Atlas Air Worldwide Announces Appointment of Emma Woodthorpe as Chief People Officer

Atlas Air Worldwide has today announced the appointment of Emma Woodthorpe as Chief People Officer.  Prior to joining Atlas, Ms. Woodthorpe served as Chief People Officer at Brooks Automation.

Atlas Air Worldwide's New Chief People Officer, Emma Woodthorpe - Courtesy Atlas Air Worldwide

On Monday (April 27, 2026), Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings announced the appointment of Emma Woodthorpe as Chief People Officer, effective immediately. She will report to company CEO, Michael Steen, and serve on Atlas’ Executive Leadership Team.  Ms. Woodthorpe brings over 25 years of experience building high-performing organizations and leading transformation across global enterprises.  In her role at Atlas, she will lead the Company’s global talent and culture agenda, strengthening leadership, aligning talent with business priorities, and advancing the operating model to support Atlas’ continued growth and evolution.  Additionally, she will oversee talent acquisition, leadership development, organizational effectiveness, total rewards, employee engagement and relations, HR operations, and people technology.

In Monday’s announcement, Atlas Air Worldwide’s CEO, Michael Steen, said,

“At Atlas, our people are at the center of everything we do.  Emma has demonstrated success in strengthening leadership capability, increasing employee engagement, embedding clear values and behaviors, and creating more connected and accountable organizations – capabilities that directly support our ambition to live a thriving culture at Atlas.”

Also commenting on her new role as Atlas’ Chief People Officer, Emma Woodthorpe, said,

“I am excited to join the team at this pivotal moment in Atlas’ journey.  The Company has built strong momentum, and we will build on this foundation to support our global workforce and position the business for long-term success.  People and culture are critical enablers of Atlas’ continued growth, and I look forward to working with the team to advance the Company’s people agenda.”

Prior to joining Atlas, Ms. Woodthorpe served as Chief People Officer at Brooks Automation, where she partnered with the CEO and Board to strengthen leadership effectiveness, enhance governance, and build scalable people practices to support growth.  Before joining Brooks Automation, she served as SVP and Chief Human Resources Officer at Mercury Systems, where she helped scale the company through 14 acquisitions and supported its growth from approximately $200 million to nearly $1 billion in revenue.  Emma Woodthorpe began her career in senior HR leadership roles at Xylem and DuPont, gaining extensive international experience in organizational design, workforce planning, and talent strategy.  She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Manchester Metropolitan University.

White Plains, New York-based Atlas Air Worldwide is a leading global provider of third-party aircraft and aviation operating services.  Company subsidiaries include Atlas Air and Titan Aviation Holdings.  Additionally, the company owns a majority stake in Polar Air Cargo Worldwide.  Together, the Atlas Air family of companies operate the world’s largest Boeing 747 Freighter fleet.  The company also offers their customers a wide selection of Boeing 747, 777, 767 and 737 aircraft for domestic, regional and international cargo and passenger operations.  With approximately 5,000 employees, the Atlas Air Worldwide companies serve a diversified customer roster across the global supply chain in more than 300 destinations in over 90 countries. 

Source: Atlas Air Worldwide