Aubrey Swift, Air Pacific acting chief executive officer announced yesterday. Photo: AIR PACIFIC
By JYOTI PRATIBHA
The acting chief executive officer of the Air Pacific has been named.
Aubrey Swift, who is currently the airline’s chief commercial officer, takes up the acting post after the departure of outgoing chief executive officer, Dave Pflieger.
The chairman of the Air Pacific board Nalin Patel announced that Mr Swift- one of the airline’s top executive-will lead the national carrier in an interim position, till Mr Pflieger’s replacement is appointed.
Mr Patel said: “With the talent and experience that Aubrey has demonstrated throughout his 20-year career as an airline industry executive and during his tenure at Air Pacific, the Board of Directors unanimously agreed that Aubrey is the right choice to oversee the continuation of the airline’s highly successful revitalisation and rebranding initiatives and to ensure a seamless leadership transition,” Mr Patel said.
“Responsible for every aspect of the airline’s marketing, planning, revenue management, freight, global sales, and all other commercial activities, Aubrey’s proven capabilities have earned the respect and full confidence of the Board.”
The Board also announced that it expects to conclude its search for a permanent replacement for Mr Pflieger next month.
International interest for CEO
The board noted world-wide interest in the role, which has resulted in a large pool of highly qualified candidates to choose from.
“Because Dave assembled such an impressive and deep bench of highly talented local and overseas executives, we can afford the time to conduct a thorough replacement search,” Mr Patel said.
“Knowing that the tremendous work already being undertaken by the company, and its leadership team to take delivery of additional A330s and conclude our ‘Fiji Airways’ rebranding will continue without interruption.”
Acknowledgment
Mr Swift praised the work Mr Pflieger did for Air Pacific.
“Dave did an amazing job here, and it is an honour to work side-by-side with such dedicated, talented, and hard-working people, to safeguard his legacy of safety, operational excellence, award-winning customer service, employee satisfaction, and profitability,” said Mr. Swift.
“Soon to be flying as ‘Fiji Airways,’ our team here has created a dynamic platform for future growth and success, and I am excited a part of it. I greatly appreciate the Board’s confidence.
“Together with Air Pacific’s terrific team of dedicated people, I look forward to ensuring our future success as we keep our employees engaged and rewarded, ensure our customers are satisfied, and make Fiji proud.”