Kate Lister

Career Summary:

Founder and President, Barnstorming Adventures, Ltd.

San Diego CA, 1991 to 2006

Started and operated the nation’s oldest and largest vintage airplane sightseeing business. Operation included 7 vintage aircraft and 25 pilots including active and former Navy, Air Force and Marine aviators, and airline pilots. As a hands-on owner, managed all aspects of business including marketing, public relations, financial management, personnel, operations, and FAA compliance.

Public relations efforts resulted in articles in over 100 publications around the globe. Television coverage included numerous programs on The Discovery Channel, Travel Channel, network news programs, and many others. Successful web marketing resulted in a page rank of 6 and top five placement in all major search engines.

Founder and President, Investech

Gladwyne PA, 1986 to 1992

Consulting for businesses from startup to $20 million in revenue. Services included:

Business Consulting:

Assistance in financial survival and growth strategies. Clients included high and low technology manufacturers, distributors, and service organizations.

Business Financing:

Worked with business owners to develop successful business plans and funding requests, and assisted them in raising capital from a broad range of private, institutional and government debt and equity sources.

Corporate Consulting:

Clients included Eastman Kodak, Radnor Venture Partners, Corestates Bank, Unisys, Liberty Bank and others with an interest in understanding, assisting and educating emerging and established businesses. Work with government economic development agencies led to the creation of two innovative business assistance and financing programs for new and emerging businesses.

Public Speaking / Publications:

Conducted over one hundred lectures for business owners, bankers, accountants, and attorneys throughout the U.S. and Canada, on topics including business financing, financial management, succession planning, and business and strategic planning.

Featured expert in local and national press including Inc. magazine, Nation's Business, Success Magazine, The Philadelphia Inquirer, The Journal of Banking, The Philadelphia Business Journal, and many other business publications.

Director/Minority Partner, Perpetual Capital

Wayne PA, September 1992 to March 1993

A private merchant banking organization, formed with several principals of Radnor Venture Partners, to invest in and advise undervalued and fast-growing companies whose financial needs did not fit the traditional institutional underwriting criteria. As one of two operating principals, activities included organizational development, marketing, investment and underwriting analysis, investment decisions, valuation, financial and market due diligence, memorandum development, and investment marketing.

Senior Lending Officer, Fidelity Bank

Philadelphia, PA January 1985 to October 1986

Relationship manager and new business developer for businesses with one to $20 million in revenue. Responsibilities included: analyzing, structuring, approving and negotiating credit facilities of between $100,000 and $10,000,000; new business development through aggressive prospecting; cross-selling of non-credit services; account maintenance; and customer retention. Position reported to Senior Vice President.

Various Positions, Mellon Bank

Philadelphia, PA May 1979 to December 1984

Senior Correspondent Banking Officer

Relationship manager for Mid-Atlantic correspondent banks. Responsibilities included: developing strong credit (e.g. inter-bank lending, loan participations and interest rate swaps) and non-credit relationships (e.g. check clearing and data processing) with other regional and local banks; analyzing industry and regional trends; and financial analysis of customer banks and loan participation prospects. Position reported to Senior Vice President.

Assistant Credit Manager/Credit Analyst

Staff position in support of commercial lending division. Responsibilities included: assistant manager of credit analysts; analyzing the management and financial performance of and industry outlook for commercial borrowers.

Senior Banking Services Officer

Sales and support division responsible for multi-million dollar data processing service relationships with correspondent banks. Responsibilities included: relationship management and business development in the sale of bank data processing services to senior banking executives of local banks; product management; liaison between marketing and data processing divisions; development and marketing of technology products (e.g. automated teller machines, telephone banking, and point of sale terminals); and management of clerical staff.

Writing

Co-Author of Finding Money – The Small Business Guide to Financing Published by John Wiley and Sons, New York NY

Co-Author of The Directory of Venture Capital (first and second editions) Published by John Wiley and Sons, New York NY

Author of numerous articles Published in The Wall Street Journal, Entrepreneur Magazine, Success Magazine, The Journal of Banking and many others.

Former Board Memberships/Affiliations:

  • Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce Small Business Council, Board Member
  • Delaware County Chamber of Commerce, Board Member
  • Wharton Small Business Development Center, Advisor/Lecturer
  • Temple University Entrepreneurial Institute, Board Member/Lecturer
  • Drexel University Entrepreneurial Forum, Board Member
  • St. Joseph's University Entrepreneurial Program, Board Member/Lecturer
  • Awards:
  • Inc. Magazine / Arthur Young "Entrepreneur of the Year" Award Program
  • 1989 Finalist, Business Advocate of the Year, Philadelphia Region
  • Greater Philadelphia Chamber of Commerce-1989 Business Advocate of the Year
  • U.S. Small Business Administration District and Regional Offices-1989 Business Advocate of the Year

Other Business Ownership:

Co-Owner of a news distribution business. Purchased in 1979, sold to Knight Ridder in 2000. Investor in an electronic publishing company.

Education:

  • St. Joseph's University Graduate School of Business, September 1982 to June 1984
  • Graduate studies in finance.

  • Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science, September 1976 to May 1980
  • Bachelor of Science. Major in management, minor in computer science. Academic honors.

Personal Interests

Entrepreneurship, writing, photography, public speaking, flying and vintage aircraft.