Here are the key executive changes for Feb/Mar-2023:
Asia Pacific
- Malaysia Airlines Group (MAG) announced the implementation of a Target Operating Model, which sees MAG as a full-fledged operating company overseeing group level support functions and subsidiaries. These will be grouped into three dedicated profit centres: Airlines, Loyalty & Travel Solutions and Aviation Services. With the new organisational structure, the MAG senior leadership team will be as follows:
- Ahmad Luqman Mohd Azmi as CEO of the Airlines business portfolio, which will oversee MAG's global, domestic and segmented airlines;
- Phillip See as CEO of Loyalty & Travel Solutions portfolio, covering MAG's end-to-end travel solutions and loyalty programmes;
- Mohd Nadziruddin Mohd Basri as CEO of Aviation Services portfolio, covering cargo, ground handling, training and MRO.
- MAG added Izham Ismail will continue in his role as group CEO.
- Japan Airlines updated its executive team, effective 01-Apr-2023:
- Yuji Akasaka: President, CEO, chief sustainability officer;
- Yuji Sato: CFO, SVP corporate planning;
- Shunsuke Honda: President of J-Air;
- Shingo Takei: President of Japan Air Commuter.
- Qantas Group announced changes to its Group Management Committee, as the national carrier moves into a new phase of growth and renewal. Key changes include:
- Andrew David, who is CEO of Qantas Domestic and International, will retire from the Group in Sep-2023;
- The role of CEO of Qantas Domestic and International, which was combined during coronavirus, will return to being two separate portfolios from 01-Jul-2023. Both roles will report to Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce;
- Cameron Wallace will join the Group as CEO of Qantas International and Freight from 01-Jul-2023;
- Andrew David will remain as CEO of Qantas Domestic until his retirement from the Group in Sep-2023. A recruitment process to appoint this role will start soon.
- The rest of the Group Management Committee remains unchanged.
- Air Niugini stated CEO Bruce Alabaster departed the company. Air Niugini's board appointed Gary Seddon as acting CEO, whilst a formal arrangement is finalised.
- MYAirline appointed Senthil Balan Danapalan as CCO and Schrene Goh as chief marketing officer.
- Peach announced CEO and representative director Takeaki Mori plans to retire from both roles, effective 31-Mar-2023. The LCC appointed Kazunari Ohashi to replace Mr Mori as CEO and representative director, effective 01-Apr-2023.
- ANA Holdings announced the following changes to its members of the board and corporate executive officers, effective 01-Apr-2023:
- Ichiro Fukuzawa: SEVP, chairman of corporate transformation committee, corporate strategy and group procurement;
- Junichiro Miyagawa: EVP;
- Emiko Kajita: EVP;
- Yasuko Kato: EVP, group chief information officer, digital data, and director of group IT management;
- Hidekazu Yoshida: EVP, director of procurement;
- Yoshiaki Tsuda: EVP;
- All Nippon Airways:
- Toshiaki Toyama: Chairman of ANA Cargo;
- Shigeru Hattori: Chief safety officer;
- Kenichi Wakiya: President of ANA Cargo.
- IndiGo appointed Mark Sutch as chief commercial officer international of 'CarGo', the LCC's cargo division.
- Uzbekistan Airways appointed Shukhrat Khudaikulov as management board chairman.
- Air China promoted VP Wang Mingyuan to president.
- Nok Air appointed Pichit Jearkittimasak as CFO.
- Nippon Cargo Airlines reported the following executive changes, effective 01-Apr-2023:
- MD Toshiaki Kobori appointed senior executive MD;
- MD Hiroyuki Homma appointed senior MD;
- Executive officer Masaya Suzuki appointed senior executive officer;
- Executive officer Tetsuo Mizuno appointed senior executive officer;
- Senior executive MD Keita Sataka resigned, effective 31-Mar-2023;
- Senior executive MD Toshiaki Kobori given new assignments: chief safety officer and chief operations officer.
- Cathay Pacific announced the appointment of Alexander James John McGowan as executive director and chief operations and service delivery officer, succeeding Gregory Thomas Forrest Hughes.
- HK Express appointed Jeanette Mao as CEO, succeeding Mandy Ng.
Europe, Middle East and Africa
- Zimbabwe's Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development announced the appointment of Chipo Mtasa as Air Zimbabwe chairperson, effective 06-Feb-2023. Edmund Murambiwa Makona will serve as deputy chairperson.
- Norse Atlantic Airways appointed Charles Duncan as president, a newly created role.
- Lufthansa Group appointed Olivier Krüger as chief marketing officer.
- Lufthansa Group announced the following managerial changes:
- Current CCO Stefan Kreuzpaintner will take over the role of network, alliance and partner management for the group's passenger airlines;
- Heiko Reitz will succeed Mr Kreuzpaintner as CCO.
- Lufthansa extended the contracts of CEO Carsten Spohr and CFO Remco Steenbergen for a further five years, ahead of schedule.
- SAS appointed Erik Westman as EVP network and revenue management, after five months in the position as acting.
- SAS appointed Jason Mahoney as chief operating officer (COO), effective 01-May-2023.
- Portugal's Government announced it removed the TAP Air Portugal CEO Christine Ourmières-Widener and chairman Manuel Beja.
- Peter Bellew announced he was appointed Riyadh Air chief operating officer (COO).
- Kenya Airways appointed George Kamal as chief operating officer (COO).
- Astral Aviation announced the appointment of Patricia Odida as CCO.
- Brussels Airlines appointed Dorothea von Boxberg as CEO, effective 15-Apr-2023.
- Lufthansa Cargo announced plans to appoint Ashwin Bhat as CEO, effective 15-Apr-2023.
- Pegasus Airlines appointed board vice chairperson and MD Mehmet Nane as board chairperson.
- Uganda Airlines appointed Adedayo Olawuyi as CCO.
Americas
- Southwest Airlines promoted Lauren Woods as senior VP technology and chief information officer.
- Flair Airlines appointed Aaron Dhanda as chief digital officer.
- Spirit Airlines announced Scott Haralson was promoted to executive VP and CFO.
- Air Transat announced plans to appoint Julie Lamontagne as chief people, sustainability and communications officer.
- Flair Airlines appointed Maciej Wilk as COO.
- Viva appointed Francisco Lalinde as interim president and CEO, replacing Felix Antelo in both roles.
- Easyfly appointed Felipe Gutiérrez Forero as CEO, following the retirement of Easyfly founder and president Alfonso Avila in Jul-2022.
- American Airlines announced plans to appoint Greg Smith as chairman of the carrier's board of directors, effective 30-Apr-2023. Mr Smith will succeed Doug Parker who will retire from the board at that time.
- JetBlue Airways appointed Keith Anderson as chief information security officer.
- Chorus Aviation announced Colin Copp has assumed the role of president and CEO following the retirement of Joseph Randell, as announced in Sep-2022.
- Sun Country Airlines appointed Jennifer L Vogel as chair of the board of directors.
- Flair Airlines appointed Julia Haywood as chair of its board of directors.
- Flybondi appointed Lucía Ginzo to the newly created role of chief communications and sustainability officer.
- SATA Holding appointed Teresa Gonçalves as group CEO, as well as of its subsidiaries Azores Airlines, SATA Air Açores and SATA Gestão de Aeródromos.