Royal Jordanian Airlines CEO, Stefan Pichler, Resigns

(Bloomberg) – Stefan Pichler resigned as Royal Jordanian Airlines chief executive officer at the end of September, the company said in a statement.

Pichler, 63, joined the Amman-based company in 2017 and returned the airline to profitability by changing its pricing strategy and lowering operational costs. The airline’s load factor rose to 74.2% in 2019, a record high.

The Middle-Eastern carrier has since been hammered by closures prompted by the coronavirus pandemic. It reported a loss of 67.4 million dinars ($95 million) in the first half of the year compared with a profit of 1.4 million dinars a year earlier.

Pichler resigned on Sept. 30 and plans to retire, the company said.

Prior to joining Royal Jordanian, he led airlines including Air Berlin Plc and Jazeera Airways, and held various senior roles at Virgin Australia.

Royal Jordanian said it has started searching for a replacement. The company said Chairman Said Samih Darwazah will act as interim president and CEO.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/royal-jordanian-ceo-pichler-is-said-to-have-resigned-last-month/ar-BB19OKrE

In 1983, Pichler began his career as Head of Sport Promotions for Nike in Beaverton, Oregon.[

In September 2013, Pichler was appointed Managing Director and CEO of Fiji Airways. He was promoted to Chairman of Tourism Fiji in August 2014.

Additionally, Pichler served as a member of the Board of Tourism Australia and held roles at the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) and the Tourism Working Group of the World Economic Forum. He has also held non-executive director of major German corporations including Deutsche Bank and Steigenberger Hotels.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stefan_Pichler

Prior, Pichler led Fiji Airways as Managing Director and CEO from September 2013. He was tasked to drive the rebranding of the airline and the business turnaround as a basis for future profitable growth. In 2014, Fiji Airways announced record profits of AUD$60.5 million, up from a loss in the previous year. He also served as the Chairman of Tourism Fiji until December 2015.

From June 2009 until August 2013, Pichler served as CEO of Jazeera Airways K.S.C., a publicly listed airline on the Kuwait Stock Exchange.

Pichler has also been part of Richard Branson’s senior management team. He was responsible for Virgin Blue’s transformation from a low cost carrier to a “new world” network airline and served as their Chief Commercial Officer. Virgin Blue became one of the most profitable global airlines in 2006 and 2007 with double digit profit after tax margin. Stefan also launched Virgin Blue’ s long haul carrier V Australia in 2008 and served as its Chairman until June 2009.

https://aviationguideem.com/authority/stefan-pichler/