Wednesday, July 17, 2002
7:15 a.m. |
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Founder, President and CEO of Tailwind International, Inc.
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 Speaking at the July meeting of Success North Dallas will be Michele Wilkinson, founder, President and CEO of Tailwind International, Inc. a worldwide air charter management company located at Addison Airport.
Tailwind began with a vision and a concept. After being in the airline industry for a number of years, Michele conceived an idea of an airfreight service that would provide a chartered airplane tailored to the customer’s exact need, rather than partial space on a scheduled route. She had often dealt with situations where freight needed to be moved and either there was no scheduled air service that would meet their time frames, or the weight or dimensions of the cargo was too large for the space available. She saw a niche where her experience and knowledge would be valuable to a company trying to ship large or unusual freight. Image booking 250 live ostriches for a flight to china!
 Michele, a single mother at the time, set out to forge a relatively new concept in a predominantly male environment. She refused to acknowledge the “glass ceiling.” So, in 1989, with an innovative concept, a background in the air cargo industry, and a dream for personal advancement, Tailwind was born.
In 2001, Tailwind made the news by being the air charter company that brought the damaged Navy EP-3 surveillance plane home from China, following a mid-air collusion with a Chinese Jet Fighter. Working with Lockheed Martin, the U.S. Government as well as other countries and governments, Tailwind managed and monitored the project through its various stages, ending with its triumphant home coming in Marietta, Georgia in July 2001.
She will let you in on some of the changes that have occurred in the world of air cargo, and of some of the challenges, achievements and adventures that she has experienced as a business owner. Starting with her first office (a large closet in rented space), to the present time, Michele has an interesting story to tell.
Come meet Michele, and see some amazing pictures of the EP-3 project at the July meeting.
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