- Former Irish army officer
- Takes over role immediately
- Holds posiition from July 1
Former Irish army officer Ray Gammell has been appointed interim CEO of Etihad and immediately facves a series of firefights to be quelled.
Etihad appointed Ray Gammell as interim Group CEO, and confirmed that James Hogan, current President and Group CEO, will leave the company on July 1.
Ray holds a degree from NUIg, formerly University College Galway in Ireland and a Masters in Business Studies from the Graduate School of Business, University College Dublin. Gammell is also a chartered fellow at the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development. and is a chartered fellow at the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development.
Ray was previously Group Chief People and Performance Officer. He joined Etihad in 2009 as a member of the Executive Leadership Team, developing and crafted the company’s people strategy to create what the airline calls “a performance driven culture, enabling the growth of the business and positioning Etihad as one of the most attractive employers globally and in EMEA.”
Ray has been responsible for driving the so called Emiratisation strategy contributing to the total local Emirati workforce of over 3,000 which is the largest nationality among the 154 nationalities at Etihad Aviation Group.
Ray has 20 years’ leadership experience, gained internationally across the technology, financial and government sectors. He has held executive positions for the Intel Corporation in the US and Ireland, Royal Bank of Scotland, and was an officer in the Irish Armed Forces. He has been a Chief Officer at Etihad Airways for eight years. He is now in pole position for a job that ex Aer Lingus CEO Christophe Mueller was also associated with.
Mubarak Fadhel Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Board of the Etihad Aviation Group, commented: “Ray and Ricky are experienced leaders and have the complete confidence of the Board. Ray will now take full management responsibility for the Etihad Aviation Group, ensure a coordinated group approach, and continue to advance the strategic review that was initiated by the Board in 2016 to reposition the business for continued development in what we anticipate being a prolonged period of challenges for global aviation. We have strengthened our group leadership with recent appointments and are now in the advanced stages of recruitment for a new Group CEO. The Board has been very pleased with the calibre of candidates, and we expect to make an announcement in the next few weeks.”
Gammell will assume full management responsibilities immediately. Gammell is Etihad Aviation Group’s current Chief People & Performance Officer and has been a member of the Executive Leadership since joining the business in 2009, where he has led the creation of a performance culture across the group.
A parallel handover will occur as Ricky Thirion assumes full responsibilities of the Group CFO, James Rigney, who will also leave the company on July 1.
Thirion joined Etihad Airways in 2007 and is the current SVP Group Treasurer. Mohamed
Ricky Thirion has overseen the Group Treasury of Etihad since July 2007. His areas of responsibility cover the treasury, corporate and structured finance, tax, insurance, payment solutions and fraud management, as well as the property and infrastructure portfolio.
Prior to Etihad, Ricky held roles as Group Treasurer at South African Airways and Managing Director in the Standard Bank Group.
Ricky holds a Masters Degree in Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering and is an Honorary Fellow of the Association of Corporate Treasurers (Britain).
Etihad Airways plans to stand by Air Berlin until end 2018. Focus magazine reported that Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr is in discussions with Etihad how to finance a possible takeover of Air Berlin. Airberlin Q1 net loss was €293m, €100m worse than last year.
- Watch here Ray Gammell Speech at All Ireland hurling final 2015
