Meet the Board

Mr. Chafik Kuzbari has been a Director of Novus Aviation Capital since its inception. He previously served as Novus Aviation Capital’s Chief Financial Officer before stepping down in 2018.

In 1994, he co-founded Novus Aviation Capital S.A. (formerly Novus Management & Consulting S.A. and Novus Aviation Services S.A.) in Geneva, Switzerland and acted as its General Manager until 2016.

Mr. Kuzbari participated in developing various Sharia’s compliant structures covering aircraft Islamic financing and leasing with various prominent scholars, and was instrumental in establishing and launching the first Sharia compliant aircraft leasing fund.

Mr. Kuzbari also serves as a director for several global investment companies and funds.

 Hani Kuzbari is the Co- Chief Executive Officer, Member of the Board and Shareholder of Novus Aviation Capital, a resilient and growing aviation financing platform, and a pioneer in aircraft leasing. Hani is responsible for the group’s strategy in building a robust structure, which has generated sustained success over two decades and established a strong foundation for future growth. 

Hani is a specialist in originating, structuring, and developing a range of aircraft leasing investment and financing vehicles and global joint ventures with investors, banks, lessors, and manufacturers. He has been instrumental in the design, launching and operations of Tamweel Aviation Finance and Cedar Aviation Finance (Novus’s mezzanine debt platforms) as well as the award-winning Ortus Aircraft Leasing Fund, an innovative aircraft operating lease vehicle structured in partnership with a leading Japanese financial institution. 

Hani has originated and completed a variety of aircraft leasing deals with prominent airlines across the globe under a variety of structures. During his career and across cycles, Hani has also remarketed and transitioned a number of single and twin aisle aircraft with leases attached, following lease expiries but also as a result of distressed situations. 

Master of Business Administration – University Of Chicago Booth School Of Business, USA

Bachelor of Business Administration and Marketing – American University of Beirut, Lebanon

Mounir Kuzbari is the Co- Chief Executive Officer, Member of the Board and Shareholder of Novus AviationCapital, a resilient and growing aviation financing platform and a pioneer in aircraft leasing.

Mounir is also responsible for the group’s strategy in building a robust structure, which has generated sustained success over two decades and established a strong foundation for future growth. Mounir brings to his role a wealth of experience and expertise in originating and arranging structured finance solutions for theaviation industry and in advising airlines and aircraft owners on the selection, purchase, financing, leasing and management of aircraft investments.

Prior to joining Novus, Mounir served as Senior Vice-President with DVB Bank in New York, managing part of the bank’s portfolio of aviation clients in the Americas. He also worked at DVB’s Frankfurt and London offices in various groups including the bank’s risk department and the investment management group. While at DVB he led a team advising a group of Middle Eastern investors on developing a business plan, building a capital raising strategy and implementing an aircraft leasing platform. He also served on the Investment Committee of Aviateur Capital, a mezzanine debt vehicle partially backed by Airbus.

Mounir is also a co-founder and board member of Yellow Door Energy, a solar and energy efficiency solution provider and a former Board Member of the Clean Energy Business Council. Mounir is an active member of the Young President’s Organization (YPO) and the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT). He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Finance and Economics from the American University of Beirut (AUB) and completed an Executive Education Program in Family Business from the Harvard Business School.

Mounir speaks English, French and Arabic.

Bachelor of Finance and Economics – American University of Beirut, Lebanon

Mamoun Kuzbari is the Chief Operating Officer and Member of the Board of Novus Aviation Capital, based at the Company’s headquarters in Dubai. He is responsible for Novus’ portfolio management, transaction execution, technical management and trading activities. He also oversees aircraft remarketing, transitions and disposal, having completed over $2 billion in asset sales and transitions.

Prior to joining Novus, Mamoun worked for six years in the software consulting industry. At Oracle Software, he participated in several important Oracle e-business software implementations, such ILO and Dubai Government. He then joined Kynergy Sàrl, where he, as well as being a consultant on several projects, he managed CRM implementations.

Mamoun holds an MSc in Management in Information Systems obtained from the University of Geneva and has obtained Post-Graduate Diploma in Air Transport Management MSc from Cranfield University.

Mamoun is a Director of the International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT) and an active member of the Aviation Club of the UK.

Master of Science, Information Systems – University of Geneva, Switzerland

Post-Graduate Diploma, Air Transport Management – Cranfield University, UK

Nils Hallerstrom was appointed to Novus’s Board of Directors in January 2019. Prior to joining Novus, he was the President of PK Finans from 1991. In 2000, PK was acquired by General Electric Capital Corporation and changed its name to PK AirFinance, which he held the position of President for GE Capital Aviation Services/PK AirFinance till the end of 2018, he helped grow PK’s aircraft backed debt portfolio to over $6bn.

He has also, in co-operation with a vendor in Sweden, developed Monte Carlo simulation software used across PK AirFinance for pricing, structuring and underwriting new loans, managing portfolios, valuing loans, and data mining and analytics. Licences for this digital tool has been sold to Boeing Capital Corporation and Nomura Babcock, Brown.

Previously, Nils has also been a Director of International Society of Transport Aircraft Trading (ISTAT) and on the Board of Governors of their appraisal programme as well as  a regular lecturer on Aircraft Financing at the Air Business Academy in Toulouse.

He holds an MSc in Aeronautical Engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and a MSc in Accounting & Finance from the London School of Economics.