ASTAR Air Cargo Executive Team

A new company guided by years of experience.

ASTAR Air Cargo is led by an executive team with years of experience in the airline industry and an established track record of success.

John Dasburg served as Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and President of the Burger King Corporation from April 2001 to January 6, 2003. He led the turnaround of the company that culminated in its December 2002 sale. Prior to joining Burger King, Dasburg served 10 years as President and Chief Executive Officer of Northwest Airlines, the world's fourth largest airline. Under Dasburg's leadership, Northwest Airlines established its reputation for operational excellence, experienced consistent and profitable growth, and became known as a strategic innovator.

Before his airline career, he served as president of Marriott's Lodging Group and executive vice president and CFO of Marriott Corp. As President, he was responsible for the full range of Marriott's lodging products as well as their development. He joined Marriott in 1980. Prior to his tenure at Marriott, he was a partner with KPMG, an international CPA firm.

Dasburg is a recipient of the 2001 Horatio Alger Award for Distinguished Americans and a recipient of the Commercial Air Transport Laureate Award in 2001. He was named airline industry "Man of the Year" in 1994 by Travel Agent magazine and has received numerous awards and recognitions of business distinction.

Dasburg received a bachelor's degree in engineering, a master's degree in business administration and a law degree, all from the University of Florida. He served three years in the U.S. Navy with one year in Vietnam. He was appointed by President George Bush to the White House Fellows Committee in 1991. He was also appointed by Governor Jeb Bush as a member of the Board of Governors of the Florida university system in 2003. He is active in civic affairs and serves as a director for many profit and not-for-profit enterprises.



Major General Ted Mallory III , Senior Vice President of Flight Operations and Chief Safety & Security Officer

Major General Theodore “Ted” Mallory III serves as ASTAR’s Senior Vice President of Flight Operations and Chief Safety & Security Officer. He is responsible for overseeing flight operations and serving as the airline’s chief safety and security officer.

Prior to joining ASTAR in June 2004, General Mallory served as an Aviation Safety Inspector for the Federal Aviation Administration. He is a retired senior captain and chief pilot from Northwest Airlines, holds an Air Transport Rating, and pilots his own aircraft. He has over 15,000 hours flying experience including 10,000 hours as a pilot in command. General Mallory has an extensive business background, a very distinguished military service record, and strong academic credentials in both civilian and military leadership.

General Mallory has been publicly recognized with numerous honors that testify to his outstanding career accomplishments and abilities. He is the recipient of the 2001 Meritorious Service Award from the Employer Support Guard and Reserve, the 2001 Department of Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the 2001 Northwest Airlines Presidents Award, and the 2005 Global War on Terrorism Service Medal from the Department of the Air Force.



Gary L. Hammes, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer

Gary Hammes serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for ASTAR Air Cargo. Gary has been with the company since 2002 and previously served as Senior Director of aircraft maintenance and engineering.

In his 16 years in the industry prior to joining ASTAR, Gary held management positions with Northwest Airlines, where he was the Director of Component Maintenance, United Airlines as 737 Fleet Operations Manager, and Evergreen International Aviation as Director of Maintenance/Business Services.

Gary has also served on numerous industry oversight committees. He is currently a member of the Senior Advisory Committee for the ATA and previously served as Chairman of the Boeing 737 Structures Task Group. He was also a member of the ATA Repairs assessment task group steering committee.

Gary and his family reside in the Cincinnati area.



Steve Rossum, Executive VP, General Counsel, and Chief Financial Officer

Steve Rossum serves as Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Chief Financial Officer for ASTAR Air Cargo. In addition, Rossum serves as ASTAR's corporate secretary, treasurer, and head of business transactions.

Prior to joining ASTAR in 2001, Rossum held senior legal and corporate finance positions at AirTran Airways, Reno Air, US Airways, and World Airways. Rossum, a corporate and commercial finance specialist, has led or participated in many significant transactions during his airline career including the sale and acquisition financing of ASTAR in 2003, the leveraged recapitalization of AirTran Airways in 2001, the sale of Reno Air to American Airlines in 1999, the acquisition and divestiture of hundreds of aircraft, and over $5 billion in aircraft and other financings. Rossum also previously practiced aviation and finance law at firms in Atlanta, Georgia.

Rossum received BA and BS degrees from Binghamton University of the State University of New York and a JD degree from Emory University School of Law. Rossum is active in pro bono legal activities and is a frequent lecturer to legal, finance, and industry groups on aircraft financing and other corporate transactions.