Investec announces new Aviation Finance leadership team

Investec Corporate and Investment Banking (“Investec”) has announced the appointment of Ajeeth Narayan as Global Head of Investec Aviation Finance. Mike Francis will be executive lead of the Aviation Finance franchise, and Celia Britt will become Chief Operating officer.

Ajeeth and Mike were two of the four founders of the Investec Aviation Finance franchise in 2002, and have been with Investec ever since. Celia joined Investec in 2005, and most recently managed the aviation portfolio.

Investec Aviation Finance has grown to $6bn of aircraft assets under management and in 2018 launched a new aircraft leasing equity fund. Investec has also pioneered the aviation debt fund product, attracting over $1.2bn of investment from third party financial institutions including pensions and insurance companies. Across debt and equity, Investec’s funds are currently exposed to over 200 aircraft.

Mike Francis, executive lead at Investec Aviation Finance, commented:
“Investec Aviation Finance is in a strong position, having built up a market-leading franchise since 2002. As a team we have many decades of experience in aviation finance, and look forward to continuing to build on our world-class capability.”

David van der Walt, CEO, Investec Bank Plc, commented:
“Investec’s Aviation Franchise is a long-term success story for the bank, and it will remain a cornerstone of the business as we continue to invest in its growth.”