By Karina Timmel
Job: Owner of Jet Senters Aviation (JSA)
Born in: Westfield, New Jersey
Lives in: Brookhaven
Lisa Senters-McDermott is a serial entrepreneur. This forward-thinking woman has done everything from selling a TV show to HBO to working on Internet startup Net Zero. Aviation is one of her top passions, and she has logged more than 20 years in the industry.
As owner and operator of private-aviation company Jet Senters Aviation, she advises clients on airplane purchases, maintenance and other questions related to flying private. The company’s brokerage arm also flies clients, a mixture of private individuals and companies, on any trip at any time, utilizing approximately 3,500 planes in the U.S. and an international division.
“Some of the most rewarding parts of my job are helping reunite families. A family might need to fly to get to a sick loved one quickly or to celebrate a milestone like an 80th birthday,” Senters-McDermott says.
She is frequently asked to be a guest speaker on the landscape in private aviation today and recently spoke to the Harvard Business School alumni group. “Helping people and educating my clients regarding aviation is my favorite part of my career journey so far,” she says.
Her Biggest Life Lesson
“Without gratitude for everything, there is no happiness … Gratitude, for me, is synonymous with joy.”
