BOC Aviation has appointed Adeline Lim as its new Chief Risk Officer (CRO), effective 25 May 2026, as the global aircraft leasing company continues strengthening its leadership team and enterprise risk management capabilities amid evolving aviation market conditions.
In her new role, Lim will lead BOC Aviation’s global risk management function and oversee the company’s overall risk strategy, including airline credit risk, enterprise risk management, and governance across multiple operational and financial risk domains.
She succeeds Stephen Barnes, who will remain with the company during the transition period before his retirement to ensure a smooth handover of responsibilities.
Announcing the appointment, BOC Aviation Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director Steven Townend highlighted Lim’s extensive industry experience across different aviation leasing markets and leadership roles.
Lim brings more than 13 years of experience in the aircraft leasing sector. She originally began her aviation finance career at BOC Aviation as a risk analyst focusing on maintenance exposure management across the company’s aircraft portfolio. Over time, she expanded her responsibilities to airline risk coverage across Asia, Europe, and the Americas while also working from the company’s London operations.
Before rejoining BOC Aviation in her new leadership role, Lim served as Executive Vice President, Portfolio Risk Management at SMBC Aviation Capital.
Her professional background also includes earlier experience as an aerodynamics engineer at DSO National Laboratories, giving her both technical aerospace expertise and aviation finance experience—an increasingly valuable combination in today’s global aircraft leasing environment.
Lim holds a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation and a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Aerospace Engineering from Nanyang Technological University.
The leadership transition comes at a time when aircraft lessors globally continue navigating a complex operating environment shaped by airline financial stability concerns, supply chain disruptions, aircraft delivery delays, and evolving fleet risk management strategies.
As aircraft leasing companies take on increasingly larger roles in global fleet financing and asset management, robust risk management functions are becoming critical in balancing growth, portfolio performance, and long-term operational resilience across the aviation sector.
