Wheels Up, FlyExclusive CEOs 'Bizav Aviation People To Watch in 2025'

Wheels Up CEO George Mattson and FlyExclusive Chairman and CEO Jim Segrave are among a select group of industry executives named people to watch in 2025.

Aviation Week, a leading trade publication, spotlighted the bosses of North America’s fourth- and fifth-largest charter/fractional operators.

Mattson and Segrave were part of the Business Aviation People To Watch In 2025 list, which saw only six executives from the private aviation sector.

The Space sector had seven executives, including Elon Musk.

Ten executives from the Defense industry made the list, including Gen. Wang Houbin, Commander of the Chinese Army Rocket Force.

Nine commercial aviation executives, including new Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg, made the list.

Other business aviation executives included Joby’s JoeBen Bevirt, Beta Technologies’ Kyle Clark, Swift Fuels Chris D’Acosta, and Opus Aero North America’s Zipporah Marmor.

Aviation Week wrote about Mattson: “Since averting bankruptcy for Wheels Up in September 2023, Mattson has worked to stabilize and position the business for growth as it moves to become profitable in 2025 for the first time.”

“In 2024, FlyExclusive went public, made fleet changes, and took on aircraft management for Volato. The challenging year was the first time the company was not profitable, but Segrave is predicting growth in 2025,” per Aviation Week.

In some points of interest, Segrave served as the president of Delta Private Jets after selling Segrave Aviation to Delta Air Lines in 2010.

Before joining Wheels Up, Mattson served on the Delta Air Lines board of directors.

Delta is the largest shareholder in Wheels Up after selling Delta Private Jets to Wheels Up in 2019.

And finally, FlyExclusive and Wheels Up remain engaged in litigation.

The court case predates Mattson taking the helm in September 2023.