People: Appointments in air cargo

The air cargo industry saw several key appointments in April. Sauve-Hopkins to head dnata’s airport ops in 16 countries [caption id="attachment_57142946" align="alignright" width="190"] Gilles Pettolaz[/caption] [caption id="attachment_57142943" align="alignright" width="237"] Clive Sauve-Hopkins[/caption] Dubai-based air and travel services provider dnata has appointed Clive Sauve-Hopkins divisional senior vice president of airport operations, effective immediately. In his new role, he oversees dnata’s ground handling and cargo business at 97 airports in 16 countries. Sauve-Hopkins has held senior leadership positions with Swissport , Servisair , Aviapartner , Qatar Airways and the Abu Dhabi Developmental Holding Co. , according to an April 24 release from dnata. Additionally, dnata appointed Gilles Pettolaz as head of operations in Geneva, Switzerland, effective immediately, according to an April 22 release from the company. In his new role, Gilles oversees dnata’s operations, including ramp, cargo and passenger services, at Geneva Airport (GVA). Gilles was most recently managing director for Switzerland at RATP Dev . He previously served as operations director at SV Group and regional operations manager, based at GVA, at SSP Group . Wetherell to lead airfreight forwarding for Maersk [caption id="attachment_57143103" align="alignright" width="200"] John Wetherell[/caption] Maersk appointed John Wetherell to the newly created role of global head of airfreight forwarding, effective April 8. Wetherell has three decades of experience in third-party logistics, holding leadership positions at CEVA Logistics and UTi Worldwide . He most recently served as regional head of airfreight in North America at Maersk; Brent Mayhew has stepped into that role. Maersk joined Air Cargo Next ’s Power 25 list of top air cargo forwarders for the first time this past year, grabbing spot No. 25 by moving 211,484 tonnes of air cargo in 2022. Knott to lead cloud-based SaaS development as Hermes CTO [caption id="attachment_57142941" align="alignright" width="183"] Andrew Knott[/caption] Hermes Logistics Technologies (HLT) has appointed Andrew Knott as chief technology officer, succeeding Marcus Campbell , who is now CTO at Alzheimer’s Society . Knott brings more than 25 years of experience in tech and software development to HLT, most of which has been in travel and aviation, including building cloud-based software-as-a-solution (SaaS) platforms, according to an April 16 release from HLT. “Andrew is a seasoned CTO and brings a wealth of experience to our team, particularly in leveraging the latest cloud-based technologies,” HLT Chief Executive Yuval Baruch said in the release. “He has built SaaS products from scratch and has been delivering complex software products as native cloud solutions for 10 years, so he is well placed to drive the continuous development of our cloud-based SaaS solutions at Hermes.” SkyTeam Cargo names Engelaan VP [caption id="attachment_57142949" align="alignright" width="203"] John Engelaan[/caption] SkyTeam Cargo appointed John Engelaan as vice president, effective immediately. Engelaan was previously vice president of global fleet at Swissport, where he was responsible for the management of 60,000 ground support equipment assets across 275 airports in 45 countries, as well as helping develop long-term sustainability objectives, according to an April 11 release from SkyTeam Cargo. Prior to that, Engelaan worked in various senior roles at Air France-KLM and Martinair Cargo . SkyTeam Cargo is a cargo alliance that includes: Aeroflot , suspended; Aerolineas Argentinas Cargo ; Aeromexico Cargo ; Air France-KLM Cargo ; China Cargo Airlines ; Czech Airlines Cargo ; Delta Cargo ; ITA Airways Cargo ; Korean Air Cargo ; and Saudia Cargo . Pfeifer appointed general manager Europe at Jettainer [caption id="attachment_57142945" align="alignright" width="236"] Gert Pfeifer[/caption] Unit load device (ULD) management company Jettainer appointed Gert Pfeifer to the newly created position of general manager Europe, effective April 1. This appointment is part of a strategic reorganization of Jettainer, a subsidiary of Lufthansa Cargo . Pfeifer is responsible for developing and implementing a regional sales and operations strategy for Europe, according to an April 4 release from Jettainer. He and his teams handle all aspects of customer relations in the region, including sales, operations and customer service, the release stated. Pfeifer joined Jettainer 15 years ago and was most recently head of operational excellence supply chain, a role in which he was responsible for fleet management, ULD engineering, repair and maintenance processes, and new customer integration. He also played a key role in developing digital twins, or virtual images of real ULDs, to identify areas for improvement, according to the release. “Our new structure is designed to reflect the specific customer needs and market situations in the various regions,” Jettainer Chief Executive Thomas Sonntag said in the release. “Pfeifer has in-depth knowledge of the ULD market and our customers’ requirements and has all the skills needed to drive Jettainer’s growth in Europe.” TIACA welcomes six new members to board [caption id="attachment_57143114" align="alignright" width="300"] Clockwise from above left are Jannie Davel, Martin Drew, Diogo Elias, Dirk Goovaerts, Boon Kiam Kuah and Nichole Schulz.[/caption] TIACA has appointed six new members to serve on its board of directors, according to an April 3 release from TIACA. They are: Jannie Davel , senior vice president of MSC Air Cargo ; Martin Drew , chief strategy and transformation officer of Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings ; Diogo Elias , senior vice president of Avianca Cargo ; Dirk Goovaerts , chief executive of the continental Europe, Middle East, Africa and India region of Swissport ; Boon Kiam Kuah , senior vice president of cargo services of Singapore Air Terminal Services ; and Nichole Schulz , director of industry affairs for UPS . “A strong and diverse board has proven beneficial to the transformation of the association over the last few years,” TIACA Chairperson Steven Polmans said in the release. “The appointment of these new board members will not only ensure that we remain agile and relevant but will also provide the board with a fresh perspective.” Hayes to lead Airbus in North America [caption id="attachment_57142960" align="alignright" width="182"] Robin Hayes[/caption] Former JetBlue Airways Chief Executive Robin Hayes will become chief executive of Airbus Americas this summer. Airbus Americas Chairperson and Chief Executive C. Jeffrey Knittel , who will retire June 3, is working with Hayes through a transition period, according to an April 22 release from Airbus. Hayes joined JetBlue in 2008, becoming CEO in 2015. He retired from JetBlue in February, saying that “the extraordinary challenges and pressure of this job have taken their toll, and on the advice of my doctor and after talking to my wife, it’s time I put more focus on my health and well-being,” according to a Jan. 8 release from JetBlue. He was succeeded at JetBlue by Joanna Geraghty . Hayes has also held senior executive positions with British Airways and chaired IATA ’s board of governors from 2020 to 2022. “After some time off, I am excited and energized to join Airbus and build on the incredible success in the region,” Hayes said in the Airbus release. “Airbus’ commitment to safety and decarbonization is incredibly important to me.” SmartLynx appoints Belina as deputy CEO [caption id="attachment_57142948" align="alignright" width="228"] Jan Belina[/caption] Cargo and charter provider SmartLynx Airlines has appointed Jan Belina as deputy chief executive, a newly created role. Belina will work alongside Chief Executive Edvinas Demenius to manage the airline’s day-to-day operations, according to an April 3 release from SmartLynx. Belina has more than two decades of experience in leadership roles in operations control and ground operations at Czech airline Smartwings , serving as chief operational officer and accountable manager. “Around a decade ago, I had the opportunity to collaborate with SmartLynx in my previous role, and I’ve been genuinely impressed by the airline's remarkable growth and achievements over the years," Belina said in the release. Air Cargo Next has launched a business directory listing cargo carriers, service providers and technology companies. Each category has sub-categories, allowing users to find the right business to meet their needs. Users can also add their businesses to the directory and claim existing entries. Visit the Air Cargo Next Directory here.

People: Appointments in air cargo

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