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Lou Sorrentino's Areas of Specialization:

Mr. Sorrentino’s thirty five years within the air transportation and marine industries enables him to consult across a wide range of areas, such as aircraft and airport operations, safety, security, quality, and civil aviation regulation and safety oversight. As an experienced aviation safety, regulatory, quality and security practitioner, Lou has performed hundreds of targeted consulting assignments as well as operational audits, assessments and due diligence studies of airlines, corporate flight departments, flight training organizations, airports, airport related business (FBO/Ground Handlers/Catering/Cargo/Port/AvSec) Maintenance organizations (MROs) and civil aviation authorities supporting the ICAO Universal Safety Oversight Audit Program (USOAP) and the FAA's International Aviation Safety Audit program (IASA).

For the past fifteen years, Lou has served in senior leadership roles with SH&E and ICF SH&E directing projects such as Greece IASA CAT 1, Cyprus, Mozambique, Nigeria ICAO USOAP and IASA CAT-1, Angola, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain and Mexico IASA CAT 1; Air Operators and Ground Handlers in the Americas; Asia, Europe, Middle East and Africa; OEM’s in Asia, USA, LATAM and Europe covering an array of activities such as, safety oversight inspections, audits, training, certification, and organizational restructurings.

During Mr. Sorrentino’s tenure at  SH&E and ICF SH&E, Lou established the following programs and global services which are now a part of Aviation & Marine Safety Solutions (AvMaSSI):

  • FAA Qualified Certification Consultant (QCC) designation from the Federal Aviation Administration within the Air Transportation Oversight System (ATOS) program office AFS-900.

 

  • Civil Aviation Authority Operational Assessment Program – Developed, with the aide of subject matter experts, an effective means of auditing regulatory agencies tasked with providing oversight of its flag carriers and aviation infrastructure.

 

  • Supplemental Lift/Vendor Audit Program – Designed and implemented a customized audit program to provide focused operational safety, quality and security audits of vendors supporting a client’s operational needs. Our audit and surveillance programs have been applied worldwide to global fractional and managed aircraft companies, major sports leagues and individual teams, auto racing organization and individual teams and a variety of tour operators and Hollywood production companies and studios.

 

  • IATA IOSA Program - Established one of the founding Audit Organizations (AO) and supported the program from initial launch through 2014. AvMaSSI is now supporting air carrier preparation and continuing conformance to the IOSA, ISSA and E-IOSA and related programs.

Mr. Sorrentino has created, implemented and managed safety/security management systems for numerous entities within the global aviation community, and served on the “Go-Team” for the development of an enhanced aviation security checkpoint model immediately after the terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11 2001. Lou brings a multi-disciplinary approach to managing projects.

Mr. Sorrentino is recognized by the State of California as Expert in Air Operating Certificates and FAA Regulations. In addition, Lou provided several years of consulting to the National Air Transportation Association (NATA) for the development and implementation of  its FBO/Ground Handler Safety Management System, Air Charter Safety Management System program for CFR Part 135 members and has consulted among a broad range of clients on CFR Part 135 issues, such as A0008 Operational Control, Human Factors and Safety Performance.

Lou helped refine and expand an operational auditing methodology used within SH&E, called “Safety Architecture” which became the model for the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) program. Lou is a current Lead Auditor within the IOSA Program as well as IATA’s Safety Audit Ground Operations (ISAGO) program Audits.

Lou performs speaking engagements annually at various global conferences and writes for selected client publications or manages safety and quality newsletters for selected clients.

Background:

Prior to launching Aviation & Marine Safety Solutions International LLC,  Mr. Sorrentino served as:

  • Senior Vice President - Managing Officer of the ICF SH&E as leader of the Aviation Safety, Security & Regulatory Compliance Practice since the ICF acquisition of SH&E in 2007.

  • Senior Vice President and Managing Officer of SH&E’s Aviation Safety, Security & Regulatory Compliance Practice and also served as the Managing Director of the Flight Safety Foundation’s Air Transport Safety Services sector from 2000 through 2008.

  • Senior Vice President - Aviation Risk Management Services, for Aon Aviation, an international aviation insurance brokerage services company, from 1995 to 1999 - as a licensed Aviation Insurance Broker for the State of New York. Mr. Sorrentino serviced Aon’s aviation clients with risk management and loss mitigation strategies and focused services to identify, analyze, mitigate and manage risks associated with client global operations.

  • Senior Vice President – Operations – Signature Flight Support from 1990 to 1994, an international ground handler, maintenance and fixed based operation (FBO). Mr. Sorrentino was one of the core senior executives that lead the development of the Signature concept and launch of the new company.

  • Vice President, Operations Support - Page Avjet Corporation, an international modification/maintenance and FBO company, from 1986 to 1990. Mr. Sorrentino initially served as Corporate Risk Manager/Contracts Officer – Page Avjet Corporation from 1986 to 1988 as well as Environmental Officer and Manager of Page Flight Inc., from 1988- 1990 (flight department).  

  • Manager – Home Office Liability Claims – United States Aircraft Insurance Group (USAIG) from 1983 to 1985. Mr. Sorrentino conducted and participated in accident response and accident investigation and performed case management duties for USAIG.

  • Charter Pilot & Chief Flight Instructor - North American Flying Service from 1979 – 1982. Lou worked as an 14 CFR Part 135 charter pilot and chief flight instructor for a seaplane charter and flight school and provided flight instruction to private individuals at outlaying airports in the NY/NJ metro area.

The AvMaSSI Safety, Security & Regulatory Compliance Group is comprised of subject matter experts and seasoned project managers, such as Messrs. Sorrentino, Munoz , White and Cubillos who  are expert in the application of its “Safety Architecture” independent operational assessment methodology. AvMaSSI is supported by a global network of dedicated, subject matter experts within aviation operations, maintenance/airworthiness, quality, safety, ground operations and security as well as subject matter experts within marine seaport and super yacht operations, maintenance, safety and security.

Education:

B.A.University of Maine – Economics
University of Southern California – School of Engineering – Aviation Safety Program – In progress

Credentials:

Commercial Pilot & Flight Instructor
ISO 9000 Lead Auditor Qualified – Cert 4703007
IATA - IOSA Auditor Cert 047184
IBAC IS-BAO & IS-BAH Certified Auditor
OSHA Voluntary Compliance Instructor
NBAA Professional Development
New Jersey Aviation Hall of Fame & Museum – Board Trustee
United Kingdom R&M Security Clearance                                                

Articles:

Global Aerospace SM4 Journal Series 2013 to present
IHS Aerospace and Aviation – “Air Transport – Essential and in Crisis” Vol 1 Issue 3, 2010
Air Finance Journal – “Raising the Bar” May 2006
Aircraft Business Journal – “Systems Approach to Safety"
Aircraft Business Journal – “The Dollars and Sense of Safety”
NATA – Safety 1st  eToolkit – Program Manager – Monthly Industry Newsletter
Airport Business – Quality System Auditing

Affiliations:

Global Aerospace - SM4 Program - Safety Services Provider

United States Tour Operators Association - Affiliate (USTOA)
Middle East Business Aviation Association (MEBAA)
Seaplane Pilots Association (SPA)
National Agricultural Aviation Association (NAAA)
National EMS Pilots Association (NEMSPA)