GABRIELLA
Aviation Entrepreneur
& Industry Pioneer
AUTHOR
Gabriella Somerville is a captivating author with a passion for storytelling that inspires and engages readers of all ages. Soon to be released is her memoir, a compelling account of her extraordinary life in aviation – a story of ambition, adventure, and breaking barriers in the skies. Gabriella is also the author of the enchanting children’s book Zuri the Beautiful Giraffe and the Honking Hippo, a heartwarming tale of friendship, courage, and resilience set in the wild Maasai Mara.
SPEAKER
Gabriella Somerville is a dynamic speaker and aviation pioneer who shares powerful lessons on leadership, innovation, and breaking barriers. As founder of ConnectJets and the first female sales agent for Piaggio Aerospace, she captivates audiences with humour, honesty, and inspiring stories, leaving them energised and ready to take bold action.
CONSULTANT
With over 30 years in commercial and business aviation, Gabriella Somerville brings unrivalled expertise to her consultancy practice and has advised aircraft manufacturers, brokers, government agencies, corporations, and private clients at the very highest level.
ONE OF THE FIRST WOMEN TO BREAK INTO THE MALE-DOMINATED WORLD OF AIRCRAFT SALES
Gabriella Somerville FRSA is a trailblazing entrepreneur with over three decades in aviation, known for bold leadership, sharp business acumen, and a series of industry firsts.
Having begun her career at 19 with British Island Airways, later joining Virgin Atlantic in its early days under Sir Richard Branson, she then went on to take up roles at British Airways, Bombardier Skyjet International, and VistaJet, where she became the company’s first female VP of Programme Sales.
In 2009, amid the global recession, Gabriella launched ConnectJets using her own seed capital. Defying expectations of failure, the company became profitable within its first year and quickly grew into a multi-million-pound business. Over the following decade, as CEO, Gabriella secured the exclusive dealership of Italian aircraft manufacturer Piaggio Aerospace, covering the UK and additional territories.
Gabriella has earned worldwide recognition, including the EU-WIIN Honorary Global Exemplary Award for Entrepreneurship, along with a commendation from the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge for supporting the Diamond Jubilee Tour. Sir Richard Branson has praised her “stellar work in the aviation sector” and her mentorship through Virgin StartUp.
Featured by The Wall Street Journal and The Telegraph, Gabriella is a sought-after speaker and mentor, inspiring audiences with her story of resilience, innovation, and leadership in one of the world’s most challenging industries.
AWARDS
“Congratulations to Gabriella, she is doing stellar work in the aviation sector and I’m proud she started her career with Virgin Atlantic. I’m delighted she has agreed to support our Virgin StartUp scheme for aspiring entrepreneurs and I’m sure she will be an inspiration to anyone who has the courage to launch their own business.”
Sir Richard Branson
Virgin Group, Founder
BOOKS
ZURI THE BEAUTIFUL GIRAFFE AND THE HONKING HIPPO!
Zuri the Beautiful Giraffe and the Honking Hippo is a heartwarming tale of unlikely friendship and daring adventure. When Zuri is rescued by airplane, courage, compassion, and the wonder of flight take centre stage. With humour, warmth, and lyrical storytelling, the narrative celebrates resilience, the bond between mother and child, and the enduring power of hope. Together, Zuri and the Honking Hippo face challenges and discover that courage, laughter, and friendship can overcome even the greatest odds.
ISBN: 9781805714651
£12.99 / $17.99 (US)
NIGHTINGALE BOOKS
PEGASUS ELLIOT MACKENZIE PUBLISHERS LTD.
www.pegasuspublishers.co.uk
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Release Date
Autumn 2026
Purchase link coming soon.
Genre
Children’s / Teenage fiction & true stories / Animal stories / Friendships
Author
Gabriella Somerville
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The Story Behind Zuri
Zuri the Beautiful Giraffe and the Honking Hippo began in the African bush.
In September 2021, I was kindly invited by a friend, Jane Marriott, to stay in Muthaiga, Kenya. During my stay, I took a flight down to the Maasai Mara, and it was there that the idea for Zuri and her adventures first began to take shape.
At Jonathan’s Camp in the Maasai Mara, close to the hippopotamus bloat, I would regularly hear the unmistakable and surprisingly loud honking of the hippos.
And then there was the giraffe: elegant and graceful yet somehow carrying such authority as she moved through the bush, her silhouette standing tall against the African landscape and the baobab trees.
Both the hippo and the giraffe are strong, with their own character and their own chorus in the bush. The hippos had their honks, while the giraffes communicated through snorts, grunts and hisses. In the early hours, I would find myself laughing as the great African orchestra began around me, which inspired the ‘Honking Hippo’
The two seemed an unlikely pair, but the more I watched them, the more I began to see how perfectly they belonged together in the great bush. And so, sitting in the camp, I began to write the first words of Zuri the Beautiful Giraffe and the Honking Hippo.
The story continued to develop during my stay in northern Kenya at Lewa Wilderness. Around the camp bar, I overheard a story from one of the staff about a giraffe that had been rescued. Images were shared around the campfire of a young giraffe being carefully placed into a small, adapted aircraft to be transported to an animal rescue centre, where she could receive the treatment she needed.
It was a moment that brought two worlds together: Africa and aviation.
Upon my return to London, I took a friend’s young daughter to London Zoo, where we visited the giraffe house, built in 1837. But London Zoo is much more than a place for animals to live. Today, its veterinary team has specialist facilities, including an operating theatre, where animals from around the world can receive expert care for injuries and illnesses. I realised that perhaps the story had found both its beginning and its ending — for now.
What’s next for Zuri?
This is the first edition of Zuri‘s adventures.
Her next adventure is planned for 2027, when Zuri will meet Morani the Lion, the legendary brother of Scarface.
But beneath the adventure is another story, one about the extraordinary role aviation can play in the natural world. Aircraft can provide a vital lifeline, enabling animals to be rescued, transported and given a second chance.
Zuri‘s unexpected journey to London takes her to a different land, where she faces unexpected events and makes unlikely friendships that are better than she could ever have imagined, with many surprises along the way. The book also explores the powerful bond between mother and daughter, and the resilience woven into life in the African bush.
The bush is not easy terrain, and survival depends upon strength, instinct, cooperation, and an extraordinary ability to adapt. The animals are part of a remarkable ecosystem in which every creature has a role to play. It is this delicate balance that connects life throughout the bush and helps each species survive.
At its heart, however, Zuri‘s story is about courage, resilience, kindness, and hope.
Zuri‘s adventures are more than just a story. They are inspired by real animals, real places, and the extraordinary ecosystem of the African bush.
I hope children will discover something about giraffes, hippos, Africa and aviation and that they will also discover that sometimes the people we meet who may look, speak or live differently from us can become very special friends. And that our differences are not something to fear, but something to understand, respect and celebrate.
It is my hope that this book will also become an educational adventure, filled with wonderful facts, stories, and little hidden clues for children to discover along the way, the bush is a great teacher.
And perhaps, somewhere between the giraffe, the hippo and the aircraft, they will discover something wonderful:
that courage, kindness and friendship can take you somewhere you never expected to go.
Walking the Runway
One woman. One suitcase. One extraordinary journey.
What happens when you reach the top of your profession – and then lose everything?
Gabriella Somerville FRSA knows.
Release Date
January 2027
Genre
Memoir
Subgenres: Business Memoir • Inspirational Memoir • Women in Business • Aviation
Category: Non-Fiction → Memoir → Business / Entrepreneurship
Author
Gabriella Somerville FRSA
From starting as cabin crew at Virgin Atlantic, Gabriella rose to become the first female Vice President of Sales at VistaJet and the first woman to establish an exclusive aircraft distribution mandate directly with a manufacturer, culminating in one of the largest unit sales of its kind.
The media loved her. But was the aviation industry ready for a woman breaking into a world where the rules had long been written by men?
When a dispute over a global aircraft deal escalated into the courts of Rome, Gabriella found herself fighting not only for justice, but for the principle that women could challenge the status quo of an industry in which female representation at the highest levels remained extraordinarily low.
Walking the Runway is a candid and deeply personal story of ambition, success, failure, resilience, and reinvention — and the lessons learned at both the top and the bottom
Gabriella found herself standing outside London’s RAF Club with two suitcases and twenty pounds to her name, but not without hope.
But this was not the end….
Walking the Runway is a candid and deeply personal story of ambition, success, failure, resilience and reinvention — and the lessons learned at both the top and the bottom.
But this is not simply a story about what happened.
Gabriella is still building.
Because sometimes the greatest challenge is not simply getting back up. It is learning to rest, recover, regain your position, and find the courage to re-enter the runway.
The next chapter is already being written.
From zero, back to the runway, and towards something bigger, a new vision built from the ashes, with renewed strength, purpose and a determination to leave a different kind of legacy in aviation.
For the entrepreneur who has everything to lose.
For the woman trying to break through a door that was never meant to open.
For the business leader facing an impossible decision.
And for anyone who has ever wondered how to keep going when there is nothing left.
Walking the Runway will take you through laughter and tears, extraordinary highs and devastating lows, moments of disbelief and moments that will leave you holding your breath….
Because the journey doesn’t end when you fall.
Sometimes, that is where the next chapter begins.
LAUNCH SCHEDULE
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IoD Enterprising Women Summit
INSPIRING SPEAKER
Gabriella Somerville is a high-energy, captivating speaker whose stories inspire, educate, and entertain. From cabin crew to founder of the multi-million-pound aviation company ConnectJets Ltd., she shares real-world lessons on entrepreneurship, leadership, and innovation – all delivered with humour, honesty, and warmth.
In a male-dominated industry, Gabriella broke the “altitude ceiling” to become the first female sales agent for Piaggio Aerospace. With a reputation for vision, tenacity, and excellence, she connects effortlessly with boards, CEO audiences, and large-scale summits, bringing complex topics to life with practical takeaways, inspiring anecdotes, and a touch of humour.
Gabriella has electrified stages at the Institute of Directors, Financial Times Business of Aerospace & Aviation Summit, Corporate Jet Investor, and the British Library, consistently leaving delegates motivated, energized, and ready to take bold action.
If you want a speaker who inspires, entertains, and empowers audiences to break barriers and reach new heights, Gabriella Somerville will not disappoint, one who will leave your audience talking long after the event ends.
Gabriella draws on her own journey from cabin crew to international aviation CEO. Always working closely with executives and founders to foster resilience, drive innovation, and break barriers in industries where women remain underrepresented. Her experience in building businesses from the ground up provides clients with practical, actionable insights that are rooted in real-world success.
“Not only was Gabriella a wonderful interviewee for Director, she was so inspirational that I put her forward as a keynote speaker for the IoD’s annual ‘Women as Leaders’ summit. And wow, what a speaker! She had the (pretty demanding) audience of female CEOs at ‘Hello’. Gabriella held the stage and delivered her story (from cabin crew to ConnectJets founder) not only with humour, insight and warmth but also with courage, vision and sharp business acumen. She pitched her talk perfectly and wasn’t afraid to share detail and some pretty stark home truths about life as an entrepreneur. She so inspirational that, when we surveyed the delegates afterwards, she came out as no 1 by far. Her knowledge of the aviation industry is second to none and she has a knack for spotting the trends and connecting with other visionaries. I would (and have many times) recommend Gabriella as a speaker and interviewee. You will NOT be disappointed!”
Lysanne Currie
Meet The Leader, Founder
AVIC , Keynote Speaker – Anyang, Henan Province, China
CONSULTANCY
With over 30 years in commercial and business aviation, Gabriella Somerville brings unrivalled expertise to her consultancy practice, having advised aircraft manufacturers, brokers, government agencies, corporations, and private clients at the very highest level.
TAILORED EXPERTISE ACROSS FOUR INTERCONNECTED AREAS
Aviation Strategy
& Innovation
Gabriella helps organisations navigate market entry, aircraft sales, charter, leasing, and sustainability. Her pioneering work in green aviation places her at the forefront of advising on fuel-efficient aircraft and emerging clean technologies, while her instinct for spotting future trends makes her a trusted guide for clients seeking visionary opportunities.
Leadership &
Entrepreneurship
Gabriella draws on her own journey from cabin crew to international aviation CEO, working closely with executives and founders to foster resilience, drive innovation, and break barriers in industries where women remain underrepresented. Her experience in building businesses from the ground up provides clients with practical, actionable insights that are rooted in real-world success.
Customer Service Excellence
Customer service sits at the heart of Gabriella’s philosophy. Specialising in developing service strategies for clients ensuring brands deliver with trust, transparency, and excellence. By coaching teams to exceed expectations, she helps organisations achieve the level of client care demanded in the both the private and commercial sector.
Brand Voice &
Thought Leadership
Gabriella supports organisations in shaping their voice and influence and has delivered keynote addresses, written industry insights, and consistently championed diversity, resilience, and sustainable growth as guiding principles for modern business. Her ability to position clients as innovators and leaders makes her a powerful partner for those who want to stand out in competitive markets.
At every stage, Gabriella combines vision, tenacity, and commercial insight with a proven track record of breaking new ground in aviation. Her consultancy delivers clarity, practical solutions, and inspiration to organisations seeking to elevate performance, sharpen strategy, and connect with future opportunities. Gabriella draws on her years of experience to mentor individuals, helping them achieve their personal and professional goals. Gabriella has previously supported, the entrepreneurial foundation of the Virgin Group, guiding emerging start-ups through the challenges of launching and scaling ventures. Her journey reflects both the setbacks and triumphs of entrepreneurship, underscoring her passion for inspiring and empowering the next generation of business leaders.
FT Business of Aerospace and Aviation Summit, London.
“Gabriella Somerville has achieved outstanding success across all functions as a broker in Business Aviation, a role which has traditionally been seen as a man’s world.
Her vision, determination and good-humoured resilience, have enabled her to break barriers and deliver best in class levels of service. Always a strong supporter of the sector, her ability to turn challenges into opportunities, provides a role model for women in business everywhere.”
Brian Humphries CBE
EBAA European Business Aviation Association President (Retired)
