AIRLINES
Steve Gunning has been appointed CEO of IAG Cargo. Gunning has senior management and leadership experience in both the finance and airline industries. Prior to this appointment, he was managing director for British Airways World Cargo. Gunning has spent the past two years integrating the British Airways and Iberia cargo divisions into a single business.
Cathay Pacific Airways named Rupert Hogg as COO, effective March. Hogg will also become director of Cathay Pacific. He takes over the role from Ivan Chu, who will become Cathay Pacific’s chief executive. The current chief executive, John Slosar, will succeed Christopher Pratt as chairman of the airline, John Swire & Sons Ltd., Swire Pacific Ltd., Swire Properties Ltd. and Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Co. Ltd. Hogg is now director sales and marketing – a position he took in August 2010. From 2008 to 2010, he was director cargo.
Greg Hart was named executive vice president and COO of United Airlines, succeeding Pete McDonald, who is retiring after nearly 45 years with United. In his new position, Hart will be responsible for airport operations, cargo, technical operations, network operations, flight operations, inflight service, safety and food services. He previously served as United’s senior vice president of technical operations and before that, he held the role of senior vice president network. Hart joined the airline in 1997.
Air Canada Cargo made a few appointments. Vito Cerone, previously director, cargo sales, Americas, was named director, marketing & sales, Americas. Cerone will be responsible for developing a marketing strategy that will promote the Air Canada Cargo brand. Supporting him in this role is Matthieu Casey, who has been appointed general sales manager – Canada. Casey was previously regional sales manager – cargo Eastern Canada.
Lisa Brock, executive manager at Qantas Freight, internally transferred to take up a new role as CCO for the Jetstar Group. Brock has served three years in the Qantas Freight business.
AIRPORTS
Tom Ruth has been selected as president and CEO of Edmonton Airports. Ruth will begin his new role on Jan. 20, 2014. He is now president and CEO of the Halifax International Airport Authority, the largest air transportation complex in Atlantic Canada. He has an extensive background in both airline and airport operations and is also chair of the Canadian Airports Council. Prior to his position at HIAA, Ruth was president and CEO at Oceanex, an intermodal transportation specialist in Newfoundland, which he led until its privatization in 2007.
PASSING
John Barnett, founder and former owner of Wexco Airfreight, passed away on Jan. 8 following a long-term illness. Barnett founded Wexco in 1979 and retired in 2010. The company became part of the Kales GSA network, but retains its original name.
MAINTENANCE & MANUFACTURERS
Boeing named Dennis A. Muilenburg as vice chairman, president and COO. Muilenburg was previously executive vice president and president and CEO of Boeing Defense, Space & Security. Muilenburg has 28 years of Boeing experience, having joined its Seattle military aircraft division in 1985. Raymond L. Conner was promoted to vice chairman, president and CEO, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Conner has led the Commercial Airplanes unit since June 2012. He is a 35-year company veteran who began his career as an airplane mechanic.
Sean O’Keefe, chairman and CEO of Airbus Group, the company’s North American business unit, will resign his position effective March 1. His successor will be Allan McArtor, who is now chairman of Airbus Americas. O’Keefe has elected to step down in order to fully address ongoing medical issues due to injuries he sustained in a 2010 aircraft accident in Alaska. He will continue with Airbus on special assignment. McArtor is a recognized leader in the U.S. aerospace and defense industry. Prior to joining Airbus in 2001, McArtor held a number of senior positions at the Federal Aviation Administration, Legend Airlines and FedEx.
ORGANIZATIONS
The International Air Transport Association appointed Raphael Kuuchi as vice president for Africa beginning Feb. 17. Kuuchi joins IATA from the African Airlines Association, where he was the director of commercial, corporate and industry affairs, based at its headquarters in Nairobi. He will lead a team of some 23 professionals in IATA’s four sub-Saharan offices. Kuuchi will be based out of IATA’s Nairobi office. He is a Ghanaian national who began his career at Ghana Airways in 1991. Kuuchi succeeds Mike Higgins in the IATA role, following Higgins’ reassignment as the regional head of airport, cargo and passenger services for Europe. IATA also appointed Kevin Hiatt as senior vice president, safety and flight operations. Hiatt will also join IATA on Feb. 17 and will be based at its headquarters in Montreal. He will succeed Guenther Matschnigg, who is retiring from IATA. Matschnigg has led IATA’s efforts on safety and flight operations since 1999. Hiatt joins IATA from the Flight Safety Foundation (FSF), where he has been president and CEO since January 2013, having joined FSF in 2010 as executive vice president. Hiatt previously served at World Airways and was with Delta Air Lines for 26 years in various positions.
The International Air Cargo Association is welcoming two new members from Europe and Asia to its board of directors. David Yokeum is president and CEO of WCA, the world’s largest network of independent freight forwarders. He founded WCA in 1998 as the world’s first worldwide, non-exclusive, neutrally-owned network. Yokeum is based in Bangkok. Sebastiaan Scholte is CEO of Netherlands-based Jan de Rijk Logistics, a provider of transportation and distribution services. Prior to joining Jan de Rijk Logistics, Scholte worked for Aeromexico in Mexico and Europe and Cargolux in Latin America and Europe. He is also chairman of the Cool Chain Association.
Airports Council International–North America hired Kevin M. Burke as president and CEO. Burke comes to ACI-NA after nearly 13 years as the CEO of the American Apparel and Footwear Association. His 30-year background in public affairs also includes leading government relations efforts for the Food Distributors International, the American Bakers Association and the National Association of Broadcasters.
THIRD PARTIES
DHL Global Forwarding appointed Rajeev Singh-Molares as the new CEO, DHL Global Forwarding for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Prior to joining DHL Global Forwarding, Singh-Molares was executive vice president, Asia Pacific region for Alcatel-Lucent, at the same time serving as vice chairman for Alcatel-Lucent Shanghai Bell. He succeeds Thomas Nieszner, who decided to leave DHL to pursue other interests. Nikola Hagleitner is the new global head of DHL Global Forwarding’s sub-division industrial projects. Industrial projects’ scope of work typically involves the transportation of heavy lift and regular cargo to the project location. Most recently, Hagleitner has been the global head of business strategy at DHL Global Forwarding, freight.
Swissport International appointed Daniel Setz as senior vice president cargo operations. Setz has substantial international experience with more than 20 years working in the transportation and logistics industry. Over the course of the last decade, he has held several general management positions, lastly for Panalpina in Brazil. Previously, Setz worked in various positions with country responsibility in Panama, Italy, Ireland and Mexico.
Ildiko Gergely is now managing C.H. Robinson’s new office in Basel, Switzerland. A 13-year transportation industry veteran. Gergely started her C.H. Robinson career in the Syracuse, N.Y., office in 2000. In 2002, she opened the company’s Budapest office.
Worldwide Flight Services, the world’s largest provider of cargo handling services, appointed Richard Van Bruygom as its CEO, Americas. Van Bruygom has led several aviation entities and units for the last 25 years. During his career, he held executive positions at companies such as FedEx, Servisair and Swissport. In WFS’s newly-created position, based in Dallas, Van Bruygom will take overall responsibility for all operational, commercial and administrative aspects of WFS Americas’ activities.
Henrik Lund assumed the position of global airfreight director at Hellmann Worldwide Logistics. Lund has 30 years of experience in the logistics industry, including previous positions at Panalpina, DHL, Exel and Shipco Transport. He brings a wealth of know-how in airfreight product management to the company. Lund lived in the U.S. for 12 years, followed by 15 years in Asia and then returned to Europe a couple of years ago. In his new position, he will be based in Hamburg.