march2022 - 10

Business Buzz
PEOPLE
IATA Appoints Leger SVP for Commercial
Products & Services
The International Air Transport Association
(IATA) has appointed Frederic Leger as the
association's senior vice president for commercial
products and services. Leger served
in the role on an interim basis since July 2021,
when IATA's Commercial Products and Services
Division was created as part of an internal
restructuring. He reports to Willie Walsh,
IATA's director general.
Leger holds the concurrent position of
president of IATA's Cargo Network Services
in the U.S., a responsibility he has held
since May 2021.
Leger joined IATA in 2005 as head of e-Invoicing
Services. Since then, he has held
various roles at the association with a focus
on IATA's commercial products and services
and cargo.
" IATA's commercial products and services
are vital. First and foremost, they support
efficient global connectivity. This includes
essential offerings such as the IATA Travel
Pass and Timatic which, together, provide
critical support for efficient checking of health
credentials and entry requirements. Furthermore,
the commercial success of IATA's products
and services enables the association to
deliver critical activities on which the global
air transport industry relies. Examples include
standards setting to enable safe and efficient
operations, and advocacy to help the industry
achieve net zero carbon emissions. Frederic
has taken on a huge responsibility, and I have
every confidence in his success, " said Walsh.
Leger is a French national based in Geneva,
Switzerland. He holds a master's degree
in strategy with honors from the Grenoble
School of Management and studied supply
chain as well as finance at the Lyon School
of Management.
Leger
Menzies Aviation Appoints
New Digital and Innovation
Senior Vice President
Menzies Aviation has appointed Filip
Nekvinda as its new senior vice president
of digital and innovation. Nekvinda has
a wealth of digital transformation experience,
which he gained
by leading digital projects
for global brands including
IKEA and Procter &
Gamble. From digital
employee initiatives, to
automation and supply
Nekvinda
chain digitization, to innovation through
various emerging technologies, he has
a track record of successfully delivering
these on an international scale.
Nekvinda will lead Menzies' digital
strategy and drive forward its digital
capabilities. Key focus areas for Nekvinda
include employee engagement, operational
efficiency and helping Menzies and
its customers achieve carbon reduction
targets by digitizing processes.
10 || Ground Support Worldwide || March 2022
This is a new strategic role for Menzies
as the company takes the next step in its
digital and innovation journey to become
even more efficient and effective across
its global operations.
" We're excited to welcome Filip to
Menzies and utilize his fresh perspective
and wealth of expertise in digital transformation
as we continue our digital
evolution. We are an integral partner
in the aviation supply chain and collaborating
with customers to help them
achieve their digital transformation goals
is essential. Filip's influence will benefit
Menzies as well as our customers' digital
journeys as we strive to achieve efficiencies
and decarbonization goals, " Mark
Reid, chief information officer at Menzies
Aviation, said.
SITA Appoints Lavorel
as its New CEO
The SITA Board has announced the
appointment of David Lavorel as the
company's new CEO.
Under his leadership and
vision, SITA will continue
to lead a strategic change
for the industry, helping its
customers implement digitalized
and smart solutions.
Over the past 20 years at
Lavorel
SITA, Lavorel has served in a range of
senior roles, most recently as CEO of SITA
at Airports and Borders. He also served
as CEO of SITA for Aircraft, where he pursued
a strategy to extract the full potential
of the connected aircraft for SITA's
airline customers. As senior VP corporate
development and head of the CEO office,
Lavorel's responsibilities included executing
the company's growth and development
plans.
" The air transport industry has been
through an incredibly turbulent period.
As we look to recovery, digitalization
of the industry is a key focus. David's
experience and knowledge of both the
industry and SITA will be instrumental
in cementing SITA's position as a trusted
march2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of march2022
