Today we’d like to introduce you to Omar Santos.
Hi Omar, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Omar Santos grew up in Saint Croix, a U.S. Virgin Island. As a child, Santos was exposed to the aviation industry through his family and friends, growing his fascination of aviation and influencing his decision to pursue the field. In Florida, he attended a community college to understand what a career as an aviation maintenance technician would look like before attending Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. At Embry-Riddle, Santos worked on a variety of aircraft, allowing him to learn about maintenance, and took basic IT courses to understand software in the industry. He graduated from Embry-Riddle with a major in aviation/business maintenance management and minors in IT and finance before starting at Trax in 2000.
He began his career at Trax as a customer support agent and trainer. After 3 years, he was promoted to a project coordinator where he lived in the Philippines, completing projects with local customers. From 2003 to 2010 he worked as an implementation manager where he delivered and supported 25 implementations and projects for regional carriers and airlines. In 2010, he was promoted to general manager where he oversaw implementations and provided general support to customers. In that role, he grew his team and business by bringing in more customers and completing another 30 implementations. In 2018, Santos was promoted to his current role as Trax’s Vice President of Global Services and Support.
During his early years at Trax, Santos invested in himself by taking general courses about IT and business development in aviation to better understand the industry and Trax’s product offerings. Over time, he became more confident in his software skills, shifting his original passion of working with aircraft to helping mobilize maintenance for airlines and MROs. This year, he was recognized for working at Trax for 25 years and believes his early years at Trax built the foundation for his current success.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Early in his career, the biggest challenges Santos faced were learning the cultures of Trax’s global customers and keeping up with the necessary technological advancements in the industry and getting customers on board.
Santos often found himself traveling to new countries to meet with customers, making him aware of the different ways they conduct business. Through many interactions, he was able to learn how to provide the best support to each customer.
When Santos started his career, airlines and MROs were used to old data management technologies. As technologies change and AI automation becomes more prevalent, he often finds customers reluctant to embrace Trax’s digital solutions. By utilizing his strong relationships with customers, he has been able to smoothly transition them to Trax’s digital solutions without delaying their operations.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Omar Santos is Trax’s Vice President of Global Services and Support. Trax is the premier provider of aviation maintenance mobile and cloud products in the global aviation market and a wholly-owned subsidiary of AAR CORP. Trax products support digital signatures, paperless working, including workpacks and manuals, RFID-capability for logistics, biometric security, offline capability for its suite of mobile apps, web-based applications, and the ability for users to work anywhere with easy access to real-time information. Through its eMRO and eMobility products, Trax provides comprehensive software solutions designed to manage all aspects of aircraft maintenance.
Throughout his career, Santos has been most proud of the strong relationships he formed with his colleagues and the ways they grew under his mentorship. He is always willing to share his knowledge and loves watching them succeed whether they still work at Trax or have moved into a different role.
Something that sets Santos apart from others is that he always goes above and beyond and faces challenges head on. He often finds colleagues, customers, and peers in the industry reaching out to him during challenging projects to help them overcome their obstacles, grow the business, and enhance operations.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Two things that surprise people are when they find out that Santos is from Saint Croix and learn about his history at Trax and experience in the industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.trax.aero
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/omarsantos/
- Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/trax-usa-corp/
