LA GUARDIA AIRPORT, NEW YORK (May 11, 2007) – FlightSafety International announced today that Rick Bedard has been promoted to Director of the company's newly established Operations Support Group.
"We are pleased that Rick has joined the operations team. His understanding of customer requirements and experience in business systems and operations makes him the ideal choice to lead this new group," said Greg McGowan, Vice President, Operations, FlightSafety International. "Rick, together with the entire Operations Support Group, will help FlightSafety continue to provide our customers with world leading training programs and the highest level of customer service."
The Operations Support Group will manage the implementation of the policies, processes, and systems related to FlightSafety's Training Management System. Additionally, the team will provide operational support to the company's Learning Centers and identify new systems and process requirements.
Bedard joined FlightSafety in 1998 as Assistant Manager of FlightSafety's Learning Center in West Palm Beach Florida. He became Director, Analysis and Planning of FlightSafety's Business Systems department in 2005.
Rick has served in the United States Army National Guard for over 28 years. Prior to joining FlightSafety, he was Director of Operations at the Army Aviation Support facility at Rickenbacker International Airport in Columbus, Ohio. Bedard served in Honduras, Kuwait and Iraq, flew more than 2,600 hours in UH-1, AH-1 and OH-58 helicopters and was a flight instructor and aircraft maintenance test pilot. Bedard remains active with the Florida National Guard and holds the rank of Colonel.
He graduated from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, with a Bachelor of Science degree in Management Science and Operations Research and holds a Masters in Business Administration from Capital University in Columbus, Ohio. He completed the United States Army War College through a Securities Studies Fellowship at Tufts University, in Medford, Massachusetts.
FlightSafety International is the world’s premier aviation training organization. Over 75,000 pilots, technicians and other aviation professionals train at FlightSafety facilities each year. The company designs and manufactures full flight simulators for civil and military aircraft programs and operates the world’s largest fleet of advanced full flight simulators at 40 training locations.
