L&A was started by Mike & Karen Litson in 2007. Mike was an Air Force pilot having flown piston, jet aircraft and helicopters and thereafter spending 14 years with Court Helicopters in Cape Town, South Africa as Flight Safety Manager and Director of Operations. Karen was the Court Helicopters Marketing Manager for a number of years before starting her own tourism marketing company. Mike spent 5 years with the Royal Flight Oman as Safety Manager, accompanied by Karen.

At the end of 2007, Mike & Karen returned to their home near Cape Town and started Litson & Associates (Pty) Limited and Litson & Associates Risk Management Services (Pty) Limited.

L&A has grown steadily over the past 11 years and now has a global footprint, providing aviation Safety advisory and auditing services for the Oil & Gas and Resource / Mining sectors and VIP clients.

eSMS-S™ was conceptualised when SMS was first announced by ICAO as a Standard and Recommended Practice.

SMS appeared to be ‘a monster’ descending on particularly small to medium-sized aircraft Operators and airlines. Something had to be done to implement a Safety Management System that was SIMPLE and COST EFFECTIVE for these Operators.

This requirement was the start of eSMS-S™ and although the system has grown and matured to include its client's requirements, it was developed and has remained true to its core concept - that every tool in the system is simple to use and the system itself is cost-effective, even for smaller organisations.