Mente Group Names Vince Restivo as New COO Responsible for Day-To-Day Operations

Mente Group has appointed Vince Restivo to the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer (COO), responsible for day-to-day administrative and operational functions of the broad-based aviation consulting firm.

Vince Restivo

Restivo, formerly Vice President of Program Management, will continue to report to Mente Group President and CEO Brian Proctor, who will focus more of his efforts on creating long-term strategies for the company and its clientele. In his new expanded role, Restivo, who has 37 years of experience in business aviation, will assess and manage ongoing business operations including process, policy and metrics to execute the company’s vision, goals and growth strategies.

“Vince’s solid and successful business aviation background with Gulfstream and Hawker Beechcraft as well as his passion for detail and quality will serve Mente Group and our clients exceptionally well,” said company President and CEO Proctor. “Our entire team looks forward to his contributions to our successes and that of our clientele.”

Mente Group, an aircraft dealer accredited by the International Aircraft Dealers Association (IADA), offers a comprehensive array of aviation consulting services to include fleet planning, appraisals and forecasting, buying, flight department startups, completion and refurbishment, operational alignment and Mente 360, a scalable, reliable and cost-effective corporate aviation asset advisory program.

Before joining Mente Group, Restivo was Vice President – Completions for Hawker Beechcraft and has served Gulfstream in various roles including Regional VP – Aircraft Sales and Director – Completion Sales. He is also the founder of Addo Virtus Advisors, an advisory firm specializing in completion management, business process and metrics focused on providing both operational and transactional value throughout the aircraft acquisition and ownership life-cycle.

Kim Stevens

Kim Stevens is the publisher of State Aviation Journal, which he founded in 2009. A longtime commercial-rated pilot, he was introduced to state aviation in 1992 as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics, later serving as Deputy Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. From 2013 to 2018, he was Director of Communications and Operations for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. Relocating to North Carolina, Kim worked for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for two years and now concentrates solely on the Journal. Prior to his aviation career, Kim spent a decade in the newspaper and magazine business.