Jetrader - Summer 2017 - 10

Q&A

Meet Your New
ISTAT President
A Conversation with:
Douglas W. Runte, CFA
Managing Director, Securitized
Products & High Yield Research, Deutsche Bank
2017-2019 ISTAT President
Jetrader: How did you initially get
involved in aviation finance? Is aviation a lifelong passion?
Douglas Runte: I suppose, like most
kids, I had an interest in airplanes
from a young age. I remember my first
flights on WhisperLiners (L-1011s) and
Whisperjets (727s). Now that I've dated
myself with childhood memories of trips
on long-defunct airplanes, I can share
that my professional involvement in
aviation was serendipitous rather than
planned. I took a job after business
school as a research analyst at Morgan
Stanley, and the airline sector was one
of several areas I was assigned to cover.
I found aviation particularly interesting
and, in the years since, I have continued to focus on covering aviation as a
research analyst.
JT: How long have you worked for
Deutsche Bank Securities, and how did
you end up there?
DR: I've worked at Deutsche Bank for
almost seven years, and I joined to be part
of an industry-leading aviation and transportation franchise that would offer our
clients best-in-class research and a comprehensive range of products and advisory
services in aviation. We now have a large
and highly accomplished team of professionals who are focused on aviation capital
markets, lending, sales and trading, and
both fixed income and equity research on

the aviation sector. I'm proud to be a part
of the team.
JT: Can you talk a little bit about your
roots in ISTAT? What prompted you join,
and how did you find yourself in a leadership position with the organization?
DR: I've been going to ISTAT conferences for almost 20 years and have felt a
strong affinity for the organization and its
goals from the start. As someone getting
started in the industry, I found ISTAT conferences a great opportunity to gather new
information and get insights from industry
participants. I also relished the fact that,
even as someone new to the business, I
had a chance to meet and chat informally
with industry leaders during the many networking events that are a key part of all
ISTAT conferences.
After attending and ultimately speaking
at quite a few ISTAT Conferences, I decided
to run for the ISTAT Board in 2008. I lost.
After encouragement - and more than a
little teasing - from my friends in ISTAT,
I decided to run again and was elected
to the Board in 2010. After several years
working as a conference co-chair of ISTAT
Americas and ISTAT Europe, I took up the
role of ISTAT Treasurer for four years, stepping into the large shoes of Marc Allinson,
who was my immediate predecessor and
mentor in the role. While time consuming, being Treasurer gives you a great
understanding of the organization. Last

10 The official publication of the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading

Only after great pleading did your new
ISTAT president agree to allow his photo
to appear with this article. Don't tell him
we told you that.

year, I was elected President by my fellow
Board members with a term beginning this
year. I am honored to have been selected
and humbled to follow those Presidents
with whom I have served on the Board
since 2010  - John  Vitale, Joe  Ozimek,
Jep Thornton and Marc Allinson - as well
as those who held the President position
before them. I hope that I can continue the
good work done by each of them.
JT: How has ISTAT changed in the time
you've been actively involved?
DR: The most obvious change is in the
size of the membership, as well as the
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