Aviation people on the move

Air New Zealand appoints chief digital officer: After an extensive global search, Air New Zealand has appointed Nikhil Ravishankar as its chief digital officer. Ravishankar is currently chief digital officer at Vector New Zealand, having led the company’s digital and information technology function and its transformation programme since 2017. Prior to this he was managing director at Accenture New Zealand and head of technology strategy at Telecom New Zealand (now Spark). Air New Zealand Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran says Mr Ravishankar will bring a wealth of knowledge and will be an excellent addition to the Air New Zealand executive team. “Digital will play an important role in our recovery from Covid-19, and as a key pillar in our strategy, we’ve got big plans for what we want to achieve in the digital space. Nikhil’s industry expertise will ensure we deliver on what we set out to do. We look forward to welcoming Nikhil to the Air New Zealand team in September.” Ravishankar is a member of the AUT AUTEUR Influencer Network, on the board of New Zealand Asian Leaders and an advisory committee member of The Blues Foundation. He holds a Bachelor of Science and a Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) from the University of Auckland.  Mitch Schuldiner Vortex Aviation names Mitch Schuldiner as director of operations: Vortex Aviation, the global On-Wing and quick-turn turbine engine repair organisation appoints Mitch Schuldiner as director of operations for its Davie, Florida engine shop. Schuldiner is an aviation industry veteran who brings over 30 years of experience to Vortex Aviation. His contribution further strengthens the company’s leadership team as it provides innovative engine on-wing and quick turn repair services to a diverse customer base. As the director of operations, he will provide operational oversight of on-wing and off-wing maintenance, repair, and troubleshooting at the Davie, Florida engine shop ensuring continuous production of services is consistent with established standards and applicable regulatory requirements. “We are delighted to have Mitch join our team. His extensive industry knowledge and professionalism will only serve to enhance Vortex’s ability to provide superior customer service and add valuable insight to our operations,” said Timothy Forbes, managing director/accountable manager at Vortex Aviation. Ellen Lee ATPCO appoints new executives: ATPCO announced that two new executives have been added to its leadership team with Ellen Lee joining as chief commercial officer (CCO) and Maya Bordeaux as chief people and culture officer (CPCO). Both hires bring fresh perspectives and decades of experience spanning multiple industry sectors to ATPCO and will help shape and drive the company’s ongoing transformation following the recent appointment of Alex Zoghlin as president and CEO. Alongside other senior leadership at ATPCO, both Bordeaux and Lee will be focused on executing Zoghlin’s vision of modernising and simplifying the way in which ATPCO operates with its customers and expanding ATPCO’s value to the industry. Maya Bordeaux Bordeaux is a progressive, results-driven executive. In her new role as CPCO she will identify opportunities to enhance the experience of all employees by cultivating and extending ATPCO’s culture. With employees currently working remotely, she will focus on promoting a more diverse, equitable, and engaged workforce that will drive innovation and teamwork. Bordeaux has served in several senior human resources leadership roles, including at McDonald’s Corporation, where she developed and led the implementation of employee programs for its 90,000 US employees. Bordeaux also served as the senior vice president, People and Culture, at Wilton Brands; and was most recently chief human resources and communications Officer at Tribune Publishing, a media company with more than 4,000 employees across major national newspapers including the Chicago Tribune and The Baltimore Sun. Lee comes to ATPCO with decades of experience in customer-centric digital transformations and a strong background in e-commerce, business development, and innovation. Lee’s expertise in airline distribution and pricing began with her revenue management roles at American Airlines and Delta Airlines in the 1990s and as senior vice president commercial at G2 SwitchWorks, the company she co-founded with Zoghlin. G2 SwitchWorks was a direct connection between major airlines and third-party distributors and was acquired by Travelport in 2008. More recently, Lee led digital marketing and experience for Alterra Mountain Company, which owns and operates 15 mountain resort destinations across North America. Before that, Lee held senior global digital roles with Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Alain Berger Deborah Pilczer Patrick Thomas Safran Nacelles announces appointments: Alain Berger has been named vice president, Customer Support & Services; Deborah Pilczer has been named vice president, Sales and Marketing; Patrick Thomas has been named vice president, Administration and Finance. Berger began his career in 1991 with LMB, a specialist in ventilation and electric motors for aeronautics, successively as sales engineer, sales director and then deputy director. After serving in multiple roles at different companies,  he joined Safran Nacelles as vice president sales and marketing in 2020. Pilczer began her career in 2002 at Snecma Propulsion Solide4, in the aerospace field, as Project Leader. In 2005, Pilczer joined Snecma5 as aircraft performance engineer and evolved towards the commercial direction in 2007, as sales support manager then sales director in charge of England and Malta, covering in particular easyJet and TUI’s accounts. In 2015, she took over the management of the Support Preparation Department -Technical Documentation, Configuration Management, Logistical Support and Customers’ Trainings-, in the framework of LEAP engines’ entry into service. In 2018, she was appointed VP Customer Support Sales and Marketing of the Avionic Division in Safran Electronics & Defense. Thomas began his career in audit within Arthur Andersen. In 1995, he joined the retail sector and held several financial management positions in the Pinault-Printemps-Redoute (PPR) and Galeries-Lafayette groups. Thomas joined the Safran Group in 2003 and has since held several finance positions in various business groups and entities within Safran, located in France or in the USA. Recaro Aircraft Seating names GM for Americas: Recaro Aircraft Seating has announced Sunitha Vegerla as its new general manager of Recaro Aircraft Seating Americas in Fort Worth, Texas. Vegerla is the director of Quality and Process Management and a member of the Americas executive leadership team. After three years in the role, current General Manager René Dankwerth will be transitioning into a new position as EVP Competence Center Composites at Recaro headquarters in Schwaebisch Hall. During his time as general manager, Dankwerth ramped up the facility’s production capabilities to double the sales volume in 2018-2019, while maintaining on-time delivery to customers. Vegerla has been with the seating company for nearly two decades and is responsible for helping build the program management department in the Americas. Originally from India, Vegerla holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Andhra University in India and a master’s degree in engineering technology from the University of North Texas. For Editorial Inquiries Contact: Editor Matt Driskill at [email protected] For Advertising Inquiries Contact: Head of Sales Kay Rolland at [email protected]