WestJet has appointed Karl Schuster as the airline’s new Executive Vice President and Chief Loyalty Officer. Mr. Schuster joins WestJet with over 19 years of loyalty experience, including six years as the CEO of Virgin Australia’s Velocity Frequent Flyer Program.
On Monday (November 29, 2021), WestJet announced the appointment of Karl Schuster as the company’s new Executive Vice President and Chief Loyalty Officer (CLO). Mr. Schuster will join WestJet’s executive leadership team following the completion of the immigration process in early 2022. Karl Schuster joins WestJet with over 19 years of loyalty experience, including six years as the CEO of Virgin Australia’s award-winning loyalty program, Velocity Frequent Flyer. During his tenure at Virgin Australia, Schuster grew Velocity to be one of the largest loyalty programs in Australia, increasing membership from 5.3 to 10 million members and growing partnerships across the country. Before joining Virgin Australia, he led multi-year loyalty programs for Qantas, British Airways and Malaysia Airlines, and provided consulting services to a diverse range of airlines with nearly 15 years at Aimia, Inc.
In Monday’s announcement, WestJet’s Interim President and CEO, Harry Taylor, said,
“Karl has an impressive history of driving exponential growth for a diverse range of loyalty programs and delivering results through innovation and strategy. We are looking forward to welcoming Karl to WestJet; his breadth of experience will elevate WestJet's loyalty program to new heights.”
Also commenting on his new role at WestJet, Karl Schuster, said,
“As WestJet transitions from recovery to expansion, the airline is making significant investments in its already successful loyalty program, and I am thrilled to be joining the team at such a pivotal moment in time. As WestJet builds back stronger, there is incredible runway in front of WestJet Rewards and we will be working to bring guests more benefits and privileges through exciting and innovative loyalty enhancements. I am pleased to be joining WestJet's high performing loyalty team alongside d'Arcy Monaghan, WestJet Vice-President, Loyalty Programs and I look forward to working with him and the team to take our program to new heights.”
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