Wednesday, April 12, 2017

Cathay Pacific names new CEO in leadership shuffle

Cathay Pacific parent Swire Pacific has named senior executive Rupert Hogg to replace the Hong Kong flag carrier’s current CEO Ivan Chu as part of a major leadership reshuffle.

Hogg, who is Cathay’s COO, will become CEO May 1. Chu will become chairman of China’s John Swire & Sons, where he will “play a leading role in the Swire Group’s overall Mainland China investment and development strategy,” the company said. Chu will also remain on the Cathay board as a non-executive director.

Chu was appointed CEO of Cathay in 2014 following a three-year stint as COO. The carrier has been under increasing financial pressure for several months and, in response, Chu has overseen the creation of a corporate restructuring and turnaround plan.

John Slosar, chairman of Swire Pacific and Cathay Pacific, noted that Chu “played a key role in the airline’s management during some very good times and, more recently, some difficult and challenging times.”

Hogg was widely viewed as the most likely successor to Chu. Slosar stressed that Hogg will lead the three-year transformation program, using the platform developed by Chu. Hogg will also take over as chairman of subsidiary carrier Cathay Dragon. He has “an impressive level of aviation and business experience … and brings commercial focus and a spirit of innovation” to the Cathay leadership job, Slosar said.

Other significant changes have been made to the Cathay senior leadership structure. Paul Loo, currently the director of corporate development and information technology, will become chief customer and commercial officer from June 1. At the same time, Greg Hughes will become chief operations and service delivery officer. Hughes currently is group director of components and engine services for HAECO, another Swire company.

Cathay Dragon CEO Algernon Yau will take on the role of Cathay’s director of service delivery, reporting to Hughes. As well as retaining the Cathay Dragon CEO role, Yau will be responsible for “all service delivery aspects of the airlines,” and for most of the Cathay group’s subsidiaries.



(Adrian Schofield - Aviation Daily / ATWOnline News)

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