ISTAT Jetrader - Summer 2024 - 8

PERSPECTIVES
Pedro Heilbron
CEO of Copa Airlines
Jetrader spoke to Pedro Heilbron about Copa
Airlines' expansion plans, its recognition for
incredibly on-time service, Panama's position of
the " Hub of the Americas, " the overall health of
the industry and more.
Jetrader: What was your career
path prior to becoming CEO of
Copa Airlines?
Pedro Heilbron (PH): I've actually had
a very simple career in terms of fulltime,
real jobs (not counting summer
jobs). I've had only two jobs my whole
life, and they have both been under the
same chairman. I came to Copa since
I was working for a family in Panama,
a significant economic group in the
country, which, in the late 1980s,
acquired a majority position in Copa.
They were minority owners before
that. So, I was basically sent from one
company to the other. We weren't sister
companies, but we were closely related
at the time. Now we're a publicly traded
company, so that has all changed.
Copa Holdings' chairman, Stanley
Motta, was my boss in my first job at
Motta International.
Jetrader: Who were your mentors and
role models throughout your career?
PH: I haven't worked for many others
or been part of a team reporting to
someone, but when I first started
working full time for Stanley, it was just
him, myself and an assistant who we
both shared. I worked on their private
8 * THE OF F I C I AL PUBL I CAT I ON OF ISTAT
side - private investments and private
ventures. From that job, I came straight
to Copa seven years later, to my current
position leading the company. We were
a much smaller company, of course.
I was reporting to the chairman, who
was at first his father, Albert Motta, but
Stanley was effectively my boss. So,
I have pretty much always worked for
him. He has been an important mentor
to me.
My father, Osvaldo Heilbron, was
a close friend and business partner
of Stanley's father. My father was a
valuable adviser when I first started
working for the Mottas and also helped
me when I " applied " for the Copa
job. (If I remember right, he actually
suggested to Stanley that he should
consider me for that position). My
father was also a mentor, who showed
me the way and always gave me
great advice. Albert Motta was a very
wise businessman and loved people. I
learned a lot from him, too.
I don't want to be cheesy here, but
as mentioned before, I worked for one
person sharing an assistant, and when
I came to Copa, I had to lead a group
of people, something I had never done
before. It was a small group at first, but
ISTAT Jetrader - Summer 2024

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