New roles for the industry’s movers and shakers
Etihad Aviation Group
Peter Baumgartner will take on this new position as CEO, Etihad Airways and oversee the day-to-day running of Etihad Airways.
The Etihad Aviation Group board of directors has announced the new management structure. James Hogan, who has served as Etihad Airways president and chief executive officer since September 2006, has been appointed Etihad Aviation Group president and CEO.
Bruno Matheu has been appointed as the CEO, Airline Equity Partners; he will drive the identification and realisation of synergy benefits across the airline’s strategic partners.
Department of Tourism, West Bengal
Goutam Deb has been appointed as the new Minister-in-Charge, Department of Tourism, West Bengal. He was appointed under the new state government headed by Mamata Bannerjee.
PATA
Vikram Madhok has been elected as the new chairman of the PATA Industry Council for the term May 2016-17. In addition to assuming this global responsibility, Madhok will also be on the PATA executive board. Madhok has, over the years, specialised in luxury tourism and hospitality industry. He has served on PATA India chapter for over 20 years and was also the chairman of World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) India Initiative. He has also held positions such as president of Indo-American Chamber of Commerce (NI), EC Member – IATO and several other positions.
VFS Global
VFS Global has appointed Peter Brun as chief communications officer. In this role, Brun will be responsible for corporate communications, marketing and branding, and corporate social responsibility, and will be based at the company’s head office in Dubai, UAE. Brun is a Swiss national with an experience of 28 years, who joins VFS Global from Kuoni Group. Prior to joining Kuoni, he spent 17 years in the media industry.
Air Canada
Kathleen Taylor has been elected as director of Air Canada. Taylor is the chair of the board of the Royal Bank of Canada and director of the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and the Adecco Group. She is former president and CEO of Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts where she served in a variety of senior roles during her 24-year-old career. She is also the chair of the Board of the Hospital for Sick Children Foundation, the chair of the Principal’s International Advisory Board of McGill University and a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council of the Schulich School of Business of York University.
Carlson Wagonlit Travel
Carlson Wagonlit Travel (CWT) has appointed Duangdej Yuaikwarmdee as country director, Thailand. Reporting to Kai Chan, CWT’s president for Asia Pacific, Yuaikwarmdee will be a member of CWT’s South East Asia leadership team. He has worked with American Express Thailand, US Kall International Corporation and Reed Tradex. Before joining CWT, Yuaikwarmdee was deputy managing director of Reed Tradex Thailand and general manager of Reed Tradex Vietnam. The company has also appointed Wai Mun Wong as vice president, global supplier management, Asia Pacific.
International Convention Centre, Sydney
International Convention Centre (ICC), Sydney has appointed Martyn Potter as director of building services. With more than 30 years of experience, Potter will deliver the operating strategy for building security, housekeeping and sustainability across the integrated convention, exhibition and entertainment precinct. He also has knowledge of ICC Sydney, having been project director – facilities management (FM) at Spotless Group, part of the Darling Harbour Live consortium that is responsible for delivering the project.
SilkAir
SilkAir has appointed Foo Chai Woo as chief executive, taking over from Leslie Thng, who will be returning to parent company Singapore Airlines (SIA). Woo has been SIA’s divisional vice president, sales and marketing since May 2014. An SIA veteran with nearly 21 years of service, he has held positions in both head office as well as overseas. Before taking on his current role in sales and marketing, he was based in Los Angeles since November 2010 as SIA’s regional vice president, Americas. Prior to that, he was general manager, India for more than four years. Woo has also held positions in Japan, New Zealand and Pakistan.
Delta Air Lines, New York
Delta Air Lines has appointed Henry Kuykendall as vice president – New York, and promoted Chuck Imhof as vice president – sales, New York. Since 2011, Kuykendall has served as Delta’s vice president, airport customer service at New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport.
Khiri Travel
Khiri Travel has appointed Gonzalo Gil Lavedra as general manager, Sri Lanka and Maldives. Since joining Khiri Travel in 2013, Gil Lavedra has been Khiri Travel branch manager in Phuket, Thailand and Bali. Gil Lavedra will report to Khiri Travel CEO Richard Brouwer at the head office in greater Bangkok.