Our Team

Executives

CEO - C. Dikko Nwachukwu

As the Founder, Dikko is the driving force for this project and embodies all the attributes of RED 1 including tenacity, persistence and a sheer will to win, and as such will be the public face. Dikko has leveraged his experience as a director in Zenith Airlines with his entrepreneurial and managerial experience to bring this project to life. Educated both in England and the United States, he worked for AIG in New York as a financial advisor to high net worth clients, then as Marketing Director of Robert Trebor, a start-up haute couture fashion company, now based in St. Petersburg, Russia. He went on to become Co-Managing Director of Santon Energy LLC, a New York based oil and gas financial advisory firm. Dikko holds a BSc. in Economics and Political Science from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

COO - Capt. Victoria Buxton

With over 30 years experience in the aviation industry, Victoria Buxton will oversee the day to day operations of RED 1. A native of the UK, Queen Vic, as we fondly call her, started her career as a line pilot and flight instructor for a number of flight training organizations, charter operators and regional airlines. After doing that for 10 years she joined the UK Civil Aviation Authority where she was initially a flight examiner making sure that the all pilots licensed in the UK where up to the task. While at the UKCAA, Victoria was seconded to a number of departments within the CAA, including the Flight Operations, Business Consultancy Services & Economic Regulation Group. After a successful stint at the CAA, Victoria joined British Aerospace Flying College as Vice President Business Development and Marketing, from BAe she was approached by National Airways Corporation to establish South Africa’s first fractional ownership program. After successfully doing that she once again went back to regulatory side of things and joined the South African CAA where she excelled in a number of roles including Head of Strategic Planning, Acting Head of Flight operations, Chairman of Civil Aviation regulations committee and General Manager Air Safety Operations. From the SACAA she became head of Training and Chief Flight Instructor for the Flight Training School of Africa, before joining Nationwide Airlines as the Director of Flight Operations, where she was responsible for Nationwide’s Flight Ops and Ops Control centers.

In her most recent role as a consultant, Victoria has worked extensively with Low Cost Carriers, in the UK, Indonesia and Africa and has received extensive IOSA auditor training. She has worked with numerous airlines in Africa providing financial strategies, safety improvements amongst other services.

Victoria has an MBA from University of Strathclyde focusing on Strategic Planning and has accrued over 13,000 hours flying experience.

CFO - Nadia Taiwo Smith

With over fifteen years of Strategy, Financial Planning & Analysis experience, Nadia Smith has held positions of increasing responsibility at several Fortune 50 companies. She has been responsible for managing budgets in excess of $100 million and specializes in strategic planning and financial analysis. She has used her financial acumen to help New Product Development teams in North America, Asia, Europe, and Africa launch successful products. In the last 3 years, Nadia has used this experience to translate her research of the “gold standards” of the airline industry into a financially feasible business and operating plan for RED 1 Xpress.

She has used technology to develop and implement processes designed to improve operational efficiencies, whilst adhering to the strictest financial integrity standards. Her track record of consistently meeting financial objectives speaks for itself. Nadia Smith holds an MBA from The University of Michigan Business School and a Bachelor of Science from Xavier University in Louisiana.

Director Safety, Quality and Chief Training Officer - Capt. Kenneth Alderman AM

After an exemplary 20 year military career in the Royal Australian Navy as a Naval Aviator, culminating in the award of the National honour of Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for services to Aviation, Ken Joined the Lloyd Aviation group as Supervisor of Flight Standards. After Lloyd Aviation, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority Australia snapped him up. He had a number of roles at the regulator including Flight Operations Inspector, Manager Flight Crew Licensing and General Manager Personnel Licensing. Ken was then actively recruited to Oman where he set up ICAO complaint training and Operating Manuals for the Royal Oman Police (ROP). He was their Chief Pilot and was responsible for the general oversight of all aviation training, where he performed a remarkable job. Following his stint with the ROP, Ken became the Safety Manager for Aerogulf, during his time there Ken produced, developed and implemented, in its entirety, an ICAO/JAR/DGCAM complaint Safety Management System.  Ken was also Director of Operations at Aerogulf for an interim period. As the Owner of KJ aviation services, Ken’s consultancy specialized in Aviation Safety Systems, Safety Audits and Training, conducting 1st party or compliance audits for major resource companies in UAE, Papua New Guinea and Australia, including writing a new Operational manuals for Abu Dhabi Aviation to accord with new regulatory direction. As a co-Director in Aviation Consulting and Training, Ken was contracted to Aviation Compliance Solutions (ACS) where he was an IOSA Auditor, Lead Auditor & Evaluator, plus ISO Lead Auditor, conducting reviews on behalf of the resource industry. As an auditor, Ken has conducted IOSA audits for IATA globally. Audits have been carried out in Australia, Papua New Guinea, UAE, Oman, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, China, Nigeria, Algeria, Tanzania, Botswana, South Africa, Bahrain, France, The Netherlands, Fiji, Pakistan and India.

Ken has received extensive training in the field of management, aviation and aviation safety including the IATA operational safety auditor, and Australian Defence Force, Command and Staff College (psc.).

Ken will have complete oversight for RED 1’s safety and training programs which will be the key to our smooth operations.