Air France-KLM Group CEO Pierre-Henri Gourgeon Resigns

Air France-KLM Group CEO Pierre-Henri Gourgeon Resigns
By Kate Rice

Pierre-Henri Gourgeon has resigned as CEO of Air France and KLM after the group’s board of directors decided to reorganize and focus on improving the performance of Air France and KLM. Alexandre de Juniac has been nominated to take over the duties of chairman and chief executive officer of Air France.

His appointment must be approved by the board of directors of Air France and will become effective after the opinion of the ethics committee. Jean-Cyril Spinetta, chairman of the board of Air France-KLM group, has been appointed as chairman and chief executive officer of the Air France-KLM group.

The creation of a full-dedicated Air France-KLM holding, which was to be implemented at the beginning of 2012, has been put off to 2013. The board praised Gourgeon for the work he did and his courage in undertaking measures that he efficiently implemented, despite difficult conditions under which he took up his duties in January 2009. In order to address the situation, the principle of sole leadership is essential, both within Air France and the Air France-KLM group.

De Juniac will be assisted by Alain Bassil, Frédéric Gagey, Bruno Matheu and Florence Parly. They will submit to the boards of directors of Air France and of Air France-KLM the measures aiming at improving the performance of Air France, and will be responsible for following up such measures over time.

During the period prior to the setting up of the Air France-KLM fully dedicated holding, Jean-Cyril Spinetta and Leo Van Wijk, who presided over the setting up of the Air France-KLM group, will be in charge of its strategic coordination. Van Wijk will be deputy chief executive officer of the Air France-KLM group. Philippe Calavia will continue to be in charge of the financial management of the Air France-KLM group.