Tyler lands Cathay's top job
A surprise top-management shakeup has been unveiled at Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways that will see chief executive Philip Chen moving to parent company Swire Pacific and chief operating officer Tony Tyler replacing him.
The announcement came as a surprise to the market as Chen, 51, only took over as chief executive in January 2005. Cathay's 40% owner Swire Pacific says Chen will be taking up a new role with Swire Pacific "as the director responsible for the company's overall China investment strategy".
Tyler, also 51, will take over as Cathay's chief executive in July. A graduate of Oxford University, he joined John Swire & Sons in 1977 and moved to Cathay in 1978. He has held positions in Hong Kong, Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, the Philippines and the UK.
Tyler became chief operating officer in January 2005 when Chen was promoted to the top job. Prior to that Tyler had been director corporate development. In addition to his chief operating officer duties he is a director of Dragonair and chairman of the executive committees of Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering (HAECO) and Air Hong Kong.
Replacing Tyler as chief operating officer will be John Slosar, who has been an executive director of Swire Pacific since May 2006.
Chen joined Swire in 1977 and was Cathay's first ethnic Chinese chief executive. Chen will remain on Cathay's board as a non-executive deputy chairman.
Source: Airline Business
