February 1, 2021 – MIAMI. After nearly eight years working for The Registry of Aruba, Alexandria Colindres is stepping up as CEO, from her current role as COO of the company. Her father, the company’s founder, Jorge Colindres, will stay on as the Executive Chairman and CEO of ARG (Aviation Registry Group of Companies), The Registry’s holding (parent) company.
Ms. Colindres started at the company in the summer of 2013, performing public relations duties. Her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Tufts University and an MBA in Art Management at Columbia College inspired her to transform the company’s brand identity and attract new clients, as well as stabilizing the company’s core team. The staff of eleven, based in Miami, work closely with the DCA of Aruba to deliver timely aircraft registration to business and commercial aircraft clients. The partnership is at the heart of the company’s business, and Ms. Colindres is proud of her role in nurturing that relationship.
“Through the years our relationship with the DCA has flourished. There has been a strong focus on team building between both organizations,” Ms. Colindres noted. . “The Registry of Aruba team and the DCA are an integrated, trusting team.”
Since Ms. Colindres joined the company, it has grown the commercial operation department from one AOC to seven. She credits this to the work of her staff, who have responded well to her team-building management style as COO. The company has limited turnover and offered more flexibility by restructuring the roles and positions to keep employees playing to their strengths.
“Before, our team was more compartmentalized. We did a lot of cross-training at work, and team-building outside of the office. Now, we’re all revolving and working around each other. It’s like a solar system, circling each other, rather than being in our own galaxies,” Ms. Colindres explained.
The Registry of Aruba has always embraced innovation. Established in 1995 as the first public-private aircraft registration program, Aruba is managed, alongside the DCA, by a private team. This business model means customers are dealing with dedicated, personalized service instead of a bureaucracy. The registration process is streamlined to exclude red tape while maintaining, at its core, a high level of safety, allowing owners and operators to fly unrestricted worldwide, as quickly as possible. This was nearly uncharted territory when The Registry began. Since its founding, ARG has developed two successful aircraft registries (Aruba and San Marino), with more on the horizon.
Since 2012, when the company developed the first online system for aircraft registration, electronic access has been a large part of the company’s brand. Ms. Colindres hopes to continue to become entirely digital in her tenure as CEO.
“As the company culture has changed, we’ve brought on many colleagues who are very pro-technology. Our goal is to keep the same high standard for safety and customer service as we innovate and evolve,” she says. “We truly believe in the importance of technology. Aviation is a very dynamic industry, and I believe the use of the appropriate technology is key in continuous innovation and success. We are committed to high safety standards, along with a core belief in providing our clients with an unparalleled level of service and support. Technology can help us accomplish both.”
In recognition of her achievements in the field, Ms. Colindres received the Sapphire Pegasus Business Aviation Award for Young Talent/Start-Ups in June 2019. One of a small number of women in the male-dominated field of aviation, she prefers to focus on the quality of her work rather than gender politics, though.
Going forward as CEO, Ms. Colindres is focusing on expanding The Registry’s clientele across the world. This will be a continuation of her recent success attracting clients in Hong Kong and elsewhere in Asia.
“It’s about understanding cultures,” she said. “While developing our customer relationship, it became evident that some of our international clientele appreciate more face to face communication. I started that by going to Hong Kong and China to set up meetings and introduce myself. The Registry made it a priority to be present, and that has resulted in some big client relationships. I would like to expand that strategy to several other regions. The Aruba Registry has a lot to offer and it has been tried and tested throughout its now 26 years in operation,” Ms. Colindres explained.
Many clients choose The Registry of Aruba because their homebase CAA’s are not customer service-oriented, or too focused on large-scale commercial aviation operations. In contrast, Aruba prioritizes business aviation clients and bespoke service to each client as its core business. With that in mind, Ms. Colindres plans to expand The Registry’s clientele base in Mexico, India and Africa.
Even as Covid-19 creates volatility and challenges in aviation, The Registry of Aruba will continue to navigate those challenges – and their clients – across the globe with Ms. Colindres at the helm.
