Michael A. Rossi
PRINCIPAL, DIRECTIONAL AVIATION
Michael Rossi has been a premier leader in the development of innovative business strategies in the aviation industry since 1982. Today, Mr. Rossi is the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Flexjet a shareholder and board member of Flexjet, as well as a shareholder and principal in Directional Aviation Capital. In his role, Mr. Rossi is responsible for leading Flexjet’s financial strategy, overseeing financial operations and driving growth and profitability.
With involvement in over 30 acquisitions, mergers and divestitures across the private aviation industry, Mr. Rossi brings unprecedented strategic experience to Directional.
Mr. Rossi’s extensive experience touches on all areas of general aviation, including fractional ownership, jet card programs, fixed-base operations, maintenance facilities, management of aircraft and the buying and selling of corporate aircraft. Mr. Rossi has been involved in capital and debt transactions in excess of $5B.
His career as a Chief Financial Officer began with a restructuring of Mercury Air Centers, where he was instrumental in increasing EBITDA by over 200 percent, a result of acquisitions and operating efficiencies. Balancing a disciplined and growth-oriented approach to an always-evolving market, Mr. Rossi was among the leaders who drove the acquisitions of Sentient Jet in 2012, Flexjet in 2013, PrivateFly in 2018 and Sirio in 2019.
His leadership in guiding Flexjet through the challenges of the 2020 pandemic drew on the experience and best practices he developed as CFO of Flight Options, an organization that not only weathered the 2008–2009 Great Recession but grew every year that followed.
In 2022, Mr. Rossi played a vital role in a transaction combining Zanite, a Special Purpose Acquisition Company (SPAC), and Embraer’s EVE, an eVTOL manufacturer, which resulted in EVE becoming a publicly traded company.
To further fuel Flexjet’s global expansion, in 2024, Mr. Rossi oversaw a $500 million bond offering that was funded after just eight days, raising $550 million. This was followed in 2025 by his pivotal role in securing an $800 million investment in Flexjet from LVMH‑backed L Catterton, marking the largest equity investment in private aviation history.
Mr. Rossi is a graduate of John Carroll University and is a Certified Public Accountant. As a testament to long-term relationships, Mr. Rossi and Kenneth Ricci have not only been business partners, but personal friends for more than four decades.