President & CEO
Damon D’Agostino
Damon J. D’Agostino is the President & Chief Executive Officer of Zephyrus Aviation Capital.
Mr. D’Agostino is the former Chief Commercial Officer for CIT Aerospace, one of the world’s leading aircraft leasing companies. As Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. D'Agostino was responsible for all aspects of CIT’s commercial strategy and execution, including aircraft sale and lease transactions, airline relationship management, contract negotiation, restructurings, and new aircraft and engine acquisitions. Prior to that role, he served as Chief Sales Officer, with global responsibility for marketing CIT’s aircraft portfolio which, by 2017, exceeded 350 aircraft valued at eleven billion dollars.
Under his eleven years of leadership, the business grew by more than 45% while delivering consistent year-over-year profitability growth and maintaining a greater than 99% asset utilization rate through industry peaks and troughs. He has negotiated the purchase of eight separate new aircraft orders, totaling 120 aircraft, with a list price value of $20 billion dollars. In 2017, Mr. D’Agostino, along with select members of CIT’s senior management team, sold the Commercial Air business to Avolon for a 6.7% premium to book.
Starting his career in the early 1990s, Mr. D’Agostino held a succession of sales and marketing roles and responsibilities with his personal transaction success including the sale, lease and financing of over 170 aircraft.
With a passion and desire to give back to the community, Mr. D’Agostino has been an active member of the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT) since 1996 and has served as a trustee of the ISTAT Foundation since 2012, where he has held the role of Chairman and currently serves as Vice-Chairman. In addition, he serves on a number of nonprofit and education boards and is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and in university classrooms.
Mr. D'Agostino is a graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, where he received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Aviation Business Administration, with a concentration in Finance. He also received an MBA in International Business from the University of Miami where he was summa cum laude and valedictorian of his graduating class.