Story ID: 
Standdown Focuses on Cybersecurity, Employee Safety
By: Jerry Siebenmark
Caption: Safety in a business aviation organization starts with its people, Bombardier Safety Standdown attendees hear.
Word Count: 222
The success of safety in a business aviation organization starts with its people, presenters told attendees today at Bombardier Safety Standdown. Differences in compensation, cultures, and unintentional workplace messaging are some of the factors that can create a divide in an organization or department, leading to dissatisfaction and a breakdown in safety, Aviation Personnel International president and CEO Sheryl Barden and v-p Jennifer Pickerel explained.

For example, compensation trends in business aviation over the past seven years show that captains have seen a more than 30 percent increase, while schedulers have seen only a 14 percent pay bump over the same period. Pressures that women and other underrepresented groups in an organization feel are also “likely greater than what others are feeling,” Pickerel said.

To overcome these and other barriers, they encouraged leaders to stay engaged with their employees by understanding what they value, identifying cultural mismatches, and learning their aspirations and what motivates them.

Attendees also heard about cybersecurity and safety from Jeffrey Troy, president and CEO of the Aviation Information Sharing and Analysis Center. Troy explained that while the industry is undertaking efforts to address growing cybersecurity risks, there needs to be better collaboration and coordination between the industry and policymakers. “There are way too many cyber rules that are not harmonized,” he said.