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Joe Breitfeller

IAG Group CEO, Willie Walsh Announces Retirement, Iberia CEO Luis Gallego to Take Top Job

On Thursday, International Airlines Group (IAG) announced the retirement of CEO Willie Walsh. Mr Walsh will step down as CEO on March 26th and retire June 30th, 2020. Iberia CEO Luis Gallego will succeed Mr. Walsh in the top job at IAG.


IAG Announces the Retirement of Willie Walsh. Iberia CEO Luis Gallego to Take Top Job at the European Airline Conglomerate - Courtesy British Airways

Today, The International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG) announced the retirement of their Chief Executive Officer Willie Walsh. Mr. Walsh will step down from his role on the IAG Board of Directors on March 26th and retire on June 30, 2020. IAG is a European airline conglomerate and parent company of British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia, Vueling, Level and Air Europa. Similarly, the other European airline conglomerate, the Lufthansa Group, is the parent company of Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines, Eurowings, Germanwings and Air Dolomiti of Italy. In Thursday’s statement, IAG Chairman, Antonio Vasquez said in part,


“Willie has led the merger and successful integration of British Airways and Iberia to form IAG. Under Willie’s leadership IAG has become one of the leading global airline groups. Willie has been the main driver of this unique idea that is IAG. I hugely admire his commitment, strong leadership and clear vision, always ready to take on whatever challenges lay ahead of him. I am deeply respectful of what he has achieved as CEO of this Group, of his sense of fairness, his transparency and his capacity to integrate people regardless of nationalities or backgrounds.”


Also commenting on today’s announcement, IAG’s current CEO, Willie Walsh added.


“It has been a privilege to have been instrumental in the creation and development of IAG. I have had the pleasure of working with many exceptional people over the last 15 years at British Airways and at IAG. Luis has been a core member of the team and has shown true leadership over the years and I have no doubt he will be a great CEO of AIG.”


In response to today’s announcement, AIG CEO-designee Luis Gallego stated,


“It has been a great pleasure to work with Willie over the last seven years. I t is a huge honor to lead this great company. I t is an exciting time at IAG, and I am confident that we can build on the strong foundations created by Willie.”



Source: International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG)

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