10 fresh faces in air cargo in 2017

Along with a resurgence in confidence in airfreight, the first half of 2017 has seen an unusually high number of personnel changes and promotions among the executive ranks of air carriers and other logistics firms, while some of the industry’s legends have decided to step down. While this is hardly a comprehensive list, Air Cargo World highlights 10 of the most influential new names in cargo so far this year:

Marcel de Nooijer [caption id="attachment_19963" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Marcel de Nooijer[/caption]

At the start of the new year, Marcel de Nooijer was named the new executive vice president of Air France-KLM Cargo . De Nooijer joined KLM in 1995 and has gained commercial and operational experience working in various positions at KLM, and its cargo division, as well as at Air France-KLM, most recently serving as executive vice president KLM Cargo. Turhan Özen [caption id="attachment_19964" align="aligncenter" width="698"] Turhan Özen[/caption]

Turkish Airlines also appointed Turhan Özen as its new chief cargo officer in January. Özen joined the carrier in 2016, and held a similar position at CEVA Logistics, eventually becoming deputy managing director of commercial at CEVA in 2011.

David Bronczek [caption id="attachment_16260" align="aligncenter" width="520"] Dave Bronczek (left) and Fred Smith[/caption]

In one of the first mild surprises of the year, FedEx Corp. named David Bronczek as its new president and chief operating officer, taking over from legendary founder and CEO Fred Smith , both of whom were awarded Co-Executives of the Year in 2015 by Air Cargo World . The move came a full year earlier than expected, as Smith said Bronczek’s promotion was accelerated after the success of the TNT merger. Bronczek has been with FedEx since the mid-1970s, starting out as a courier and later handling management roles in Canada and Europe, and as vice president and chief operating officer of the express division.

Rick Elieson [caption id="attachment_19965" align="aligncenter" width="698"] Rick Elieson[/caption]

American Airlines Cargo promoted Rick Elieson to president of cargo, overseeing all aspects of the carrier's worldwide cargo business. He now reports to Jim Butler , who had succeeded Art Torno as senior vice president, international and cargo, following Torno's retirement after 38 years with the carrier. Elieson began his career on the Japanese desk in AA's Fort Worth Reservations office in 1994, and has since held numerous positions in revenue management, pricing strategy, loyalty, digital and marketing.

Lynne Embleton [caption id="attachment_19966" align="aligncenter" width="865"] Lynne Embleton[/caption]

In early April, IAG Group appointed Lynne Embleton , formerly the managing director of British Airways at the U.K.’s Gatwick Airport, as the carrier’s new head of IAG Cargo . She stepped in as Drew Crawley left the CEO position after one year at the helm to become head of Avios, the loyalty program for parent company IAG Group. Embleton has been in the airline industry for more than 25 years with British Airways.

Tim Strauss

After a lengthy search, Air Canada Cargo named Tim Strauss , former vice president cargo for Hawaiian Airlines, as a replacement for Lise-Marie Turpin , who retired as cargo chief of the Canadian carrier. Strauss, known for his colorful Hawaiian shirts in his previous role, began donning colder-weather gear in early April, when he took the reins. Previously, he also served as managing director of global operations for Delta Airlines Cargo. Andrés Bianchi [caption id="attachment_19968" align="aligncenter" width="680"] Andres Bianchi[/caption]

Andrés Bianchi started as CEO of LATAM Cargo on April 15. Bianchi, formerly senior vice-president of sales for North America, Europe and Asia, took over the helm of the troubled carrier after former CEO Cristián Ureta left the carrier after 11 years as CEO. Bianchi began his LATAM career in 2001, serving as vice president of finance and senior vice president, network.

Wolfgang Raebiger [caption id="attachment_19969" align="aligncenter" width="698"] Wolfgang Raebiger[/caption]

As of May 1, Wolfgang Raebiger became chief financial officer at AeroLogic , a joint venture between Lufthansa Cargo and DHL Express. Raebiger’s previous position was at Lufthansa Cargo, where he served as captain and head of fleet. Neel Jones Shah [caption id="attachment_19970" align="aligncenter" width="698"] Neel Jones Shah[/caption]

Neel Jones Shah , former COO of Delta Cargo, is now global head of airfreight and senior vice-president at Flexport , a San Francisco-based online forwarder and customs broker. Shah is also serving on the board of Amerijet International and is a senior adviser for Boston Consulting Group. He was also the vice president of commercial cargo for United Airlines.

James Ginns [caption id="attachment_19971" align="aligncenter" width="680"] James Ginns[/caption]

James Ginns , currently director of service delivery at Cathay Pacific , will take over the director of cargo role from Simon Large , who will leave the freight arm of the Hong Kong-based carrier to become customer director on the passenger side on June 1. Ginns has worked at Cathay for 26 years, but this appears to be his first job on the cargo side. Large has been cargo director since August 2015, after working at the Swire Group. Back to Top

10 fresh faces in air cargo in 2017

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