Ashley Whitcher Email & Phone Number

After twenty years as an employed commercial solicitor in private practice and within businesses, I began working independently as a consultant in the spring of 2020. I provide tailored solutions for organisations looking for an experienced senior lawyer to immediately and effectively support existing in-house teams, lead their existing team on an interim basis or help build out or refine an in-house legal team’s operational practices and capabilities, often in challenging circumstances:Key consultancy rolesMarine and Remote Sensing Solutions Limited - General Counsel Consultant, March 2021 – June 2023DAC Beachcroft LLP – Consultant to the Aviation Insurance team, March 2021 - presentVertical Aerospace Limited – Consultant Commercial Contracts Lawyer – August 2022 – present (ad hoc)RM plc - General Counsel & Company Secretary – December 2022 to approx. mid-March 2023Dronamics Global Limited - General Counsel Consultant, August 2021 – July 2022Lawyers on Demand – Consultant Commercial Solicitor – August 2022 – present SITA – European Legal Director (Initially LOD, then FTE) – June 2023 – Feb 2024

John Menzies was an FTSE Small Cap listed plc and is the world’s second-largest independent airport groundhandler and fueller. It operates globally across multiple airports in multiple countries and employs more than20,000 staff worldwide. I was appointed to build a full-service legal function to support the Group’s recentlyexpanded global operations and play a vital role in strengthening corporate governance.§ Organisational redesign, repositioning and implementation, including the hiring of strategic personnel.§ Departmental-wide metrics and key performance indicators to enhance accountability and improveboard reporting.§ Successful deployment of a Group-wide contract management platform to more than 70 internationalusers across three continents.§ Selection and appointment of the Group’s first international legal panel.§ Created and embedded the concept of legal astuteness within the executive team.

Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Emirate, United Arab Emirates

Head of Legal | Legal Counsel, 2008 – 2017Etihad was the world’s fastest-growing commercial airline in history and the national airline of the UnitedArab Emirates. I joined Etihad shortly after it started operations and led its seven airline investments inAustralia, India, Serbia, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Seychelles. My negotiating counterparts includedgovernments, regulators, senior industry executives, and advisors.§ Steered cross-border commercial cooperation arrangements, including but not limited to joint venturesand code sharing.§ Negotiated and oversaw financing facilities as both borrower and lender, either on a standalone basisor as part of an investment offering.§ Led large, complex commercial transactions, often involving multiple parties in multiple jurisdictions.§ Negotiated and secured agreements for long-term support of a fast-growing fleet of aircraft andengines.§ Oversaw the general business, including negotiating contracts, regulatory compliance, corporategovernance and corporate policy development.

Hatfield, England, United Kingdom

Castle Donington, England, United Kingdom

Post Graduate Diploma In Legal Practice, Law

Bachelor Of Laws - Llb, Law, Honours