Founded in 2009, Mente Group has boldly led private aviation for 15+ years with an expert team equipped with decades of experience.
No private aviation company combines Mente’s suite of services, dedicated team, quality of values and data, and functional capability to complete your project.
Brian Proctor is founder, President and CEO of Mente Group, LLC. He founded Mente in 2009 and has been serving private aviation clients for over 23 years. Having been involved in over $8 billion in aircraft transactions and over $7 billion in aviation business planning, Brian’s experience is sought by corporations and individuals, worldwide.
After serving for six years in the US Army as an infantry Ranger and intelligence officer, Brian left the military to pursue a career in the private sector. After working at Transamerica Corporation, Mr. Proctor served as consultant, COO and President of the world’s second largest consultancy and broker/dealer.
Brian has served on boards for: International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA), Jet Aviation Advisory Board, and the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas. He also previously served as Chairman of IADA, and most recently, The IADA Foundation. He holds a BA degree in International Studies in Politics and Diplomacy from the University of Richmond and an MBA from Southern Methodist University. He is married with three children and resides in the Dallas, Texas metroplex.
An entrepreneur at heart, Steve’s drive is fueled by his life-long passion for
aviation. His diverse background includes roles as CEO/business owner, President of a large charter company, Vice-President of Sales, and Director of Aviation for a fortune-500 company. In his previous roles, Steve has exceeded sales & revenue goals and has a history of leading teams to surpass performance objectives. Steve started flying at age 14 with his father, and has accumulated thousands of flying hours in both airline & corporate settings. His previous flight experience includes mid-cabin and large-cabin Gulfstream and large-cabin Bombardier products. Steve has a degree from the University of Georgia and is also an accomplished guitarist & avid motorsports enthusiast.
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Vince has 37 years experience in business aviation starting with Gulfstream Aerospace in 1984. Over the next 25 years, he contributed successfully in various roles of increasing responsibility with Gulfstream, from Initial Phase Manufacturing to Flight Test to Completion Integration and Test Engineering, Vince gained vast experience and knowledge in avionics and cabin systems design, integration, connectivity, test and certification.
With the logarithmic advances in business aviation technology, Vince moved to Completion Sales, where the need for a strong technology background coupled with the ability to connect with customers was essential. Helping customers navigate the vast array of integrated high-tech systems as well as voice and data communications options became a refined skill that aligned with his passion to help people. With the importance of the aircraft interior becoming a priority in the purchase decision process, his combined avionics, technology and interior knowledge allows him to seamlessly communicate with customers from
While Director of Completion Sales, his passion for excellence in the customer experience and a discriminating eye for detail and quality led him to implement further enhancements in process, product offerings and systems capabilities. Vince actively participated in the development of Gulfstream interiors, cabin systems and completion process from the G-IV to the G650.
Leveraging his ability to quickly perceive customer needs and bridge the technology and interior systems gap, Vince was appointed Regional Vice President – Aircraft Sales for Gulfstream based in Singapore.
Recognized for his knowledge and experience in business aircraft interiors, technology, connectivity, design, process and customer experience, Vince was appointed Vice President – Completions for Hawker Beechcraft Corporation. Following the successful transition of the Hawker Completion Center in Little Rock, Vince founded Addo Virtus Advisors, an advisory firm specializing in completion management, business process and metrics focused on providing both operational and transactional value throughout the aircraft acquisition and ownership life-cycle.
Vince holds AS Degrees in Electronics Technology and Avionics. He has served as a panelist for the Arkansas Governor’s Aerospace Summit, been interviewed for various trade publications, appeared on “Wealth in the Sky” TV program focused on business aviation and has written white papers aimed at making technology understandable at the user level.
Vince and his wife Cynthia have three adult children and four grandchildren.
Jeff Dorrough is the Vice President, Asset Management with Mente Group, LLC.
He is the lead appraiser and consultant for internal clients, as well as, external assignments. Jeff is a Senior ASA appraiser with the American Society of Appraisers in the field of Machinery and Technical Specialties with fifteen years of experience with business aircraft. Jeff is also a graduate of Southern Methodist University with a major in Finance from the Cox School of Business.
Mr. Dorrough was previously the Asset Manager and lead appraiser for Bombardier Pre-Owned Aircraft Sales from 2002 thru 2015 where he was directly responsible for managing the asset portfolio and valuation process. He was responsible for performing all aircraft valuations including, Comparable Analysis, Trade Value Calculations, Residual Value Projections, and Damage Assessments, while providing quarterly market commentary. Mr. Dorrough was instrumental in the writing and negotiation of trade policy for Bombardier Pre-Owned Aircraft Sales, and assisted in the creation of damage assessment criteria which has been adopted by ASA for their education curriculum, as well as, several private industries.
Mr. Dorrough conducts speaking engagements and is very active in many business aircraft societies such as: NARA, NBAA, NAFA and his local chapter of ASA located in Dallas Texas.
Jay is the Managing Director for the Midwest at MENTE Group.
As a 20-year veteran in the industry, Jay has sales and operational experience for the aircraft manufacturer as well as the private sector. Most recently he spent 12 years selling new and preowned Cessna Citations and Beechcraft King Airs for the aircraft manufacturer. Jay received many accolades over his tenure that he attributes to the strength in customer relationships. As a Flight Instructor and Airline Transport rated professional pilot with over 4,500 hours flight experience, Jay has held multiple roles in his career including, Sales & Aircraft Demonstration, 135 charter captain, part 91 transportation captain, Banner Tow Pilot, fractional aircraft sales and management. He holds a Jet type rating in the Cessna Citation 525 series of aircraft. Prior to his Business Aviation focus, Jay was the Sales & Marketing, revenue management and planning director for a portfolio of commercial real-estate and hotel properties in the Chicagoland area.
Jay earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Commercial Aviation from the University of North Dakota. Outside of his passion for aviation, Jay is an avid Runner, Cyclist, and Ice Hockey player/Youth Hockey Coach. He calls Kansas City home where he resides with his wife and daughters.
Stephanie Parry is the Vice President of Human Resources for Mente Group.
Over the course of her 15+ year career, Stephanie has had experience in all HR functions including benefits administration, employee relations, and recruiting / onboarding, taking on increased levels of responsibility with each role.
Stephanie received her BA in Communication from Texas A&M University and her MS in Operations/HR Management from the University of Arkansas. She is a member of the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) and maintains two HR certifications – SHRM Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) and Professional in Human Resources (PHR).
Mariana Santos is the Vice President of Strategic Consulting at Mente Group, LLC.
Mariana brings 15 years of solid experience with aircraft OEMs, both in business and commercial aviation. Over the course of 8 years at Embraer Executive Jets, Mariana held multiple positions. Initially, as Product Strategist, she would build and recommend aircraft short- and long-term roadmaps. Later, she served as Sr. Sales Engineer in North America, developing aircraft technical and economic analysis in support to Sales. More recently, she co-created and managed their analytics-based fleet evaluation program tailored to Corporate Flight Departments. Between 2004-2010, she served as a Flight Operations Engineer at Embraer Commercial division where she would liaise with customer airlines’ Flight Operations and Operations Engineering teams, providing day-to-day technical support to a growing fleet of regional jets. Prior to Mente, she briefly ventured into the commercial supersonic world with Boom, the Denver-based start-up.
Mariana is a Brazilian native and has been in the US for the past 8 years. She earned her MBA degree in 2014 from Hult International Business School at San Francisco and her Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Infrastructure Engineering in 2003 from ITA (Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica), Brazil’s most prestigious engineering institution
Craig W. Cox is the Director of Asset Management at Mente Group, LLC.
Craig is a Senior ASA appraiser with the American Society of Appraisers in the field of Machinery and Technical Specialties with thirteen years of experience with business aircraft.
Craig’s involvement with aviation stems back to where at the age of 17 he started taking flying lessons. During his flight instruction time, he worked at the Aurora Airport as line personnel.
As his interest evolved in aviation, Craig attended Rock Valley College in Rockford, Illinois, Airframe and Powerplant program. He also attended Waubonsee Community College for Business Development.
He began work at Aurora Avionics rigging and wiring Avionics for various aircraft until the industry started taking a down turn.
Craig went on to manufacturing management for ITW/Simco, a Fortune 500 company where he developed and refined his skills in sales and marketing. He was responsible for developing and maintaining a representative/ dealer base throughout the Midwest and Western United States. He worked closely with engineering in designing Ultra-Violet and Electrostatic equipment.
Mr. Cox was previously the COO and senior appraiser for SAI Valuations, LLC from 2005 thru 2018 where he was directly responsible for managing the valuation process. He was responsible for performing all aircraft valuations including, Comparable Analysis, Residual Value Projections, and Damage Assessments.
Mr. Cox has appraised more than 4500 aircraft and/or aviation related assets with a total appraised value of over 20 billion dollars.
Mr. Cox conducts speaking engagements and is very active in many business aircraft societies such as, NBAA, NAFA and his local chapter of ASA located in Chicago, Illinois.
Peter Finseth is the Director of Business Analytics at Mente Group, LLC.
Prior to joining Mente, Peter worked in the Financial Services industry for 20 years with a focus in the mortgage industry for the last 15 years. Most recently, he worked at Fannie Mae as a Senior Business Analyst supporting the REO Valuations business. Peter has a broad background including Financial Planning & Analysis, Financial Modeling, Business Intelligence tools, and programming experience.
Peter earned his Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Texas at Austin. While working full time, he later earned his MBA from the University of Texas at Dallas. Peter is an active member of the North Texas soccer community. He started his own soccer club back in 2008 and actively coaches teams ranging in age from 10 to 17 years old.
Tracy Yeager is the Contract Manager at Mente Group.
She attended Midwestern State University, Texas Christian University and the University of North Texas. She grew up in Texas and is blessed with an awesome family, including two sons. Tracy has extensive administrative experience and is thrilled to be in the Aviation Industry and working with such an amazing team!
Marissa Goodale is the Office Manager/HR Specialist for Mente Group.
As the Office Manager, she oversees and supports the general organizational functions and activities at the headquarters office.
As an HR Specialist, Marissa is focused on all aspects of talent acquisition and human resource processes within the organization, including full-cycle recruiting and onboarding of new employees. She brings several years of experience managing recruitment teams and creating recruitment strategies, which she works closely with the VP of Human Resources on perfecting.
Marissa earned her Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of California Riverside. A California native, now Texas transplant, she spends her spare time with her husband and two dogs, Sammy and Bowman, cheering for the San Francisco 49ers.
Ryan Kahle is a Market Analyst at MENTE Group, LLC.
Ryan is a recent graduate of Auburn University, where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aviation Management, as well as a Minor in Business. While in school, Ryan also earned his private pilot certificate and instrument rating through Auburn’s Part 141 program in ASEL aircraft.
As a Market Analyst, Ryan will support the transactions team through the gathering and analyzation of market data. Ryan will also support the marketing and business development segments though report creation, presentations, and marketing specifications.
Seth, is the newest market analyst at MENTE Group.
Seth is a recent graduate of Auburn University, earning a B.S. in Aviation Management, and he brings a passion and strong education to his new role. With experience in flight operations as an intern at Delta Airlines and entrepreneurial and leadership roles through his academic excellence, Seth is a perfect fit for his role at MENTE Group.
Seth will support the transactions team and be active in numerous aviation markets, with research and transaction assistance. Seth is based in our Frisco office and we are excited to have him on our team!
Drew manages MENTE Groups’ marketing and advertising, joining the team in early 2024. He graduated from SMU with a double major in Journalism and Sports Management, with a specialization in marketing. He began working in digital content and advertising in the ministry space and later transitioned to marketing for a large regional bank.
Before his role at Mente, he was an editor for multiple published books, a digital content coordinator for a large organization, and a marketing & advertising manager for a regional bank with $500M in assets.
Drew implements cutting-edge marketing and digital content best practices for our clients and organization and has Adobe accreditation on multiple platforms, such as InDesign and PremierePro. He is passionate about activating brands with data-driven work in digital channels and using data tools to optimize SEO, advertising, and marketing strategies, with accreditation in Google Search Console, AdWords, and Analytics.
Drew brings his passion for marketing and advertising from the banking industry to aviation, and we are excited to have him on staff!
Brian Proctor is founder, President and CEO of Mente Group, LLC. He founded Mente in 2009 and has been serving private aviation clients for over 23 years. Having been involved in over $8 billion in aircraft transactions and over $7 billion in aviation business planning, Brian’s experience is sought by corporations and individuals, worldwide.
After serving for six years in the US Army as an infantry Ranger and intelligence officer, Brian left the military to pursue a career in the private sector. After working at Transamerica Corporation, Mr. Proctor served as consultant, COO and President of the world’s second largest consultancy and broker/dealer.
Brian has served on boards for: International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA), Jet Aviation Advisory Board, and the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas. He also previously served as Chairman of IADA, and most recently, The IADA Foundation. He holds a BA degree in International Studies in Politics and Diplomacy from the University of Richmond and an MBA from Southern Methodist University. He is married with three children and resides in the Dallas, Texas metroplex.
From the world’s largest corporation to end-users unsure of plane ownership, we have the tools and team to maximize private aviation for our clients.
Founded in 2009, we have served the private avaition industry for 15 years, adding value and clarity for every client.
No matter your aviation need – we have the solution.
