After 20 years of Executive Board positions within the Lufthansa Group, Austrian Airlines CCO and CFO Andreas Otto has decided to leave the company to pursue new challenges. Additionally, Austrian’s Chief Operating Officer, Jens Ritter, will join Eurowings.
On Wednesday (December 9, 2020), Austrian Airlines announced several changes in the composition of their Executive Board. After 20 years of Executive Board positions within the Lufthansa Group, Austrian Airlines Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Andreas Otto will step down on December 31, 2020 to pursue other interests. Mr. Otto has also served as an Executive Board Member at the carrier for the last six years. During his tenure at the airline, Andreas Otto strongly influenced the company’s transformation and realignment. Austrian Airline’s CEO, Alexis von Hoensbroech, will assume the additional responsibilities as company CFO. Commenting on Mr. Otto’s departure, Austrian Airlines’ Chairwoman of the Supervisory Board, Christina Foerster, said,
“I very much regret the fact that we are losing Andreas Otto, an experienced industry expert and highly esteemed executive who decisively helped shape the Lufthansa Group over many years. I would like to thank Andreas Otto for his longstanding and successful work and wish him all the best for the future.”
Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) manager Michael Trestl has been proposed to succeed Andreas Otto as Austrian Airlines Chief Commercial Officer. Austrian-born Trestl has been nominated to join the Executive Board of Austrian Airlines and assume the position of CCO effective January 1, 2021. Michael Trestl (35) is currently the Head of Network Management at SWISS where he has gained over a decade of experience both at the Swiss national carrier and at the holiday carrier Edelweiss. Mr. Trestl has a doctorate in management science and is an expert in the fields of strategy and airline management.
Additionally, Austrian Airlines’ Chief Operating Officer (COO) Jens Ritter will leave the carrier at the end of March 2021 and join Eurowings as a Member of the Executive Board in Germany and COO. Mr. Ritter spent five years with Austrian Airlines as an Accountable Manager and later COO since the start of 2020. During his tenure at Austrian, Mr. Ritter reorganized and modernized the carrier’s operations. Commenting on Jens Ritter’s service to Austrian Airlines, Ms. Foerster commented,
“I would like to thank Jens Ritter for his five years of service on behalf of Austrian Airlines, upon which he definitely left on his imprint thanks to his untiring commitment and high quality standards. I would like to wish him every success in his professional future.”
Pending Board approval, Jens Ritter will be succeeded by Francesco Sciortino, an experienced Lufthansa Group manager, as Austrian Airlines new COO on April 1st, 2021. Mr. Sciortino is an operations expert with approximately 19 years at the Group and currently serves as Managing Director and Accountable Manager at Germanwings. Sciortino (47) concluded his training at Lufthansa pilot school and joined Austrian Airlines in 1997 as an Airbus A320 co-pilot.
While working as a pilot he began his work as an expert fleet advisor for Lufthansa before assuming responsibility for the baggage processes of the German carrier. Between 2010 and 2011, he served as Head of Ground Operations at Lufthansa Italia, before being appointed Project Manager for the integration of the Airbus A330 at Sunexpress Germany. In 2017, he joined the Executive Board of Germanwings as Managing Director and Accountable Manager. Mr. Sciortino has a trainer license as an Airbus A320/A330 captain.
With the announced changes, Austrian Airlines Executive Board will consist of Alexis von Hoensbroech (CEO & CFO), Michael Trestl (CCO) and Francesco Sciortino (CCO). Commenting on the executive management changes, Austrian Airlines Supervisory Board Chairwoman, Christina Foerster, concluded,
“I am pleased that we can propose that the Supervisory Board appoints two experienced top managers, Michael Trestl and Francesco Sciortino, to the Executive Board of Austrian Airlines. Thanks to their extensive know-how, they will be able to lead Austrian Airlines out of the crisis and press ahead with the airline’s development with passion, motivation and creative impetus. I am certain that the Executive Board team will successfully steer the company through the coronavirus pandemic and that Austrian Airlines will emerge even stronger from this time.”
Also commenting on the Executive Board changes, Austrian Airlines’ CEO, Alexis von Hoensbroech, added,
“I would like to thank Andreas Otto and Jens Ritter. On the basis of their extraordinary commitment, courage and prudence, they developed and strengthened our Austrian Airlines over the last few years and recently maneuvered the airline through the coronavirus crisis. At the same time, I am looking forward to working together with Michael Trestl and Francesco Sciortino. Both of them will become part of our company during a very dynamic period of time. I am convinced that we will overcome the challenges of the pandemic with their expertise and put Austrian Airlines back on the road to success.”
Source: Austrian Airlines