Brenda Sperber, General Manager – Velocity Aerospace/Burbank
PAG MANUFACTURING / DER SERVICES
you’d put your own mother on that plane.
A self-described “Valley Girl,” Brenda grew up in Woodland Hills in the San Fernando Valley. While she earned a BA in Business Management, she held various college jobs. Her favorite was working for the Auto Club of Southern California, booking flights and helping people plan their travels.
When she graduated, Brenda’s father was a division CFO for AMETEK (Ameron Global). She thought, “I can do accounting,” and for a year Brenda worked in the AMETEK accounting department.
“I learned about safety equipment, repair shops, oxygen tanks, and fire suppression systems. Over time, I became interested in shop operations, technical work processes and procedures, inventory management, and distribution logistics. So, I asked to be transferred to repair shop customer service. I learned everything I could get my hands on, stepped in when asked to help, and was promoted to Office Manager for MRO and head of part sales. I was there for another eight years.”
In 2015, Velocity Aerospace recruited Brenda to run their distribution center in Burbank, CA. The CEO recognized her operational skills and asked Brenda to direct necessary changes within MRO services. She was then promoted to Repair Station Assistant General Manager. Brenda became General Manager of the Burbank location in 2019. PAG acquired Velocity in 2022.
“Most of our customers are major airlines. Many of their aircraft are no longer supported by the manufacturer and every airline has unique requests. As a maintenance provider, we work with their engineers and technicians to determine specifically what the airline needs. Velocity is successful because we partner with customers to ensure compliance with all special requirements. It could be that an entire fleet needs avionics upgrades, new smoke detectors, or updated technical data.”
“Over time, legacy parts and consumables may no longer be available. Newer parts age out of warranty and require third-party Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) services. If we can’t support their criteria, we develop new in-house capabilities from the airline’s Engineering Order Specifications. At that point, everything we do is focused on meeting customer turn times. Our greatest focus is balancing production with quality and safety.”
Earlier this year, a regional airline sent Velocity an Emergency Location Transponder (ELT) for service. They had an unexpected flight to make, but that aircraft was grounded due to the ELT. On a Saturday, Brenda called in a repair technician, an inspector, and a logistics clerk. The part shipped that day. The airline was grateful for being able to make the flight on time.
For Brenda, “I want what we do, and how we do it, to engage all our employees. Providing the best possible quality is how we make a difference for our customers, families, and friends. My rule is don’t turn in a part unless you’d put your own mother on that plane.”
Contact Brenda Sperber: +1.818.246.8431 | bsperber@velocityaerospace.com
— PAG Insider
