Guardian Jet elevates three sales leaders

Guardian Jet promoted Dan Gardner, Zach Conover and William Smith to sales director roles as the aircraft brokerage and consulting firm expands its reach across jet and turboprop markets. The move strengthens coverage in key U.S. regions while highlighting the firm’s transaction volume and data-driven advisory business. Why it matters: - Guardian Jet is adding senior sales capacity across its brokerage and consulting business as demand for aircraft sales, acquisitions and advisory support stays broad across jet and turboprop segments. - The promotions give the firm deeper coverage in New England, the Midwest, the Mid-Atlantic and the Southeast. - Guardian Jet handles more than $2 billion in aircraft transactions annually and supports clients worldwide, so sales leadership changes can affect a large pipeline of deals. What happened: - Guardian Jet promoted Dan Gardner, Zach Conover and William Smith to sales director roles. - Gardner will focus on midsize and large jet sales and acquisitions. - Conover and Smith will serve clients through the Light Jet & Turboprop Division. - The promotions were announced from Guilford, Connecticut. The details: - Gardner is based in Connecticut and focuses on jet sales and acquisitions across New England and areas east of the Hudson River. - Gardner works with high-net-worth individuals, corporate flight departments and first-time buyers. - Gardner previously served as director of operations and supported a record volume of aircraft transactions across deal execution, contract administration, client communication and digital product development. - Before joining Guardian Jet, Gardner spent four years at McKinsey & Company in digital and analytics consulting. - Gardner holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Boston College and is working toward a private pilot certificate. - Gardner is active with Aviators for Autism and hosts a monthly webinar series for families navigating the autism journey. - Conover is based in Chicago and advises turboprop and light jet owners and operators across the Midwest, with a focus on Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin. - Conover joined Guardian Jet in 2022 as a consultant and supported clients across the consulting and asset management platforms. - In 2025, Conover contributed to more than 20 aircraft transactions totaling approximately $285 million. - Conover holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from the University of Connecticut with a concentration in valuation and portfolio management. - Conover maintains Series 7, 63 and 65 licenses. - Conover earned his aircraft broker certification from the International Aircraft Dealers Association in 2024. - Conover is a member of the National Business Aviation Association, Chicago Area Business Aviation Association, Michigan Business Aviation Association and Wisconsin Business Aviation Association. - Conover supports the Special Olympics and Guilford Youth Mentoring. - Smith is based in Connecticut and serves turboprop and light jet clients throughout the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, including Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C. and the Carolinas. - Smith joined Guardian Jet in 2021 on the inside sales team, managing aircraft sales inquiries and supporting transactions from deposit through closing. - Since 2023, Smith has supported more than 65 aircraft transactions across sales and acquisitions roles totaling more than $500 million in transaction value. - Smith has contributed to market research analysis across more than 120 aircraft markets. - Smith’s work has focused on valuation, pricing and transaction support across light jets and turboprops, including the Piper Matrix, Citation CJ series and Embraer Phenom models. - Smith holds a bachelor’s degree in advertising from the University of South Carolina. - Smith earned his IADA aircraft broker certification in 2023. - Smith is a member of the National Business Aviation Association and IADA. - Guardian Jet is a global aircraft brokerage, consulting and data analytics firm specializing in turboprop and business jet transactions. - The firm advises clients on aircraft sales, acquisitions, appraisals and fleet planning. - Guardian Jet says clients have 24/7 access to the Vault platform, which aggregates historical transaction data, pricing intelligence and benchmarking tools. - The company supports aircraft transactions across six continents and serves family offices, multinational enterprises, corporate flight departments, aircraft owners and aircraft management companies. Between the lines: - The promotions reward three employees who already handled meaningful transaction volume and client work inside the firm. - Guardian Jet is leaning on regional specialization, which can help the company match buyers and sellers across different aircraft classes and geographies. - The emphasis on data analytics and the Vault platform signals that the firm wants sales to be paired with market intelligence, not just brokering. What’s next: - Gardner, Conover and Smith will expand their client coverage in their assigned regions and aircraft segments. - Guardian Jet is likely to use the promotions to support continued transaction flow across its heavy jet, light jet and turboprop markets. - More information is available at Guardian Jet .