CUSTOMER PLATFORM

December 9, 2020

Mente Group Appoints Jamie Buff as Director of Technical Services

Mente Group Appoints Jamie Buff as Director of Technical Services

Dallas, Nov. 9, 2020 – Mente Group has named aircraft maintenance expert Jamie Buff as Director of Technical Services for the broad-based aviation consulting firm. He has held significant aviation maintenance positions for AMB Group, Coca-Cola, Nike, P&G, Wachovia Bank, Cessna, and the U.S. Air Force.

  Jamie Buff

He is an FAA Airframe & Powerplant certificate holder with more than 20 years experience in aviation maintenance to include managing and performing scheduled maintenance, line maintenance checks, troubleshooting, ordering and installing parts, managing crews, and maintaining documentation for FAA compliance.

“Jamie Buff brings an extraordinary aircraft maintenance skill set to our consulting company,” said Mente Group President and CEO Brian Proctor. “I have been impressed with the professionalism and expertise with which he advises clients and works with our team to broaden its capabilities.”

Buff’s aviation maintenance career began 25 years ago in the U.S. Air Force as a B-52H Bomber Dedicated Crew Chief. After military service, he joined Cessna Aircraft Company as an Airframe & Powerplant Technician.

From there, Buff moved into the corporate flight operations world, joining Wachovia Bank Flight Operations in Charlotte, NC. During his career, he has supported maintenance and flight operations for various Fortune 100 companies.

About Mente Group

Mente Group, an aircraft dealer accredited by the International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA), offers a comprehensive array of aviation consulting services to include fleet planning, appraisals and forecasting, buying, flight department startups, completion and refurbishment, operational alignment and Mente 360, a scalable, reliable and cost-effective corporate aviation asset advisory program.

With offices in Dallas, Boston, Chicago, Portland, and Scottsdale, Mente Group professionals have handled more than $10.5 billion in aircraft transactions, compiled more than 60 years of aviation experience, and executed more than 500 business jet deliveries.

Mente Group is a member of Air Charter Safety Foundation, International Business Aviation Council (IS-BAO), International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA), National Business Aviation Association (NBAA), and the National Aircraft Finance Association (NAFA). It is an IADA-accredited aircraft dealer. Brian Proctor is former Chairman of IADA. For more info on Mente Group see www.mentegroup.com

TESTIMONIALS

plane

Mente Group is an industry leading company that provides an aircraft valuation program that is essential for flight departments to know and understand the fair market value of their aircraft. This program allows for customization of depreciation curves, aircraft detail and comparisons, valuation of the optional equipment installed, and updating the current flight times to have the most complete fair market value of your aircraft on a monthly basis. Mente Group also has a licensed Aircraft Appraiser on staff to provide annual aircraft appraisals for property tax valuations. We have saved significant sums of money on property taxes every year. Finally, Mente Group provides outstanding brokerage services and analysis of the flight department needs in terms of aircraft and personnel required based on company’s travel requirements.

-Manager of Aircraft Maintenance – Fortune 500 company

It was not just the very professional way that Mente Group handled the disposition of our current aircraft and the acquisition of the new aircraft that sets them apart. They provided us with an extraordinarily detailed analysis that helped clarify our decision. They also provided completion insight that I don’t believe anyone else in the industry has resident in their firm. Finally, they helped our treasury department mitigate a tax issue on our existing airplane with the assistance of their asset advisory team. I simply don’t know of any other firm that has the breadth of knowledge that Mente Group has.

-Vice President of Flight Operations

It has been great working with Mente Group.  As always, they expertly handled the relationship piece and kept us in the loop so we could keep our principal informed and calm. I assumed from the beginning that Mente would be a good fit, primarily because I personally know most of the team quite well.  That confidence was validated every step of the way.

-Retired Aviation Industry Executive

I would highly recommend Mente group in both the sales and acquisition of an aircraft.  They took the time to clearly understand my needs, provide competitive information, assist in the negotiation process, and complete both a sales and acquisition process. Their follow up and communication was exceptional throughout the process and second to none.  There is only one place I would turn for help in my next acquisition.

-CEO

I meant it when I said what a pleasure it was to work with professionals for a change.  It was refreshing to deal with calm, rational people who worked towards mutually beneficial solutions.

-Vice President – Aviation Lender

I wanted to thank you for the terrific job Mente did helping us acquire our new G450. This being our first aircraft we had no clue where to start or how to avoid the pitfalls in the marketplace. Mente took us by the hand and led us through the process with tremendous patience. For us, Mente’s most valuable asset is your ability to read and react to market conditions quickly to provide strategic guidance. We got much more airplane than we dreamed possible by listening to your counsel.

Thanks again for a great experience!

– Director of Marketing and Public Relations