Title: Chairperson
Company: Alca Avionics Inc.
Location: Miami, Florida, United States
Fernando I. Manotas-Jaramillo, chairperson of Alca Avionics Inc., has been recognized by Marquis Who’s Who Top Executives for dedication, achievements, and leadership in aviation.
Esteemed in the aviation world for more than 35 years, Mr. Manotas-Jaramillo’s professional journey began in his home country of Colombia. He discovered a love of mathematics at a young age while helping a friend learn algebra. From there, Mr. Manotas-Jaramillo taught himself how to program in BASIC as a young teenager. Building on those humble foundations, he embraced a lifelong fascination with math and technology.
Mr. Manotas-Jaramillo’s first major job was working as an administrative assistant for the Colombia Civil Aviation Authority (Aerocivil, formerly Aeronautica Civil de Colombia) beginning in 1989. Working within the organization’s treasury division, he assisted with the coordination of import and export activities related to aeronautical projects. In 1992, Mr. Manotas-Jaramillo stepped into the wider aviation world as a senior crew planner with American Airlines, followed by serving as the director of operations for Aerobrokes Group Colombia. He later contributed as the director of sales engineering at Brackley Consulting & Finance Services Ltd; global business development manager and senior research adviser for the air transport industry at Helicol-Pas; and president of Helicentro S.A.S.
Culminating his years of experience in 2019, Mr. Manotas-Jaramillo joined Alca Avionics Inc. as an air transport industry expert. Founded in South Florida in 1993, Alca Avionics Inc. is an industry leader, developing innovative new technologies and assisting in expanding aviation markets across the world. Demonstrating his expertise and value to the company, Mr. Manotas-Jaramillo was promoted to the dual roles of chair and project leader in 2020. In those roles, he has led the transformation of the organization to a technology-driven company focused on developing data-enabled support systems and next-generation avionics platforms.
Under Mr. Manotas-Jaramillo’s leadership, Alca Avionics has expanded its research and development efforts, bringing together system integration, data analytics and artificial intelligence to greatly improve the scale and quality of services it can provide. He is currently spearheading one of his most ambitious projects, named Aerovision, which will utilize cutting-edge technology to increase rural and regional air mobility at affordable prices. Additionally, Mr. Manotas-Jaramillo keeps updated on the latest developments from major institutions like NASA and the Georgia Institute of Technology. He considers his most noteworthy trait to be his ability to humanize complex technical challenges, using this skill to cultivate better understanding in both colleagues and customers.
While embarking upon his career, Mr. Manotas-Jaramillo established a knowledge base through his own education. In 2008, he studied at Sergio Arboleda University in Colombia, completing advanced studies equivalent to a Master of Arts in applied mathematics with a specialization in nonlinear dynamic systems and operations research.
Well-regarded for his contributions to the field, Mr. Manotas-Jaramillo has been honored with a range of accolades. He was named Employee of the Year by Aerobrokers in 1999, one of Mount Colombian’s Top 500 Executives in 2016 and a Business Leader by La Nota Económica in 2016. Mr. Manotas-Jaramillo’s other awards include the Recognition Pride to Work With Your from American Airlines in 1994, Special Congressional Recognition from the U.S. House of Representatives in 2023 and the Hispanic Stars Rising Award from We Are All Human in 2024. Under his guidance, Alca Avionics Inc. was recognized as a Top Aviation Solution Provider by Aerospace and Defense Review Magazine in 2023.
Outside of his primary vocation, Mr. Manotas-Jaramillo is a devoted husband. In his free time, he enjoys listening to music, learning to play bass guitar, reading, watching movies and going for walks. Mr. Manotas-Jaramillo’s goals for the future include fostering greater connectivity and opportunities in the air transport industry for underserved communities. He plans to help develop better tools for economic development and entrepreneurship to create a more inclusive aviation ecosystem that includes accessibility for often overlooked rural and inland regions.
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