Ben Millard
Ben Millard
Speaker
Executive Director

SMBC Bank

United States

Upgrade to initiate conversation first

Upgrade
Main Stage

Deal or No Deal: The Financiers Decide...

Klejda Tirana
Aviation Finance, Director,
Societe Generale
Corina Sylira
Managing Director,
Itasca MGA
Ben Millard
Executive Director,
SMBC Bank
Jean Chedeville
Global Head of Aviation Finance,
Natixis
Subbu Alagappan
Managing Director,
PK AirFinance
Moderator
Dickon Harris
Editor,
Ishka

Back by popular demand—with a twist. In this high-energy, interactive session, we flip the script and put the spotlight on the lenders.

Three fictional—but highly plausible—aviation finance deals will be pitched live to a panel of leading banks. Will they fund it? Will they walk away? And what will they demand to make the deal work?

Expect sharp analysis, real-time reactions, and a few surprises as we explore how lenders are assessing credit risk, structuring terms, and navigating today’s capital markets. It’s part education, part entertainment—and 100% relevant to anyone structuring deals in 2025.

Main Stage

Growth in Uncertainty: Carlyle’s View on Scale, Strategy, and Aircraft Leasing’s Future

Javier Meireles
CEO,
Carlyle Aviation Partners
Moderator
Ben Millard
Executive Director,
SMBC Bank

This fireside chat with Carlyle Aviation Partners' CEO, Javier Meireles, will spotlight the firm’s evolving leadership strategy and reflect on how the platform’s scale and expertise are leveraged in today’s dynamic market. The discussion will cover opportunities in core and adjacent businesses, responses to industry consolidation, and approaches to risk management amid global economic uncertainty. Attendees can expect candid insights on asset values, lease rate dynamics, the future of aviation debt financing, and the competitive edge required to deliver value and resilience in the years ahead.