About

Owned by a group of major Japanese financial organisations (Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), Sumitomo Mitsui Finance and Leasing Company Limited and Sumitomo Corporation) the scale of SMBC Aviation Capital’s global airliner leasing operation is truly vast. All in all the company has 668 aircraft owned, managed and committed, with a recent company highlight being the delivery of the first cutting-edge and brand new Airbus A350 XWB wide body jet to Asiana Airlines in 2017. Catherine Ennis has been chief legal officer of the company since 2002, was added to the board of directors in 2004 and became company secretary in 2007, and has presided over a massive expansion of the company’s assets. She is an expert in aviation leasing; in addition to the virtually unmatched experience of the industry she has accrued with SMBC Aviation Capital, she was previously employed with Airbus Finance Company Limited and GE Capital Aviation Services. With GE, she was part of the team that brought the first aircraft portfolio securitisation to the market. Ennis is one of the leading experts in her field globally, and her efforts have undoubtedly contributed hugely to the immense and continuing success of SMBC Aviation Capital over recent years; the company announced in 2017 that pre-tax profits grew 48% to $346m in the 12 months ending March 31st.