Before Infinity Air, Inc. and Allflight Corp. came together as Infinity Air Group (IAG), Moe Soltani kept Infinity Air's operations running smoothly as the sole IT personnel. This week marks Moe's 23rd year with IAG.
"When I started with the company, there was one office with one server and a few workstations. Today, there are three locations. The equipment and infrastructure have grown so much! We have a Wide Area Network across three locations—all connected, collaborating, and sharing resources. I'm proud of my role in making that a reality."
Moe installed Infinity Air's first server, and, in the years since, he has logged hundreds of thousands of miles traveling from office to office, resolving everyone's IT problems. "I love solving challenging problems. If I didn't work at IAG, I would still be in IT. I love all the challenges that come with technology. I love it."
While many people find few things as infuriating as a malfunctioning computer, Moe remains poised even in the most chaotic scenarios. His colleagues highlight his respectful demeanor as a defining trait.
Moe is a "very kind gentleman, who is courteous and always makes you feel respected," said Roberto Menendez, Officer Manager of IAG's LA office, where Moe is based. And Michelle Buschbacher, IAG's Purchasing Manager, agreed that Moe "treats his coworkers with the utmost esteem and always responds in the most professional manner." Even IAG's President & CEO, Jimmy Wu, shared a personal story about Moe teaching "a young CEO full of everything but good manners" the need to slow down and engage with his team.
"I will always recall one conversation in the early years when I called Moe to task him with a project. After talking insistently for 30 seconds, Moe stopped me and said, 'Good morning, Mr. Wu. How are you doing? How is your family?' He didn't hide his displeasure with my diving directly into the task without so much as a 'good morning.' Today, I know good manners are important because they show that you care about others. My number one customer is my team—if I take good care of them, they will take good care of our customers. This, I learned from Moe."
Mr. Wu has used this lesson to make IAG a place where, according to Moe, "everyone happily goes to work." Moe noted that "in some companies, people say things like 'I don't want to go to work. I hate my boss,' but not at Infinity. With Jimmy, it's totally different—it's the opposite. He has been my mentor, always encouraging me and the rest of the team."
Moe is a proud family man, married to Farzaneh for 29 years and father to Mahsa and Mana, two intelligent young women who earned their undergraduate degrees from UCLA. Mahsa went on to earn a master's degree from the University of Washington, and Mana is currently studying medicine at Georgetown University.
Thank you, Moe; thank you for being you and being a part of the IAG team. We hope you enjoy a nice glass of Johnny Walker Blue Label on the rocks this week! We appreciate you!