One other top-level cargo executive for a Middle Eastern airline has found a brand new job. Atlas Air, which leases and flies cargo and passenger aircraft for airlines, logistics firms, sports teams and the U.S. military, on Monday named former Etihad Airways cargo chief Martin Drew as chief strategy and transformation officer.
Last week, airport services company Swissport named Guillaume Halleux, previously the chief cargo officer at Qatar Airways, as its chief business officer. Swissport is a serious cargo handler for airlines around the globe.
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Atlas Air is the most important operator of Boeing 747 jumbo jet freighters on the planet and in addition flies other forms of Boeing aircraft. Top customers include Amazon, the U.S. Department of Defense, Alibaba’s logistics arm Cainiao and global logistics giant Kuehne+Nagel.
The Atlas Air C-suite has seen several changes in recent months. Michael Steen succeeded John Dietrich as CEO in May after a gaggle of investors bought the cargo-focused aviation company and took it private in March. Richard Broekman was promoted to chief business officer, taking the role previously held by Steen, with the extra role of head of sustainability.
Chief Financial Officer Spencer Schwartz also retired in June, and the corporate promoted one in every of his assistants to be interim CFO.
Drew resigned from Etihad over the summer but didn’t indicate what he planned to do next.
Atlas Air said Drew’s experience at a mixture carrier comparable to Etihad might be beneficial for Atlas’ passenger and cargo operations. He’s tasked with driving strategic growth initiatives and diversifying services, partnerships and geographic reach.
Drew oversaw all elements of Etihad Cargo, including global sales, marketing and operations. He joined Etihad in 2005 and several other years ago spent 18 months helping Jet Airways in India grow its cargo business before returning to Etihad Cargo as senior vice chairman, Americas.
Meanwhile, Steven Polmans, chairman of The International Air Cargo Association, left his job as vice chairman of business development and freezone regulatory affairs at Abu Dhabi Airports last summer after 18 months to begin his own air logistics consulting firm. He was recruited by the emirate to develop a long-term strategy for the free trade zone following a successful run developing an efficient cargo community at Brussels Airport in Belgium.
The Loadstar in June suggested the Drew and Polmans departures had something to do with changes in strategy and Abu Dhabi’s sovereign wealth fund, ADQ, taking full ownership of Etihad in October.
Twitter: @ericreports / LinkedIn: Eric Kulisch / ekulisch@freightwaves.com
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