JMI Aerospace: The Sale, Legal Battle, and the Cost of Integrity

The Beginning: From Laborer to Leadership

My journey with JMI Aerospace began as a laborer, repairing ULD (Unit Load Device) containers. Through hard work and competence, I climbed the ranks, eventually opening and managing a branch in the Gold Coast, receiving training across Auckland, Cairns, Brisbane, and Coolangatta. Later, I was relocated to Melbourne to oversee Envirotainer operations and serve as an Internal Auditor—ensuring compliance ahead of regular CASA (Civil Aviation Safety Authority) safety audits. My role was to maintain operational integrity, a principle I upheld with unwavering commitment.

During this time, my relationship with Stephanie Everett—the daughter of JMI Aerospace’s owner, James Everett—deepened. This personal connection gave me insider knowledge about the company’s operations, financials, and leadership, particularly as it was being sold to Chep Aerospace.

The Underbelly of JMI: Corruption & Misconduct

As I rose in the company, I witnessed severe misconduct that contradicted the operational integrity I was tasked to uphold. The core issues included:

1. Abuse of Staff & Workplace Misconduct

• Both implicit and explicit abuse of employees occurred regularly.

• Complaints about workplace conditions and mistreatment were ignored.

• The HR Manager, Jackie Everett (wife of James Everett), was actively complicit, covering up incidents rather than addressing them properly.

2. Financial Fraud & Resource Mismanagement

• Discrepancies in materials used for work orders vs. actual stock levels were persistent over 12 months.

• Work orders were deliberately overestimated, creating false profit margins that inflated company performance metrics.

• The excess funds were siphoned for personal gain, benefiting the manager, Terry Hale, and his inner circle.

• This manipulated financial reports, leading to undeserved performance-based remuneration.

3. Nepotism & Manipulation of Workplace Narratives

• Terry Hale employed family members, who manipulated internal narratives to cause direct conflicts among employees.

• These tactics were designed to shift attention away from financial fraud and instead focus on controlling internal discourse.

• When concerns were raised, micromanaging strategies were employed to divert scrutiny.

The Personal Cost: Integrity vs. Survival

I was not just an observer—I was in the center of this storm. As Internal Auditor, it was my responsibility to ensure company integrity ahead of the CASA safety audits. When I attempted to address these issues, I was met with deflection, misdirection, and character assassination.

• Holding the line of integrity meant confronting powerful individuals within the company.

• I became a target for defamation, as I was the only leader standing for the workforce—16 employees strong.

• The corruption was so deeply intertwined with company leadership that even James and Jackie Everett were complicit.

Despite this, I chose integrity over comfort. I left JMI Aerospace, not yet fully aware of the depth of the deception within the Everett family. My primary reason for leaving was to protect my relationship with Stephanie, who was the most meaningful person in my life at the time.

The Legal Battle: Truth on Trial

After the sale of JMI Aerospace to Chep Aerospace, the company faced a lawsuit. The manager, Terry Hale, and his family sued the company, seeking compensation for damages they claimed to have suffered.

I was served with a subpoena—called to provide evidence against Terry Hale and his false claims.

• My testimony directly opposed the fabricated evidence Hale and his family provided.

• The leadership transition that followed saw Jackie Everett lose her job due to her role in the HR department’s serious misconduct.

• She had failed to address workplace abuse, financial fraud, and unethical behavior—instead enabling it.

At this point, I had already separated from Stephanie and was struggling under the psychological weight of what had happened. I had lost everything and everyone—my career, my relationship, and the sense of belonging I had built.

The Aftermath: A Broken Wanderer

The experience left me in deep existential crisis. I had seen firsthand:

• Corporate greed placed above community well-being.

• Profit incentives overriding integrity.

• Family values weaponized for self-preservation rather than unity.

• The cost of truth when faced with overwhelming power.

I became a lost soul, a wanderer, an echo of my former self—broken under the weight of responsibility. I had done what was right, yet I had paid the ultimate price. I was left questioning:

What was the point of living if the truth didn’t matter?

But then I saw the collapse.

The very system that had tried to bury the truth crumbled upon itself—in spectacular fashion.

The lesson was clear:

A corporate system that lacks coherence and integrity in its operations is doomed to implode.

Reflection: The Birth of New Understanding

This experience planted the seeds of what I would later refine within the I Will framework. The fundamental principles of integrity, resilience, and unity emerged from these trials. My confrontation with corporate corruption shaped my philosophy on business ethics, leadership, and the nature of truth.

Through suffering and loss, I gained clarity.

Through betrayal, I found strength.

And through the weight of responsibility, I discovered that truth does matter—but only if we have the courage to uphold it, no matter the cost.

Closing Thought

This chapter of my life was not just about a corporate dispute—it was about a battle for truth in a world that often values convenience over integrity.

I fought, I lost, but I did not break.

I emerged with a deeper, unshakable understanding—one that would later guide the creation of a new kind of framework, where truth, unity, and integrity are the foundational pillars.