About US

Our History: How It All Started

In 1999, we started our humble beginning in the in-flight entertainment and communications (IFEC) market. Thales acquired the IFEC business from B/E Aerospace with two airline customers flying a legacy passenger system. It did not take long for Thales engineers to design a game-changing system called TopSeries, and by 2004 we won three new customers that proved to the market that Thales and our TopSeries system arrived.

Unique to the TopSeries system was its' modular, single platform design that brought together entertainment, communications and in-seat power. The system became offerable on Boeing and Airbus aircraft, and by 2005 the company was recognized as the fastest growing IFEC manufacturer in the world.

Times were exciting as the business experienced a major ramp up. Our parent company, Thales Group, realized that its' IFEC business was a unique piece of the overall $15 billion operation. Because each aircraft had over 1,000 components onboard and directly impacted passenger satisfaction, system availability and service-readiness were essential. Thales invested in personnel and facilities all over the world to ensure we had continuous system monitoring capability, effective local support and media services.

In 2007, new innovation was introduced in response to the market's need for the TopSeries to fit into regional jets. Thales consolidated system electronics into fewer components which allowed for the elimination of the seat electronics box. It was a clever decision that enabled the TopSeries to become the system of choice for Embraer and Bombardier.

Today, our product and service offering is an end-to-end solution that supports our customers before, during and after the flight. We have sold over 1500 systems to more than 60 world airlines, and are installing an estimated 120 each year.

In 2011, we unveiled the name of our next generation system, called TopSeries AVANT™, and in May announced the system has already been selected for a large fleet of A350 aircraft.

Our Culture

We are a bunch of hardworking people that care

Image: Make it Brilliant

If you ever visit one of our facilities, you would see a picture of a diamond with the words "Make it Brilliant" over it. This is the mantra our employees chose for the Thales IFEC business which reflects our passion to be the BEST. For each letter in the word BRILLIANT comes an associated word that suggest who we are as people.

We are a business built on entrepreneurial spirit, hard work and the joy of accomplishment. We value teamwork as well as individual achievement. Guided by the core values of Thales Group, we have a fundamental belief in people and the potential they possess. Our company invests in ongoing training to uncover hidden talents that keep employees engaged, motivated and excited about what they do.

Our organization is made up of many diverse cultures which together represent the best of what the world has to offer. With customer satisfaction at the heart of our work principles, we focus on the unique differences of our customers with the goal of making the TopSeries system an important part of their brand.

Our Vision:

We have a vision statement that sums it up best.

"To be the Best In-flight Entertainment and Communications Solutions Company by creating partnerships that endure, innovations that inspire and products and services that ensure exceptional value."

Meeting all of our commitments and growing with our customers creates solid partnerships. We strive to evolve and strengthen our relationships with our customers, OEMs and suppliers so that we drive loyalty through total satisfaction. We recognize that the perpetual exchange of information and our experiences with our customers result in new ideas that lead to innovations that add value, advance our offering and improve our processes.

Why Thales?

We Always Push the Envelope

Our Product: Our track record demonstrates that Thales delivers new capabilities every year. Our next generation TopSeries AVANT system is a liberating design that can be compared to none. Acclaimed for its unequalled efficiency and optimized performance, our latest system wraps an abundance of advanced technology into modern day packaging inspired by reliability, simplicity and the passenger experience.

Our Services: Transforming the way we manage the TopSeries system brings more efficient, cost-effective tools to airline operations. With the use of Internet and wireless technologies, Thales provides unique ways to handle content and data in a reliable and secure manner. Our flexible training programs, airline operations center, and global stations provide excellent support all day, every day.

Our Company: Our core competency is in Aerospace. On most commercial aircraft and in airports, you will find Thales products everywhere. Our company believes in working closely with its customers to ensure that we bring their visions into what we build and do.

Our People: We are people that truly care about our customer's success and do what it takes to be the BEST.

The Management Team

Alan Pellegrini, Chief Executive Officer

Image: Alan Pellegrini, Thales CEO

Alan currently serves as Chief Executive for Thales In-Flight Entertainment and Communications business. In this role, Alan provides overall leadership for the company's rapidly expanding IFEC business. He has been a leader in the cabin systems and avionics industry for over 15 years. Alan holds an MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business, an MS in Engineering from California State University, Northridge, and a BS in Applied Mathematics from UCLA.

Alan came to Thales from Integrated Media Solutions, Inc., where he served as CEO. At IMS, Alan helped lead the firm to extensive growth through the introduction of wireless communications and portable IFE products for commercial aircraft. Prior to joining IMS, Alan held the positions of President, Panasonic Transportation Systems Company, and Senior Vice President, Panasonic Avionics Company, where he spent three years helping the company successfully grow its cabin electronics business. Before Panasonic, Alan served as President and COO of Tenzing Communications (now OnAir Inc.), an emergent company focused on providing air-to-ground communications services, including passenger internet. Other leadership roles included Vice President Marketing and Sales with Rockwell Collins, supporting their commercial aviation businesses, and Vice President Marketing and Sales at Hughes Avicom, an industry pioneer in IFE. While at Hughes, Alan led the initiative resulting in the first-ever live satellite TV broadcast on a commercial flight. In addition to his operational leadership roles, Alan has served as a Board Director with two technology firms.

Marketing / Sales / Business Development

  • Stuart Dunleavy, Marketing
  • Jonathan Savitch, Sales and Support (The Americas)
  • William Hout-Marchand, Sales and Support (Europe/ Middle East)
  • Andrew Musgrave, Sales and Support (UK)
  • Lawrence Lee, Sales and Support (Asia Pacific)
  • H. Brandenburger, Business Development (Airbus)
  • Scott Brandenburg, Business Development (Boeing)
  • Jeff Sare, Business Development (COMAC)

Operations

  • Dimitri Savescu, Chief Operating Officer
  • Fred Schreiner, Engineering
  • Jim Harvey, Programs
  • Jeff Sare, Product Line Management and Commercial
  • Eric Pecquerie, Operations
  • Judy Weber, Service and Support
  • Stuart Dunleavy, Media Services
  • Nicolas Guichard, Quality

Corporate Services

  • Guy Blanguernon, Finance
  • Raj Ramasamy, IT
  • Martine Funston, VP Legal and Contracts
  • Susan Conti, Human Resources
  • Lori Krans, Communications