EMEA appointment highlights of the month – August 2019

The travel, tourism and aviation industries in the EMEA 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 EMEA market, while also looking forward to key appointments announced for the last month.

Here are the key executive changes for August 2019:

• Aeroflot's board reappointed Russia's Transport Minister Evgeny Dietrich as chairman and appointed Vnescheconombank first deputy chairman Mikhail Poluboyarinov as deputy chairman;
• Silk Way West Airlines promoted Jenny Zhao to the role of VP Asia Pacific;
• Silk Way Airlines appointed Fadi Nahas as VP for the Americas on 06-Aug-2019;
• Stobart Air appointed Andy Jolly as MD, replacing Graeme Buchanan who has been appointed COO of the recently formed Virgin Atlantic and Stobart Group JV, Connect Airways;
• Virgin Atlantic confirmed the appointment of Rikke Christensen as VP network, alliances & strategy, effective 05-Sep-2019;
• Comair (South Africa) announced the retirement of chairperson Pieter van Hoven, effective immediately following the company's AGM on 29-Oct-2019;
• SAS announced the following appointments to its leadership team on 27-Aug-2019:
  • Simon Hansen as COO;
  • Kjetil Håbjørg as CSO;
  • Karl Sandlund as CCO.
• LOT Polish Airlines announced plans to reappoint Rafał Milczarski as management board president from 01-Sep-2019;
• Ryanair appointed Eddie Wilson as CEO of subsidiary Ryanair DAC. Michael O'Leary will remain as group CEO;
• Qatar Airways appointed Thierry Antinori as chief strategy and transformation officer. Prior to this appointment, Mr Antinori served as executive VP and chief commercial officer for Emirates;
• Nordica supervisory board chair Toomas Tiivel stated Erki Urva was appointed as CEO, effective 03-Sep-2019;
• IAG appointed Fernando Candela as LEVEL CEO effective 09-Sep-2019. Mr Candela is the current Iberia Express CEO, position which he held for six years. Iberia Express COO Carlos Gómez Suárez will become Iberia Express interim CEO;
• Aigle Azur president Frantz Yvelin announced his resignation as president of the airline;
• Nordica chief financial officer Kristi Ojakäär resigned from the position, effective 11-Sep-2019;
• Emirates announced the following executive appointments:
  • Adel Al Redha appointed as COO;
  • Adnan Kazim appointed as CCO;
  • Sheikh Majid Al Mualla appointed as divisional SVP international affairs.