From Tech to Tarmac: Why Aviation is Going Digital

OGARAJETS, the Atlanta-based aircraft broker with $7 billion in transaction history, just made a hire that tells you everything about where big money is heading. They brought in Matt Lake, a tech marketing veteran with over a decade in analytics, to run their data operations. For a company built on handshake deals, this move says something important.

Lake comes from NCR Voyix, where he ran marketing operations and built a brand website that earned a Webflow Award nomination. He’s got certifications in Google Analytics, Webflow and Scrum Product Ownership. More importantly, he’s a licensed private pilot who actually understands the business from the cockpit up.

‘Matt’s rare mix of creative thinking and analytical expertise makes him a perfect fit for OGARA,’ said Johnny Foster, the company’s President and CEO. ‘His leadership will help us expand our marketing capabilities and deliver measurable results as we continue to scale.’

Why Aviation is Going Digital

The wealthy clients buying private jets aren’t getting younger. The next generation expects the same digital sophistication they find everywhere else. They view jets less as status symbols and more as business tools, which changes how they research and buy them.

The private aviation market is moving from pure luxury positioning to focusing on convenience, safety and efficiency. Trust-based selling still matters, but now it needs data backing it up.

Lake will oversee marketing operations, campaign execution and the data strategy driving OGARA’s growth. His focus includes client engagement, digital systems and using analytics to measure marketing performance across all platforms.

The Relationship-Data Balance

Private aviation remains fundamentally relationship-based. Clients buying $50 million jets want to trust the people handling the transaction, not just algorithms. Lake’s pilot credentials matter because they signal authenticity in a sector where credibility is everything.

The most successful firms blend old-school consultative selling with modern data insights. Instead of replacing personal relationships, digital tools amplify them by identifying the right prospects, timing outreach perfectly and personalising every interaction. This approach mirrors how successful networkers build global empires – one authentic connection at a time, but with better targeting.

Outside work, Lake plays drums, reads history and plans family trips to Croatia with his wife and two young children. In private aviation, clients often choose brokers they could imagine having dinner with.

The Numbers Behind the Move

OGARAJETS has completed more than 1,150 business jet transactions across 50 countries over four decades. That’s a massive dataset of client preferences, buying patterns and market trends – exactly the information that becomes exponentially more valuable when properly analysed.

Private jet companies are adopting data-driven digital marketing strategies that emphasise exclusivity and high-touch customer engagement. The firms that crack this code will dominate the next decade of aircraft sales. It’s similar to how authors navigate saturated markets – effective targeting becomes the differentiator.

In a market where deals often take months to close and client acquisition costs run into six figures, getting the data right isn’t just helpful – it’s essential for survival. Lake’s appointment signals OGARAJETS’ recognition that future growth depends on blending their established relationship expertise with modern marketing technology.

What This Means for High-Value Industries

Lake’s move reflects something bigger happening across luxury sectors. High-end property auctions now use sophisticated buyer data, and even private equity firms are investing in marketing tech platforms.

Industries built on relationships aren’t immune to digital change. They’re just disrupted differently, with technology enhancing rather than replacing human connections. The winners will be companies that figure out how to use data to make their relationships more valuable, not to replace them entirely.

For business leaders watching this space, the lesson is clear: if aviation brokers are hiring tech marketing directors, your traditional industry probably needs to start thinking about data too.