Ziskind has participated on advisory boards with the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), National Air Carrier Association (NACA) and The Wings Club.

Steve Climie currently serves as the Chief Business Development Officer for Alerion Aviation. Steve oversees aircraft brokerage, client acquisition and management, corporate partnerships, and business growth strategies.

Prior to his role at Alerion Aviation, Steve was President of South Aviation Group, a bespoke aircraft brokerage and management company based in South Florida. At South Aviation Group, Steve instilled a culture of personalized service, ethical business practices, and transparency. His strategic vision and hands-on leadership significantly contributed to the company’s success and client satisfaction.

Steve’s journey in the aviation sector began behind the controls as a pilot, where he first developed his deep passion for aviation. His career path took a pivotal turn when he advanced to become the Director of Client Relations at South Aviation Group. His firsthand experience as a pilot enriched his understanding of client needs, enabling him to provide tailored solutions and superior client service.

An accomplished aviator, Steve holds several type ratings on Citation, Hawker, and Gulfstream aircraft. He is also a certified flight instructor, a role that has allowed him to share his extensive knowledge and passion for flying with aspiring pilots.

Steve earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Gettysburg College where he played hockey and golf on the college’s NCAA teams.

Tim Waters is Vice President of Sales for Alerion Jets, the retail sales division of Alerion Aviation. He oversees all retail client relationships and coordinates charter sales on the Alerion fleet as well brokering trips on a fleet of specially vetted air carriers.

Prior to Alerion, Tim founded and was President of Northwind Jets, a Manhattan based jet charter brokerage, where he built a loyal base of retail clients who came to appreciate his high – touch handling of their travel requirements.

Before Northwind, Tim was Vice President – Sales for NetJets, a Berkshire Hathaway company. There he was responsible for sales of fractional ownership positions and Marquis jet charter cards. Tim cut his teeth in the private jet industry in sales roles with Blue Star Jets and Avantair.

In his early career, Tim was a medical products salesman for Medtronic and Novartis Pharmaceuticals.

Tim holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Villanova University where he was captain of the Division I lacrosse team.

With over 35 years of aviation experience, Robert “Bob” Seidel has established himself as a leader in the private jet industry, particularly in the areas of operational excellence, strategic leadership, and company growth. Bob currently serves as Chairman of the Alerion Board of Directors, where he leverages his wealth of experience to provide guidance to the company’s leadership team.

Bob’s career in private aviation began at Gulfstream Aerospace, where he held regional director positions in aircraft sales, contributing to the company’s growth and innovation. He also served in senior executive roles with Jet Aviation, further refining his expertise in the private aviation sector as that company developed from a family-owned Swiss company to a major division of the US public corporation General Dynamics. For twelve years, Bob led Alerion Aviation as Chief Executive Officer, where his vision and leadership were instrumental in scaling the company and establishing it as a prominent player in the private jet industry.

Before entering the corporate aviation world, Bob served in the U.S. Navy as a naval flight officer on P-3C Orion aircraft. After two deployments to the Pacific and Indian Oceans, he transitioned to an instructor role, teaching navigation, communications, and tactics to new pilots and flight officers. Bob retired as a lieutenant commander.

Bob holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the United States Naval Academy and a Masters of Management degree from the Kellogg School of Northwestern University. He also serves on the advisory boards of Farmingdale State College (SUNY) School of Aviation, and Ableflight, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of disabled individuals through aviation scholarships.