Ernesto Ruiz

With more than thirty-five years of experience in senior leadership with TACA Airlines and Aeroman, Ernesto Ruiz has played fundamental roles in the successful turnaround of Grupo TACA and the incursion of Aeroman into the North American market.

He began his aviation career in 1985 with TACA Airlines as General Manager for Aeroman, the company’s then MRO division. In 1988, he became TACA’s Director of Maintenance & Engineering. In 2000, he was named Maintenance & Engineering VP for Grupo TACA, simultaneously working as Aeroman’s General Manager. His key roles included the development, management, and sales of heavy maintenance services for third-party clients, as well as the coordination of all maintenance and engineering support for Grupo TACA’s fleet. Ruiz was named CEO of Aeroman with the divestiture of Aeroman from TACA in 2006. He served as CEO from 2006 to 2014, and then as Chairman of the Board until 2016.

Ruiz’s other accomplishments include eight years of service as President of the Maintenance Committee for the Latin American Airlines Association (ALTA), his inclusion in the top twenty Latin American businessmen by America Economia magazine in 2013, and receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from Aviation Week in 2015.

He holds a degree in Metallurgical Engineering from Universidad del País Vasco/Euskal Herriko Unibertsitatea.

Expertise and Areas of Specialization

• Aviation Leadership: Over 35 years of experience leading major organizations in the aviation industry.
• Maintenance & Engineering Management: Directed maintenance operations for Grupo TACA’s fleet and third-party heavy maintenance services.
• Strategic Leadership: Led the divestiture and successful market expansion of Aeroman in North America.
• Board Leadership: Served as Chairman of the Board at Aeroman, providing strategic direction and governance.
• Industry Recognition: Recognized among the top twenty Latin American businessmen in 2013 and awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award by Aviation Week in 2015.

Technical Skills

• Strategic Management
• Operations Leadership
• Maintenance & Engineering Optimization
• Aviation Market Expansion
• Board Governance and Leadership