Wheels Up, the revolutionary private aviation company that significantly reduces the upfront costs to fly privately, while providing unparalleled flexibility, service and safety, announced the appointment of Eric Jacobs as Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer. In this position, Mr. Jacobs will oversee the finance and accounting, investor relations and strategic corporate development functions of Wheels Up, including treasury and mergers & acquisitions.
"We are thrilled to welcome a seasoned executive like Eric Jacobs to the Wheels Up team," said Founder and CEO Kenny Dichter. "Eric's extensive experience in various leadership roles and exceptional expertise as a public company financial and operational executive make him an ideal addition to the leadership team to support Wheels Up's long-term strategic objectives. I very much look forward to working closely with Eric as we continue on our path to build out the Wheels Up offering and add new initiatives, all with the goal of serving the full private aviation needs of our members and enhancing their flying experience with us."
Mr. Jacobs commented, "It is an incredible opportunity to join the Wheels Up team. I am fully committed and excited to help the Company execute on its vision as it continues to transform private aviation. I look forward to contributing to our strategic growth initiatives and to driving maximum value for our investors."
Prior to joining Wheels Up, Mr. Jacobs most recently served as Senior Vice President, Corporate Development of Cox Automotive, Inc. and Executive Vice President, Chief Financial & Administrative Officer of DealertrackTechnologies, Inc., collectively, the largest marketplace and leading provider of SaaS solutions to the U.S. retail automotive industry. Dealertrack, a high-growth publicly-traded technology company was acquired by Cox Automotive in October 2015. Eric brings over 15 years of senior executive leadership experience to Wheels Up, previously serving as Senior Vice President, General Counsel of Dealertrack and President of Dealertrack Canada.
Prior to working at Dealertrack, Mr. Jacobs was an attorney focusing on corporate mergers & acquisitions and securities law at O'Melveny & Myers LLP and an audit manager at KPMG LLP. He holds a J.D. with honors from Rutgers School of Law-Newark and a B.S. in Business Administration with a major in Accounting from Rider University and is a former Certified Public Accountant.
About Wheels Up Wheels Up is a revolutionary membership-based private aviation company that significantly reduces the upfront costs to fly privately, while providing unparalleled flexibility, service and safety. Created and led by renowned entrepreneur Kenny Dichter, Wheels Up offers guaranteed access up to 365 days a year to a private fleet of new Beechcraft King Air 350i, Citation Excel/XLS and Citation X aircraft to individual, family and corporate members. Wheels Up Members can also make use of the Wheels Up Flight Desk for vetted and verified charter aircraft. With the cutting-edge Wheels Up mobile app, members can seamlessly book flights, manage their accounts, participate in ride-share opportunities and select Hot Flights, a vast selection of one-way "empty leg" flights that are posted daily to the app and updated in real time. Members also have access to Wheels Down, a program featuring exclusive events and experiences, unique partner benefits and a full-service luxury concierge.
*Wheels Up does not operate aircraft; FAA licensed and DOT registered air carriers participating in the program exercise full operational control of all flights offered by or arranged through Wheels Up. All aircraft owned or leased by Wheels Up are leased to the operating air carrier and are operated exclusively by that air carrier. For details regarding specific Wheels Up programs, please visit wheelsup.com. Follow us on Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Google
