SAA names new deputy ceo and new executive team

THE chairman of South African Airways, Don Ncube and president and ceo of the airline, Andre Viljoen, have announced the new leadership team. For the first time the airline has a deputy ceo. The new deputy is Oyama Mabandla, who the airline has described as a “strategic and visionary leader with sound commercial knowledge”. Until his appointment on Monday, Mabandla, headed strategy, revenue management and network planning at SAA. He holds a BA and Juris Doctor degree in Corporate Law from Columbia University, New York. Before joining SAA, he worked as a merchant banker for the Swiss Merchant Bank, Union Bank of Switzerland in London and Johannesburg. Later he joined the Johannesburg Bar as an advocate of the Supreme Court of South Africa. The airline’s new six executive vice presidents(EVP) include: * Evp commercial: Andile Mabizela. He will be responsible for cargo, alliances/network/revenue management, sales, marketing and Voyager. * Evp for customer services: Johan van Jaarsveld. He will be responsible for customer service, flight operations and cabin services, global passenger services/operations control centre. * Evp for human resources: Nolwazi Qata. She will be responsible for human resources/transformation, industrial relations and Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) and the Tender Control Board. * Evp for SAA technical: Rinesh Ramkissoon. He will look after the department's operations, quality, engineering, technical operations centre, minor maintenance, composite shop, power plants and workshops, major maintenance, finance, human resources, and marketing. * Evp for subsidiaries: Vuyisile Kona. He will be responsible for investments in subsidiaries and other entities such as SA Express, SA Airlink, Air Tanzania Limited, Air Chefs, SAA City Centers and certain business divisions like Galileo. * Richard Forson, evp and chief financial officer has resigned from the airline and is currently serving notice. His position will be filled in due course. He is responsible for treasury, structured finance, accounting, tax finance, fleet and legal including IT. (Miguel de Sousa)