Aircraft Performance Group (APG), a flight operations support provider based in Colorado and part of the AFV Partners aviation vertical, has announced that CEO Mike Caflisch is retiring. Serving in the role from 2014 to 2020, Caflisch's career has spanned 40 years in various positions as an engineer and business executive. He led APG through the transition from the original founders to new ownership under global holding company AFV Partners and was integral in AFV's buy-in, buy-up and buy-out approach with APG to establish its aviation vertical, followed by the acquisitions and integrations of RocketRoute and Seattle Avionics in 2020. Caflisch was closely involved in helping AFV to lay the framework for a strategy, product and technology stack that will be the foundation of the aviation vertical for years to come.

Caflisch served the past seven months as an executive board member of AFV with a focus on corporate development and strategic initiatives and assisting AFV Partners in onboarding and transitioning leadership responsibilities to Shawn Mechelke, a seasoned aviation veteran, as the president for the vertical. As an attestation to Caflisch's achievements, he was selected as a 2021 Titan 100, a nomination recognising Colorado's Top 100 CEOs and C-level executives.

“On behalf of AFV, I want to thank Mike for seamlessly and successfully transitioning the business to the extended leadership team,” says Mechelke. “We have ambitious plans and are positioned to take it to the next level, developing a new aviation technology platform. We thank Mike for his contributions and setting us up for success.”

Caflisch adds: “As many of you know, aviation is in my blood. I intend to remain an aviation ambassador and stay connected through my network, looking for opportunities to give back to an industry that I truly love. So, I am sure our paths will cross again.”

Founder, chairman and CEO of AFV Partners Tony Aquila concludes: “Mike has been a strong leader, and we are grateful for his contributions to APG and consider him one of the re-founders for the business that is now part of our aviation vertical alongside our RocketRoute and Seattle Avionics assets. For his new phase in life, we wish him happiness, health and good luck in his future endeavours.”