Air New Zealand’s ongoing commitment to being a leading digital airline has been boosted by the naming of Nikhil Ravishankar as its next Chief Executive Officer.
Serving as the carrier’s Chief Digital Officer for close to four years, Ravishankar will take over from outgoing chief Greg Foran on 20 Oct, bringing with him an impressive list of digital projects carried out across areas such as loyalty and customer proposition.
Air NZ Chair Therese Walsh heralded the appointment as marking the beginning of “the next chapter” for the airline.
“We have always been bold and not afraid to adapt and lead, and Nikhil brings the mindset and contemporary leadership we need to build on our strong foundations and focus on the future,” Walsh said.
“[Ravishankar’s] ambition for the airline’s future and his people leadership skills, coupled with his pursuit of excellence, digital literacy, global outlook and relationships, and his deep care for the airline and New Zealand have shone through.”
While retaining a business ethos grounded in New Zealand values, the airline is banking on Ravishankar bringing fresh ideas to the table to combat rising cost pressures and geopolitical tensions, and perhaps most importantly, the need to be more tech savvy.
Air NZ has battled supply chain and engine issues in recent times, denting financial forecasts and network expansion ambitions.
