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IATA appoints Opodo chief as new director general and CEO
The IATA Board of Governors, at a special meeting held on 20 March, unanimously approved the appointment of Giovanni Bisignani as its new Director General and Chief Executive Officer.
Mr Bisignani will join IATA on 13 May, 2002 as Director General-designate. He will officially take over from the incumbent, Pierre Jeanniot, immediately after the IATA Annual General Meeting to be held June 3-4 in Shanghai, China – subject to the approval of that Meeting.
For the past 15 months, Mr Bisignani has served as President and CEO of Opodo, the airline-owned online travel portal in Europe, overseeing the market launches in Germany, the UK and, in April, France.
Commenting on the appointment, Leo Mullin, immediate past Chairman of IATA and Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Delta Air Lines, said: “We are delighted that Giovanni will be our next Director General. He is a true global citizen with proven experience working seamlessly across borders. Giovanni is no stranger to IATA, having served on its Executive Committee while serving as Alitalia CEO. He has also been Chairman of Galileo International and the Association of European Airlines and is highly skilled at leading across multiple constituencies. He has the total support of the international airline industry”.
Mr Bisignani said: “I am deeply honoured to have been asked to join IATA at such a key time. Having been in the travel industry for nearly 20 years I have watched the pivotal and influential role that IATA plays within international aviation and the travel sector in general. Pierre Jeanniot has done an incredible job in transforming the organisation and I shall build on the infrastructure he has put in place.
“As the aviation industry develops, accommodating new technology and increased competition, so the market place is changing” he added, “I look forward to leading IATA through these changing times and to supporting a vibrant and thriving airline industry.”
See our previous stories:
15-Mar-2002: Opodo third most visited UK travel site in February
07-Mar-2002 The TravelMole Interview: Jon Hart, MyTravel
05-Feb-2002 TravelMole Site of the Week: Opodo.co.uk
22-Jan-2002 Opodo launches in the UK
8-Jan-2002 Opodo appoints UK country manager
10-Dec-2001 Critics argue EC should close Opodo`loopholes`
9-Dec-2001 TravelMole Site of the Week: Opodo.de
30-Nov-2001 Opodo: Controversy continues despite Germany launch
20-Nov-2001 EC prepares to clear Opodo for take-off
15-Nov-2001 Opodo: site needed ‘now more than ever’
12-Jul-2001 Expedia boss dismisses Opodo hype
2-Jul-2001 Sabre chief says life goes on after Opodo
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