Avolon: Building a Global Leader in the Aircraft Leasing Industry

The case describes the meteoric rise of Avolon in the aircraft leasing industry – from a private-equity-backed start-up to IPO and M&A activity, resulting in a top three industry position only seven years after its foundation. It is the first to offer an overview of the history of the aircraft leasing industry, from its largely Irish roots to a global phenomenon that has secured major Asian investment. It follows the career highs and lows of a daring entrepreneur who overcomes multiple obstacles to ultimately build a global player from scratch. Throughout the different phases of Avolon’s strategic growth, it highlights the power of embedding corporate values that fuel the company culture and its competitiveness.

The case has the potential to bring together a range of topics – from strategy, general management and entrepreneurship. As such it can be used in MBA and executive education classes, for introductory, industry analysis or final capstone purposes. It can also serve as an introduction to the aircraft leasing industry.