Star Alliance Enhances Customer Journey with Leadership Focus on Seamless Experiences

Published on October 23, 2024

Star Alliance, the premier global airline alliance, has solidified its key leadership appointments to sharpen its strategic efforts in delivering a seamless customer experience for travelers across its member airlines’ network.

Ambar Franco steps in as the new Vice President of Customer Experience, where she will oversee the creation and execution of initiatives aimed at enhancing every aspect of the customer journey. This includes the booking process, airport experiences, connecting between Star Alliance carriers, and ensuring continued loyalty after travel. Franco brings a wealth of expertise from the travel and hospitality sectors, most recently holding senior roles focused on customer experience at Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group.

Luc Lachoix takes on the role of Vice President of Digital & Technology, overseeing IT architecture, operations, and security. His responsibilities also extend to supporting the technological needs of the Customer Experience and Loyalty departments. Lachoix has a rich background in the airline industry, having held leadership positions with top travel technology firms such as Amadeus and Sabre.

Renato Ramos has been named Vice President of Strategy, where he will lead the alliance’s strategic planning, business initiatives, and foster collaboration across departments. Having been with Star Alliance for seven years, he previously served as Director of Loyalty. Ramos is a veteran in the aviation sector, with prior experience at Avianca and LATAM Airlines.

Gayatheri Silvakumer joins as Vice President of People and Culture, guiding the alliance’s human capital and organizational development initiatives. Her role emphasizes talent retention and cultural growth. Silvakumer has a diverse background in senior HR positions across industries, including stints at McCann Worldgroup, Bombardier, and Rolls-Royce.

“I am delighted to work with such a diverse leadership team. They bring their extensive experience from within and outside the aviation industry to fast-track our mission of delivering a seamless customer experience at key touch points in their travels. Ambar, Luc, Renato, and Gayatheri, are each passionate about our vision and executing on it, always with our member airlines’ end-customer in mind.”