Tuesday, March 5, 2024
SWISS is set to expand its Management Board, effective from May 1, 2024, by incorporating a Chief Operating Officer (COO) into its currently three-person top executive team. This expansion aims to place a stronger emphasis on the airline’s fundamental operations. Oliver Buchhofer, who currently serves as Head of Operations, has been named the new COO. Additionally, SWISS has appointed Dennis Weber as its new Chief Financial Officer (CFO). Currently the Head of Investor Relations at Lufthansa Group, Weber will begin his role as SWISS’s CFO on May 1, 2024, taking over from Markus Binkert, who will depart from the company at the end of May. With the introduction of the COO role, the SWISS Management Board will consist of four members: the CEO, the CFO, the Chief Commercial Officer, and the COO.
“If we aim and aspire to be Europe’s leading premium airline, we must further strengthen our core
activity,” says CEO Dieter Vranckx of the planned Management Board expansion. “Our daily
operations are the heart of our company, and the stability of these is crucial to our customers. So
we need to give these operations greater weighting within our overall executive management.”
“What we have seen since the corona crisis,” CEO Vranckx continues, “is that the operational
challenges remain substantial – challenges such as staffing shortages at our system partners,
spares shortages owing to supply chain bottlenecks and the present strike actions in neighbouring
countries. We continue to put a firm focus on maintaining the stability of our flight operations; and
we are putting an extra emphasis now on our punctuality, too. So it makes sound sense to
strengthen our Management Board as well on the operational front.”
SWISS has announced the appointment of Oliver Buchhofer as its new Chief Operating Officer, effective from 1 May 2024. At 47 years old and holding Swiss nationality, Buchhofer currently occupies the role of Head of Operations and is a member of the Extended Management Board. With his promotion to COO, he will join the SWISS Management Board and take on the responsibility of overseeing the airline’s operations to ensure they are safe, secure, and efficient. His role will encompass strategic oversight and coordination across various operational areas including the management of cockpit and cabin crew, training programs, maintenance, repair & overhaul (MRO), and ground services.
Before his tenure as Head of Operations, Buchhofer served as the Head of Flight Operations at SWISS, leading a team of 1,400 cockpit crew members. His career in aviation began before his time with SWISS, starting as a pilot for Austrian Airlines and Tyrolean Airways. Despite his executive responsibilities, he continues to serve as a captain for SWISS, piloting the Airbus A330. In addition to his extensive experience in aviation, Buchhofer holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Zurich.
“With his many years of flight deck service, Oliver Buchhofer is thoroughly familiar with our flight operations, and also brings extremely broad experience in various further areas of our operations to his new COO position,” says SWISS CEO Dieter Vranckx. “I have worked very closely with Oliver Buchhofer over the past few years; and I’m convinced that, with all his expertise, he will help give our core operating activity the appropriate weighting on our Management Board. I also offer him my warmest congratulations on his new appointment.”
Dennis Weber has been appointed as the new Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for SWISS, effective from 1 May 2024. He will be taking over the role from Markus Binkert. At 44 years old and holding German nationality, Weber has served as the Head of Investor Relations for Lufthansa Group since 2018, where he was responsible for overseeing the group’s capital market communications. His academic background includes studying business administration in Bamberg, Germany, and Sydney, Australia. Weber’s professional journey began at Adidas AG, and before his tenure with Lufthansa Group, he was the Head of Investor Relations at Hugo Boss AG from 2010 to 2018.
“I am delighted with this appointment. By filling these two positions in a timely manner, we are ensuring continuity at the top of SWISS. The appointment of Dennis Weber broadens the diversity and enriches the skills and the expertise on our Management Board,” says CEO Dieter Vranckx. “With his professional background, Dennis Weber will bring a valuable new perspective, and is an ideal complement to our top management team. I wish him the best of starts in his new SWISS capacity.”
Saturday, April 27, 2024
