ePlane, the AI-driven online marketplace for the US$80 billion-a-year aircraft parts market, has appointed Gideon Shmuel as the company’s new CEO. Shmuel is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience building tech companies through his expertise in investor relations, sales, and marketing. He succeeds Avi Gelman, who is one of the founders of the company. Gelman will remain on ePlane’s board of directors and continue to help guide the company.
The hire comes as ePlane looks towards further growth and deepening their strategic relationships within the industry. Despite the enormous size of the aerospace parts (MRO) market, the purchasing and selling of aircraft parts rely on long-established methods without a single source. This prevents the ecosystem from effectively transacting and communicating increasing costs and inventory levels while reducing efficiency.
ePlane is modernizing and streamlining the process of buying, selling and exchanging airplane parts. Over 2,000 airlines, OEMs, distributors, MROs and brokers already use ePlane’s online platform, and the company is on track for more than 200 new registrants this month. With analysts predicting that 38,000 new aircraft will be produced over the next 20 years, the demand for parts and repairs is expected to double.