WestJet has appointed Diederik Pen as the airline’s new Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer. The company’s Acting Interim COO, Robert Antoniuk, will take on a new role as the airline’s Chief Safety, Health and Environment Officer.
On Tuesday (July 6, 2021), WestJet announced the appointment of Diederik Pen as the airline’s new Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Pen will join the company’s executive leadership team in early fall, following the completion of the immigration process to Canada. At that time, he will succeed WestJet’s acting Interim COO, Robert Antoniuk, who will become the carrier’s Chief Safety, Health and Environment Officer. Diederik Pen has over 25 years of aviation industry experience in the Asia-Pacific and Europe and joins WestJet from Wizz Air, where he was Chief Operations Officer.
In Tuesday’s announcement, WestJet’s President and CEO, Ed Sims, said,
“Diederik has an established track record of leading safe, efficient and cost-effective operations through periods of growth, and we are thrilled to welcome him to the WestJet family. Diederik's breadth of experience spans line management, commercial, operational and leadership roles in airports, for flag carriers and low-cost airlines, and we look forward to his expertise as we enter recovery and build for the future.”
Commenting on his appointment as WestJet’s new COO, Diederik Pen, added,
“What most appealed to me about WestJet was a combination of the culture, ambition and vision for the airline, there is an obvious high level of care and respect for doing things the right way for both the people who operate the airline and the guests. WestJet is in an exciting position to successfully compete in the rebuild of the aviation industry, and I look forward to being a part of that story.”
Robert Antoniuk joined WestJet in April 2018 and became interim COO in February 2021, as the carrier conducted a global talent search for a permanent placement. During his tenure with the company, Mr. Antoniuk led the carrier’s successful airports transformation initiative and helped maintain WestJet’s leading on-time performance in North America and globally.
Speaking on Mr. Antoniuk’s appointment as the company’s new Chief Safety, Health and Environment Officer, WestJet’s CEO, Ed Sims, stated,
“Robert's leadership has been tremendous throughout the entire pandemic, as he led major transformational work for our airports structure, before stepping in to lead operations at a critical time. WestJet has always held safety above all and maintained leading safety performance. The pandemic has stretched our views to bring the same rigor to hygiene, physical and mental wellbeing and other such areas of health and environment that extend to our people and our guests; Robert's proven leadership capabilities will be an asset to this important work.”
Celebrating 25 years of service, WestJet has cut airfares for Canadians in half and increased the flying population around Canada by over 50 percent. The airline launched in 1996 with three aircraft, 250 employees and five destinations, and has now grown to more than 180 aircraft and 14,000 employees, offering service to 100 destinations in 23 countries (pre-pandemic). Even during these unprecedented times, the carrier has maintained their rating by Cirium as one of the top ten airlines for on-time performance in North America.
Source: WestJet