Connecticut-based aircraft brokerage, appraisals and consulting firm Guardian Jet has named Gabriel Bastos as vice president, Latin America (LATAM) and south Florida. Previously with Embraer Executive Jets, he will now be responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships with Guardian Jet's aircraft brokerage and consulting prospects, clients, vendors and industry partners.

“I'm honoured and humbled that such a highly respected and award-winning aviation professional as Gabriel would leave a successful brand like Embraer to join our growing team,” says managing partner Mike Dwyer. “He is the consummate, values-oriented professional, the perfect fit with what we call our 'Guardian DNA'.”

From 2012 until 2019, Bastos served as Embraer regional sales director, responsible for new and pre-owned private jet sales in Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and Central America. In 2016, Bastos relocated from Mexico to New York City, where he oversaw aircraft sales in the northeastern US. During his seven year tenure at the OEM he earned the Top Performer LATAM Sales Director award in 2013, 2014 and 2015, and was named Top Performer Worldwide in 2013 and 2016.

“I admire Guardian Jet's ethics, its culture of transparency and its relentless pursuit of perfection,” says Bastos. “In my last position, we collaborated on multiple new jet sales and went through every stage of the transaction, from the first presentation through to new jet delivery. Guardian Jet's technical knowledge and Vault digital platform are second to none. No other consulting and brokerage firm can match its sophistication and knowledge. It's not just a one man show; it's a collective, where some of the most talented and experienced aviation minds meet and share their expertise to serve their clients together. It's the family that I wanted to be part of.”

Before joining Embraer, Bastos worked in finance in Brazil, having earned a degree in Business Administration from Fundaçao Armando Álvares Penteado in Sao Paulo as well as a post-graduate certificate in financial management at Ibmec Sao Paulo. He honed his negotiation skills through training at Columbia Business School in New York City.