Effective April 2024, Marco Sansavini will become the new President and Chief Executive Officer of Iberia. Mr. Sansavini succeeds Fernando Candela, who has held the position on an interim basis since May 2023, and will continue as CEO of LEVEL.
On Thursday (February 29, 2024), Iberia announced the appointment of Vueling’s President and CEO, Marco Sansavini, as the Iberia's new President and CEO effective early April 2024. Mr. Sansavini succeeds Fernando Candela, who has held the position on an interim basis since May 2023, and will continue on as CEO of LEVEL. At Vueling, Carolina Martinoli will succeed Marco Sansavini as President and CEO. Ms. Martinoli currently serves as IAG’s Director of People, Corporate Affairs and Sustainability.
The key management changes were announced at IAG’s annual results presentation to analysts today in London, where IAG’s Chief Executive Officer, Luis Gallego, said,
“Today we announced IAG's 2023 results, which are very positive, with operating margin and profits more than doubling compared to 2022. With these changes to the Management Committee, we will continue to implement our priorities. strategic initiatives, transforming our business, driving sustainable growth and industry-leading margins. The fact that we make these changes internally, with managers who are on the IAG Management Committee, is proof of the quality of our professionals. The deep experience of our senior team is one of the advantages of the Group's structure.
“Both Marco and Carolina have already had a significant impact on the transformation of IAG and I know they will continue to do so in their new positions. I would also like to give special recognition to Fernando Candela, who took over the leadership of Iberia in May 2023 after having launched the transformation program for the entire Group. In Iberia, he has managed to close the agreement on handling, of great importance for the future of the company.
“The Spanish businesses, Iberia and Vueling, are reporting very positive performance and are in an unbeatable position to benefit from the growth in traffic between Latin America and Europe, and also from the valuable intra-European aviation market.”
Also commenting on his upcoming role as Iberia’s President and CEO, Marco Sansavini, said,
“The last three years have been the most intense and exciting of my professional life, so I want to thank the great Vueling team that has made it possible for the company to be stronger and more resilient than ever today. It is an honor for me to take over from Fernando Candela at the head of Iberia and for him to be able, together with all the people who are part of this great company, to continue building its future.”
Speaking on her elevation as Vueling’s future President and CEO, Carolina Martinoli, added,
“Vueling is a dynamic and innovative airline and it will be an honor for me to succeed Marco when the company turns 20 years old. I look forward to working with the talented team at Vueling to build the company's next chapter together. I want to thank Luis for his support and leadership, and my team at IAG for the progress we have made over the last three years.”
Marco Sansavini’s aviation career began in 1995 when he joined KLM, where he held various management positions, and also participated in the Dutch carrier’s merger with Air France. In 2004, he joined Air France-KLM Group as Vice President of Global Business, and held different positions with both the Group and their Alitalia subsidiary until 2012. Sansavini joined the IAG Group in 2012 as Commercial Director at Iberia, where he helped design and carry out the airline’s transformation. In 2020, he was appointed CEO of Vueling, where he led the company through the global COVID-19 pandemic, with Vueling coming out the other side as one of the most successful LCC’s in Europe.
Marco Sansavini holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economic Sciences from the University of Bologna and a Master’s in Business Administration from the IMD of Lausanne, Switzerland. Mr. Sansavini was born in Bologna, Italy and is the father of three children. During his extensive professional career, he has lived in Milan, Rome, Zurich, Amsterdam, Paris, Madrid and Barcelona.
Source: Iberia