NBAA to Honor Roger Whyte with John P. Doswell Award at NBAA-BACE 2026
Why It MattersRecognizing decades-long careers that span OEM sales leadership, FBO management, safety advocacy and regional trade groups underscores how business aviation's growth has relied on cross-border industry-building roles beyond any single company.
What happened
The National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) will present business aviation executive and industry advocate Roger Whyte with the John P. "Jack" Doswell Award, recognizing his decades of contribution to the global business aviation industry. The award will be presented at NBAA-BACE, scheduled for October 20-22, 2026.
Whyte began his aviation career in 1974 as general manager of European FBO OEFAG Aviation Services. He joined Cessna Aircraft Company in 1982 as Citation regional sales manager for German-speaking Europe, subsequently serving as director of Europe, Middle East and Africa and later director of international Citation sales. Upon retiring from Cessna in 2010, he held the position of senior vice president of sales and marketing, responsible for all aircraft product lines. He later represented Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation aircraft sales in Austria for six years.
Whyte has served on the NBAA Board of Directors, including as chairman of the NBAA Advisory Council and chair of the board's Nominating Committee. He is a founding member of the Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) and served three years as chairman of the board of directors of Prague-based Central Europe Private Aviation Association (CEPA). He also contributed to the development of the Asian Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (ABACE), aimed at expanding business aviation access across the Asia-Pacific region.
Whyte has served on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and on the Board of Governors for the National Aviation Hall of Fame. He is a current member of the board of directors of Avcon Jet, and retired last December after 15 years on the board of Duncan Aviation. "Roger Whyte reflects the very best of business aviation, including vision, integrity, service and a deep commitment to advancing the global industry," said NBAA President and CEO Ed Bolen. Named for the former director of flight operations for FlightSafety International and chair of NBAA's Airspace/Air Traffic Committee, the Doswell Award honors lifelong individual achievement in support of business aviation's aims and objectives.
Industry impact & what to watch
This kind of award tends to mark a career that ran across the industry's connective tissue rather than inside one company: OEM sales at Cessna and Gulfstream, FBO management, safety-body founding at ACSF, and regional trade leadership at CEPA and ABACE. Business aviation's institutional structure — boards, safety foundations, regional associations, trade shows — depends on individuals who move between manufacturer, association and regional-body roles over long stretches, since no single employer captures that breadth of coordination.
The presentation at NBAA-BACE in October will formalize the recognition, with NBAA's own leadership framing it around vision, integrity and service to the global industry.
