Tropic Air Announces New Chief Executive Officer, Steve Schulte Retires as Chief Executive Officer after 30 Years

Tropic Air announced the appointment of D. Maximillian Greif (Max) as Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Mr. Greif will take over executive leadership from Steve Schulte on January 30th, 2023.
“I am honored to serve Tropic’s employees, customers and fellow Belizeans in this role,” Mr. Greif said. “Tropic understands its responsibility as a pillar of the national economy, and to those people whose livelihood depend on it. I am grateful to be part of the stewardship of that responsibility by serving alongside approximately 300 dedicated employees.”
“As Tropic enters this next chapter, my focus will be to ensure that we grow profitably and sustainably by investing in our product, service, and our values-driven employee culture,” Mr. Greif said. “We will lead the effort of growing and creating new opportunities for Belize by, among other things, investing in our network. This will include offering more domestic and international flights.”
“Finally, I want to give my sincerest thank you to departing CEO Steve Schulte, for his 30 years of exceptional leadership and contributions to not only Tropic, but to tourism in Belize,” continued Mr. Greif. “As Tropic enters its 45th year of flying, it is already a thriving airline in a very competitive environment. We are grateful for Steve Schulte’s leadership, and for everything he has done to provide Tropic with a solid base for expansion and further success. I also want to thank my father and Tropic Air’s founder, John E. Greif III for instilling a love of aviation and more importantly for his support and encouragement to return home to Belize and accept this responsibility.”
Mr. Greif joins Tropic from United Airlines where he served as Senior Principal of Strategic Development. He has also held several positions at American Airlines and in the Financial Services sector in New York. A graduate of Rider University with a degree in International Business and Economics, Mr. Greif is a Belizean, having grown up on San Pedro.
Tropic Air flies to 12 destinations in Belize, Honduras, El Salvador and Mexico, with 17 aircraft. It is a member of the Latin American Airlines Association (ALTA), and recently successfully completed IATA’s Industry Standard Safety Audit for the fifth time, after joining the program in 2015.