Jennifer Pickerel

Vice President

Jennifer Pickerel is a decisive leader with exceptional communication skills, and a unique ability to build relationships, inspire confidence and unite teams. As Vice President of Aviation Personnel International, she works directly with API’s clients, most of whom are aviation directors, reporting executives and corporate HR partners.

As a recruiter with 15 years of experience working in business aviation, Jennifer has a deep understanding of the workforce challenges facing the industry today. She draws on her subject matter knowledge and expertise to speak at an array of industry events, as well as to author industry media articles on employee attraction, retention and topics of diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I).

Passionate about equitable representation and inclusion, Jennifer serves as the Chair of NBAA’s DE&I Working Group, Endeavor, and actively participates in industry leadership and advisory groups, including Bombardier’s Safety Standdown Advisory Council and NBAA’s Maintenance and Business Aviation Management committees.
She also is a member of the NBAA Maintenance Committee, International Aviation Womens Association, Minnesota Business Aviation Association, Pacific Northwest Business Aviation Association and Women in Corporate Aviation. Through her relationship with the Minnesota State University, Mankato, she works one-on-one with students to conduct resume reviews, mock interviews, and offer career and salary advice.

Since joining API in 2015, Jennifer has held progressive roles in all areas of the company, and was promoted to her current position in 2020. As VP, she is the “chief of staff” to the company’s President & CEO, and serves as the primary point of contact for most of API’s recruitment projects and staff needs.

Prior to API, Jennifer served in many key roles at MedAire, an International SOS company, including Client Services Manager and Senior Account Manager. During her 10-year tenure there, she gained significant leadership experience, developed key aviation industry relationships and honed her communication skills.

Jennifer is a distinguished graduate of the IWF Leadership Fellows Program and Northwestern University-Kellogg School of Management’s DEI-focused executive education program. Her holistic approach to leadership reflects a commitment to excellence and innovation in the aviation personnel landscape. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of Nebraska, in Lincoln, Nebraska.