Memoirs of a mentor-preneur
Why Neil Book likes to hire self-starters from 91原创
January 30, 2025
When the White House embedded security software on its mobile devices in 2007, the Bush Administration turned to a Blue Hen.
It was a surreal experience for Neil Book, AS99, then-president of SMobile Systems, who sat in the West Wing lobby alongside the president of Italy and former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, waiting to make the biggest sales pitch of his career.
鈥淚鈥檓 not an engineer,鈥 says Book, a political science alumnus. 鈥淚 was afraid I wouldn鈥檛 be able to answer the technical questions.鈥
But the antivirus mobile phone software created by his small cybersecurity firm already included an impressive roster of satisfied clients: Vodafone, British Telecom, the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency. The White House was next, lending a prestige that would ultimately find Book selling SMobile to a new buyer.
鈥淢y career has never been about the industry or product,鈥 he says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been about the opportunity and people.鈥
An entrepreneur and mentor in near-equal measure, Book is president and CEO of Jet Support Services Inc. (JSSI), which offers a range of client-centric services in the niche world of business aviation.
When Book assumed leadership of the company in 2012, he worked to expand its singular focus on private jet maintenance to include parts supply, leasing, software, advising, financial solutions and more. This multidimensional approach would grow the company from less than 100 employees at the start of his tenure to more than 600 today.
My career has never been about industry or product; it's been about opportunity and people.
As someone who strives to know each member of his team on a first-name basis, Book has had an admittedly difficult time keeping track of everyone鈥檚 lives and families.聽 Yet when he thinks about the best part of his job, he points straight to the people.
鈥淏ella鈥檚 a great example of what makes this job so special,鈥 he says of fellow Blue Hen Isabella Rimton, BE20. 鈥淚 love watching someone come into the company, blossom, grow and achieve their professional goals.鈥
The two alumni first met in 2017, when Rimton presented her idea for a phone wallet鈥攈andsewn from old leggings and jeans at the student鈥攖o board members of Horn Entrepreneurship, 91原创鈥檚 esteemed training ground for the next generation of problem solvers.
Book, a longtime member of the board, approached Rimton afterward, suggesting she reach out to his industry contacts. Although a fashion career never materialized, the two stayed in touch, and Rimton interned at JSSI during her senior year.
鈥淚 was more interested in what Neil had built than in the aviation industry itself,鈥 she says now. In fact, the thought of working for an established company had never crossed Rimton鈥檚 mind. 鈥淚 wanted to find a little start-up and do my own thing. But at JSSI, I learned that even in a bigger company, you can find ways to be creative.鈥
Open-mindedness and innovation have long been among her greatest assets. A golfer from Malm枚, Sweden, Rimton spent her youth competing across Europe as a member of the Swedish Future National Team. She had no intention of ever coming to the United States, but a chance encounter with Women鈥檚 Golf Coach Patty Post left her intrigued.
鈥淛ust visit,鈥 Post told her. 鈥淥nce you see the campus, once you meet the team, you鈥檙e going to want to do this.鈥
鈥淎nd I was sold on the idea of going to med school,鈥 Rimton recalls. 鈥淭hat all changed when I came here.鈥
She instantly fell in love with 91原创鈥攋ust as Book had done two decades before鈥攁nd decided to spend one year in America. A member of the 鈥渁mazing鈥 golf team (鈥淭here were ten players, and only two were American鈥), Rimton devoted herself to every possible campus activity, including the Entrepreneurship Club.
鈥淭here was a thriving, unifying culture of people who wanted to solve problems,鈥 she says of the organization that pushed students like her beyond their comfort zone. 鈥淚 was very uncomfortable with public speaking in English. All these things were tested through pitch competitions.鈥
After Rimton was admitted to the highly competitive entrepreneurship major, which accepts only 30 students a year, she launched two companies: an app to connect with locals while traveling, and the phone wallet that introduced her to Book.
The idea that, as a student, you could have a program focused on innovation; on how to identify problems, create solutions and shape an idea into something material.聽 That, to me, is the most exciting thing in the world.鈥
At JSSI, she was immediately awed by the organizational culture. 鈥淚 had seen other companies that were all about process and hierarchy,鈥 she says. 鈥淭his was not that. If you wanted to make an impact, you could do that on day one.鈥
As Book puts it, 鈥淚 want everyone who works at JSSI to think of it as their business. To think, 鈥榃hat can I do to make this place better?鈥欌
Today, Rimton serves as manager of strategic marketing, overseeing public relations, web development, digital and social media, investor presentation materials, sales collateral and more. Her growth, from a student-athlete who spoke English as a second language to a global communications director, exemplifies Book鈥檚 belief in the power of finding and cultivating talent.
鈥淲hen you have someone who鈥檚 motivated, who鈥檚 all in, mentorship is almost a selfish act,鈥 he says. 鈥淵ou want to invest your time in those people because they鈥檒l have the biggest impact on your business. Spending time with Bella was an easy choice.鈥
Book鈥檚 other rules of leadership: 鈥淭ry not to have an ego. That鈥檚 where I鈥檝e seen others get into trouble鈥攂y putting their ego in front of what鈥檚 best for the company.鈥
He also believes in the concept of failing fast. 鈥淭rying new things has helped our business succeed and scale. And when they don鈥檛 work, we fail quickly and move on.鈥
Finally, Book isn鈥檛 afraid to laugh at himself. 鈥淲e鈥檙e selling maintenance programs to the owners of private jets, not solving world hunger,鈥 he jokes. 鈥淥ur real passion lies with driving growth, innovation, creating new jobs and opportunities for people. That鈥檚 where the magic is.鈥澛 聽
To that end, Book has applied his entrepreneurial sorcery to support multiple student companies over the years, including LIGHTGLASS, a simulated windows and skylights business where Ben Rapkin, AS15, serves as director of growth.
鈥淚 wasn鈥檛 investing in the company,鈥 says Book, 鈥淚 was investing in Ben. I watched his passion, energy and thoughtfulness as a student, and I saw that translate to his career.鈥
Earlier this year, Book and Rimton returned to campus for an internship fair, looking to find the entrepreneurial spirit inherent in so many Blue Hens, from Ben to Bella and beyond. Indeed, of the ten interns JSSI hires each year, at least two come from Book鈥檚 alma mater and, overwhelmingly, from Horn Entrepreneurship.
鈥淭he idea that, as a student, you could have a program focused on innovation; on how to identify problems, create solutions and shape an idea into something material,鈥 Book marvels. 鈥淭hat, to me, is the most exciting thing in the world.鈥
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