AITAL, the International Association of Latin American Airlines, has named Alex de Gunten as its executive director, replacing long-serving Ernest Vasquez Rocha, who has held the post since 1983.
De Gunten, who officially takes up his post at AITAL's annual general meeting in November in Buenos Aires, has been on a whistlestop tour of Latin America to meet the chief executives of many of the 17 carriers in the southern hemisphere that make up the association to develop its future strategy and direction. He has also visited IATA and the Association of European Airlines in Europe.
His brief is to raise the profile of AITAL and to make it globally acknowledged as the representative body for the region's carriers. 'Some groups in Latin America consider air transport almost as a luxury and tend to tax it accordingly - it is our job to clarify this view and promote the industry as a channel for economic and social development,' says De Gunten.
AITAL's new head has 20 years of experience in the industry and the region, having held senior management positions at LanChile and Canadian Airlines in several Latin American countries. He has also served as Chancellor for the Consulate of Bolivia in Canada, and was most recently managing director for Orbitz Latin America.
De Gunten, recruited by executive search firm Spencer Stuart, is fluent in English, French and Spanish and has a masters in business administration with a major in international business from Queen's University in Ontario.
Source: Airline Business
