Oakleigh Thorne (pictured right) has been appointed president and chief executive officer of Gogo, in the immediate aftermath of the decision of Michael Small to step down from the role as a director of the Company.
Thorne currently serves as chief executive officer of Thorndale Farm LLC, the family office of the Thorne family, and largest Gogo shareholder, owning approximately 30% percent of the Company’s outstanding common stock.
“I am excited to work with the Gogo team as we move forward with urgency to execute on four strategic priorities: driving quality for airlines and passengers, sharpening our operational focus, achieving profitability with the money we have in the bank and driving shareholder value,” said Thorne. “We are highly confident in our ability to achieve our strategic and financial objectives as we improve execution and realise our significant growth opportunities.”
Ronald T. LeMay, chairman of the Gogo Board of Directors, said, “With our best-in-class technology and capabilities, the Board believes that Gogo has a clear path to achieving our objectives and that now is the right time to transition leadership. After a comprehensive search process, the Board determined that Oak is the best person to help Gogo achieve our next phase of growth. Oak is a seasoned executive with a strong track record and his interests are aligned with all shareholders. Oak has made significant contributions to Gogo as a member of our Board and has a deep understanding of our business, strategy and operations.”