I spent 35 years with PK AirFinance, the last 27 years as its president. I retired from PK in 2018. Prior to PK, I worked for SAAB on the SAAB 340 regional aircraft project and for the Ministry of Industry in Sweden. My educational background is an MSc in Aeronautical Engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and an MSc in Accounting and Finance from the London School of Economics. See full bio bellow
Nils completed military service during summer months from 1972-1977 in the Royal Swedish Air Force and was honourably discharged as second lieutenant.
Nils taught Theoretical Mechanics at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm on a part-time basis. In 1976, he completed a 3 months internship at SAAB-SCANIA where he wrote his senior thesis on “Stability and Control of Naturally Unstable Aircraft”.
He was Head of Section at the Swedish Ministry for Industry and worked on aerospace matters.
In 1984, Nils moved to PK Finans in Luxembourg, (Crédit Lyonnais/PK AirFinance 1988-2000). He started PK's New York Branch in 1990 and became president of PK in 1991. In 2000, the company was acquired by General Electric Capital Corporation and changed name to PK AirFinance. PK has financed over 2,500 jet aircraft for airlines, traders and operating lessors. It has offices in Luxembourg, Norwalk, Toulouse, and Tokyo. During his tenure, the portfolio grew from $1bn to $8bn. He retired from PK in 2018 after 34 years, of which 27 years as president.
Since 1993, he has, in co-operation with a vendor in Sweden, Xice AB, developed Monte Carlo simulation software (MidaX) that is used across PK for pricing, structuring and underwriting new loans and leases, managing portfolios, valuing loans and lease encumbered aircraft, and data mining and analytics. Licences for this digital tool were sold to Boeing Capital Corporation and Nomura Babcock, Brown among others.
Nils joined Novus Aviation Capital and Rockton Aviation AB as non-executive director. He is also Program Director for the Professional Development Program of the International Society for Transport Aircraft Traders (ISTAT), lectures at the University College of Dublin in the Master of Aircraft Financing program, and does advisory work pertaining to financial modelling.
Nils holds a MSc in Aeronautical Engineering from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm
He studied Sciences Commerciales at the University of Geneva
Nils holds an MSc in Accounting & Finance from the London School of Economics.
Aviation Pathology & Treatment
Diagnosis of a Vicious Cycle
Jetrader spoke to Nils Hallerstrom, ISTAT PDP program director and member
of the boards of Novus Aviation Capital and Rockton about his career,
changes he’s seen over the years, COVID-19 and more.
