Dr. Christopher Smith establishes airport advisory practice from Seabury's London office

NEW YORK, August 1, 2008 – Henri Courpron, Head of Seabury’s European aviation practice, today announced that Seabury has expanded its European presence and increased its scope of capabilities with the addition of Dr. Christopher J. Smith, Managing Director, to its Global Corporate Advisory Group. Dr. Smith will expand the capabilities from the London office to serve the City’s financial community by providing due diligence and support for transactions in the airline, airport and aviation-related business sectors. In addition, Dr. Smith is broadening Seabury’s capabilities by establishing an airports advisory practice.

Dr. Smith most recently was Managing Director of SH&E Limited, with responsibility for the firm’s management consulting business focusing on airports, airlines and air traffic services in the UK and Europe.

Seabury’s London office serves the global financial industry based in London and augments Seabury’s European Amsterdam headquarters and its office in Toulouse, France, where its aerospace business is based.

“Chris’s breadth and depth of experience with airport and airline projects will be extremely important to Seabury clients operating from this key global financial center,” said John E. Luth, Seabury’s Chairman, President and CEO. “We are very pleased to have Chris on-site in London to work closely with the financial community and develop an airport practice. Seabury now has over 30 professionals based in Europe, and expects to expand that professional work force significantly over the next 2-3 years.”
Dr. Smith said, “This is a great opportunity for me to join the firm that is increasingly recognized as a global player in the airline and aerospace investment banking and consulting businesses. As Seabury expands its capabilities in the related airport segment, and I look forward to augmenting the already considerable capabilities of the Seabury team.”

Before joining SH&E in 2000, Dr. Smith served as Global Leader, Airports & ATC with Coopers & Lybrand/PricewaterhouseCoopers for 14 years. Prior to that, he was a Senior Consultant with Alistair Tucker Associates. His other experience includes work with Thomson Travel Limited and Birmingham Airport/West Midlands County Council.

Dr. Smith has worked with numerous airports in the UK and Europe, including London Luton, Birmingham, Aena (Spain), Aeroporti di Roma, Aer Rianta/Dublin Airport Authority, Amsterdam Schiphol, Athens, Brussels, Hamburg, Frankfurt, Prague, Zurich; and further afield including Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Australia.

He also has worked with major airlines throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, and with organizations that include the European Commission, Eurocontrol, UK Department of Transport, French DGAC, Dutch Ministry of Transport, Belgian Export Credit Agency, and Dube TradePort.

Dr. Smith holds a Ph.D. in Air Transport from the University of Aston in Birmingham, and M.A. and B.A. (with honors) degrees from Keble College, University of Oxford.

Mr. Smith may be reached at +44 7789 700 905 or csmith@seaburygroup.com.



About Seabury Aviation & Aerospace LLC
Seabury Aviation & Aerospace LLC is the leading unit of the Seabury Group and is the leading independent investment banking and advisory group serving aviation, aerospace, and cargo on a global basis. That group’s practices span investment banking, corporate transformation, and management consulting. Seabury Group was awarded Airfinance Journal’s “North American Deal of the Year” for the equity rights offering the firm structured and placed for Northwest Airlines in 2007. With more than 150 professionals dedicated to aviation and aerospace, Seabury has now advised over 160 clients worldwide in over 450 engagements spanning Africa, Australia, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and the United States. For more information, please see: http://www.seaburygroup.com

Contact: Karen C. Cook
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