There’s no question that CFO Michael Mills is focused on financial performance, but he’ll also tell you that his primary concern, and the thing that drives everything he does at Broadwing Aviation, is the customer. “Everything Broadwing does is about customer service and doing what is best for the customer. I try to keep this in mind in my role as CFO and instill it in all parts of the company.”

Indeed, the customer is at the core of what originally drove the founding partners. “We knew there was a demand for a company like Broadwing whose sole goal was solving customer problems,” he explains. “Most companies try to sell their product — we try to help the customer by listening and responding.”

As the child of an entrepreneurial father who started his own insurance company, Michael says that spirit inspired and has stayed with him. After earning a BBA in Finance from The University of Texas (Austin) and an MBA from Southern Methodist University, he found himself first at Deloitte & Touche and subsequently immersed in the aviation industry as part of aftermarket supplier Source One Spares. He then went on to co-found Broadwing Aviation.

While doing the right thing for the customer always drives him at Broadwing, Michael says doing the right thing in life is the lesson he shares with his son, and are the words he lives by.

• He’s a recent board member at West Dallas Community School, a nonprofit private school for under served children.
• He believes in supporting charities that focus on education, adding, “I’m a big believer in education and believe it is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. As such, my family and I strive to make a difference where we can.”
• Michael has been married for over 20 years to his wife Melanie. They have one son.