Stephanie Sanford, formerly senior vice president and head of aircraft trading at ICBC Aviation Leasing, joined U.S.-based private equity firm AE Industrial Partners as a senior vice president. She will be responsible for the origination and management of aircraft leases, engine leases and related aerospace leasing investments for AE Industrial Partners’ aerospace opportunities fund.

“Stephanie’s significant aircraft leasing origination and management expertise will be an invaluable resource as we continue to invest from our aerospace opportunities fund,” David Rowe, managing partner of AE Industrial Partners, said. “We welcome Stephanie to the team and are confident her contributions will help us identify new opportunities while also adding expert guidance in lease management.”

Sanford has more than 25 years of aviation leasing experience at aircraft lessors, banks and financial institutions in the United States and Europe. As senior vice president and head of aircraft trading at ICBC Aviation Leasing in Dublin, she was responsible for more than $2.5 billion in aircraft trading transactions.

Prior to ICBC, Sanford was senior vice president and head of trading at FPG Amentum, where she led the origination team. She also held various aircraft leasing and aviation marketing roles at Bank of America Ireland Leasing, CIT Aerospace and aircraft lessor ILFC. She began her career at the Federal Aviation Administration.

“AE Industrial has been an innovator in aviation investment, and I look forward to joining this exceptional team and helping build its presence in the global aircraft leasing industry,” Sanford said.

AE Industrial Partners’ aerospace opportunities fund, which the firm launched in 2020, pursues a strategy of acquiring aviation assets across commercial, corporate and special mission applications to create leases and structured credit solutions designed to produce income and capital appreciation for its investors.