Abu Dhabi’s Etihad announces management restructuring

Abu Dhabi carrier Etihad Airways unveiled a new management structure on Sunday that will see president and chief executive James Hogan take the helm of a wider aviation group.

Etihad Aviation Group chairman Mohamed Mubarak Al Mazrouei said the restructuring was designed to better facilitate the management of the carrier’s stake holdings in other airlines and its cargo, loyalty, destination management and airport services operations.

Under the plans, Hogan will become president and chief executive of the group leading a team of James Rigney as group CFO, Kevin Knight as group chief strategy and planning officer, Ray Gammell as group chief people and performance officer and Robert Webb as group chief information and technology officer.

Meanwhile, a separate team of chief executive officers reporting to Hogan will oversee the day-to-day running of Etihad Airways, the group’s equity stakes, engineering and a newly formed loyalty and travel management arm.

Existing Etihad executive Peter Baumgartner will become CEO of Etihad Airways and Bruno Matheu has been appointed chief executive officer of airline equity partners from his previous role as COO of Airline Equity Partners. The new role will manage the company’s stakes in Serbia, Air Seychelles, Etihad Regional operated by Darwin Airline, Jet Airways, and Virgin Australia.

Jeff Wilkinson has been appointed CEO of Etihad Airways Engineering, from his existing position as SVP of technical, and the company said it is searching for a chief executive to lead loyalty and travel management arm the Hala Group.

“Etihad Airways is no longer a stand-alone business,” said Hogan. “The Etihad Aviation Group employs more than 27,000 people and these structural changes and appointments will ensure that we have a unified approach that links all parts of the group and provides wider strategic direction to deliver success.

“The new management structure will enable us to maximise opportunities for growth, revenue generation and cost control on a much bigger scale so that the Etihad Aviation Group continues to deliver to its fullest potential and for the benefit of its guests, employees and suppliers.”