Americas appointment highlights of the month – April 2019

The travel, tourism and aviation industries in the Americas region witness policy and upper level changes on a daily basis. It is important to not only keep tabs of these organisations direction, but to also monitor changes in executive branches to see the wider picture of the travel market. The Blue Swan Daily will keep you informed of these movements each month, with a full wrap of the key changes in the Americas market, while also looking forward to key appointments announced for the last month.

Here are the key executive changes for April 2019;

• Wasaya Airways appointed Luke Reynolds as chairman;
• Eindhoven Airport announced CEO Joost Meijs plans to step down from 01-Sep-2019. He will be appointed CEO of Aruba Queen Beatrix International Airport operator Aruba Airport Authority, succeeding James Fazio who recently announced his personal decision to leave the position of CEO;
• Embraer appointed Francisco Gomes Neto as CEO and president, effective 22-Apr-2019;
• Porter Airlines appointed Michael Deluce as president and CEO, succeeding Robert Deluce who was appointed executive chairman, effective 10-Apr-2019;
• Airbus shareholders appointed Guillaume Faury as an executive member of the board for three years. At the board meeting immediately following the AGM, Guillaume Faury was formally appointed Airbus CEO, replacing outgoing CEO Tom Enders. Airbus' board also selected René Obermann to succeed Denis Ranque as chairman when Mr Ranque's mandate expires at the close of the 2020 AGM;
• Aerolineas Argentinas appointed Nicolas Ovejero as GM. The role was assumed by Aerolineas Argentinas president Luis Malvido since Aug-2018, when Abott Reynal stood down from the role;
• Grupo Viva Air announced Francisco Javier Lalinde Pulido was appointed as group COO, effective 22-Apr-2019;
• ExpressJet Airlines appointed Ajit Jacob as managing director of transformation on 18-Apr-2019;
• Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport appointed Stéphane Poirier as president and CEO, effective 23-Apr-2019;
• Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico announced the appointment of Laura Díez Barroso Azcárraga appointed as chairwoman on 23-Apr-2019;
• Avianca Holdings stated CEO Hernan Rincon Lema resigned, effective 30-Apr-2019. The airline is undertaking recruitment to replace Mr Lema and will appoint secretary Renato Covelo as interim CEO until a permanent CEO is selected;
• Allegiant Air appointed Gregory Anderson as EVP and CFO, effective 23-Apr-2019. Mr Anderson will continue to serve as Allegiant Air's principal accounting officer. Former CFO Scott Sheldon will continue to serve as EVP and COO;
• LATAM Airlines Group SVP customers Claudia Sender plans to step down from her role effective Jun-2019;
• ALTA announced Copa Airlines CEO Pedro Heilbron assumed ALTA's interim presidency, effective 30-Apr-2019;
• Air Wisconsin appointed Robert Binns as president on 07-May-2019;
• Pratt & Whitney appointed Maria Della Posta as president of Pratt & Whitney Canada, effective 01-Jun-2019;
• Austin-Bergstrom International Airport appointed Jacqueline Yaft as executive director of aviation, effective 10-Jun-2019.