EMEA appointment highlights of the month – December 2018

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 December 2018:

• Airport City Stockholm announced CEO and MD Fredrik Jaresved plans to retire. Asa Larsson was appointed interim CEO and MD while Airport City Stockholm searches for a replacement.
• Munich Airport announced president and CEO Dr Michael Kerkloh plans to retire, effective 31-Dec-2019.
• Rossiya - Russian Airlines appointed Sergey Aleksandrovsky as general director for a three year term, effective 11-Dec-2018.
• Aeroflot's board elected Russia's Transport Minister Yevgeny Dietrich as Aeroflot chairman on 11-Dec-2018.
• Air France announced appointed Anne Rigail as CEO on 17-Dec-2018. Ms Rigail most recently held the position of Air France EVP Customer, and replaces Air France interim CEO Benjamin Smith.
• Airbus SE appointed Philippe Mhun as chief programmes and services officer for Airbus Commercial Aircraft, effective 01-Jan-2019.
• Birmingham Airport appointed Nick Barton as chief executive, effective 07-Jan-2019. Mr Barton was most recently chief executive at London Luton Airport and has also worked as managing director at London Stansted Airport.
• London Luton Airport appointed Alberto Martin as CEO, effective 17-Dec-2018.
• Finnair appointed Mika Stirkkinen as interim head of commercial unit and a member of Finnair's executive board on 20-Dec-2018. Finnair commenced a recruitment process for a new chief commercial officer (CCO) after Juha Järvinen left the carrier on 31-Dec-2018.
• SEA SpA appointed Michaela Castelli as president, following the resignation of Pietro Modiano. SEA SpA also appointed Armando Brunini as CEO.
• fastjet announced director and CFO Michael Muller resigned and will leave the company at the end of Mar-2019.
• Zagreb Airport management company Međunarodna Zračna Luka Zagreb (MZLZ) appointed Huseyin Bahadır Bedir as Zagreb Airport GM, replacing Jacques Feron.
• Cape Verde's Government appointed Abraão Lima as chairman of the country's Civil Aviation Agency, succeeding João Monteiro.
• Cologne/Bonn Airport announced plans to appoint Torsten Schrank as CFO, effective May-2019.
• TUI Airways appointed Dawn Wilson as MD, effective 01-Jan-2019.