People

New Delhi, 10th Sept 2025: Thales announced the appointment of Ankur Kanaglekar as Vice President for India, with effect from 10 September 2025. This strategic appointment underlines Thales’ commitment to expanding its footprint, strengthening local partnerships and accelerating innovation in support of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision. In his role, Ankur will oversee Thales’ strategy and operations in India, focusing on scaling up industrial collaboration, reinforcing local innovation and engineering capabilities, and delivering advanced solutions across defence, aerospace, and cyber and digital markets. With over 25 years of experience in the aerospace and defence industry and consulting, Ankur brings a wealth of expertise in driving strategic growth, fostering partnerships, and leading high-stakes initiatives. Prior to joining Thales, Ankur Kanaglekar spent 14 years at Boeing in India, most recently as Executive Director, where he spearheaded global co-development and co-production initiatives for defence platforms, led large sales campaigns, and shaped several strategic growth initiatives. His leadership in forging partnerships with Indian public and private sector organisations, supporting the Make in India initiative, has been instrumental in advancing defence localisation. Earlier, as an Engagement Manager at PRTM Management Consulting (now part of PwC), he advised Fortune 500 clients on mergers, acquisitions, operations, and go-to-market strategies in aerospace, automotive, and industrial sectors. “I am pleased to welcome Ankur Kanaglekar to Thales. With his proven leadership and deep understanding of the Indian market, we aim to further enhance our support of the country’s ambitious self-reliance objectives, co-develop cutting-edge solutions, and nurture local talent. We remain deeply committed to the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision and to fostering enduring partnerships across the ecosystem,” said Pascale Sourisse, President & CEO, Thales International. “India is at the heart of Thales’ global strategy, and I am truly honoured to have this opportunity to lead our operations at such a pivotal time. I look forward to working closely with our partners, teams, and other stakeholders to accelerate growth, deepen localisation, and make a meaningful contribution to nation building, supporting India’s technological ambitions and self-reliance journey,” said Ankur Kanaglekar, Vice-President, India, Thales. Ankur holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Pune University, a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Cincinnati, USA, and a Master of Business Administration from the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad.

Delhi, 9th Sept 2025: Cathay Pacific has announced the appointment of Abhijit Abhyankar as the Regional Head of Customer Travel and Lifestyle. In his new role, Abhijit will oversee customer travel experiences, passenger sales, marketing communications, and lifestyle marketing initiatives across India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, and South Africa (SAMEA). With a career spanning over two decades in aviation and hospitality, Abhijit brings deep expertise in sales, marketing, and customer engagement to this role. Prior to this appointment, he served as the Regional Head of People for SAMEA., including Head of Marketing and Digital Sales – SAMEA, Regional Marketing Communications Manager – South Asia, and Area Sales Manager – Northern India.He also held the position of Country Manager – Africa and the Indian Ocean, based in Johannesburg. Abhijit began his career in the hospitality sector with Ambassador Hotel, Le Meridien, and Holiday Inn before transitioning to aviation with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and later Air France–KLM. He joined Cathay Pacific in 2009 as Corporate Sales Manager and has since played a pivotal role in strengthening the airline’s commercial and customer-facing strategy in the region. Based in Cathay Pacific’s regional headquarters in Mumbai, Abhijit will lead the airline’s efforts to create seamless and enriching travel experiences for customers while building strategic partnerships in lifestyle, retail, and digital engagement.

Delhi,September 1, 2025: Akasa Air has announced the appointment of Naarayan T V as its Chief Marketing Officer, effective August 29, 2025. In this role, he will oversee the airline’s marketing, corporate communications & ESG, customer experience, eCommerce, customer loyalty, and partnerships functions. He will also serve as a member of Akasa’s Executive Committee. The appointment is aligned with Akasa Air’s accelerated growth journey as it strengthens its brand and customer proposition while progressing towards its vision of becoming one of the top 30 airlines globally by the turn of this decade. With over two decades of cross-industry experience spanning eCommerce, fintech, banking, D2C broking, and global consumer brands, Naarayan brings to Akasa Air a strong blend of strategic vision, digital-first expertise, and customer-centric leadership. He has consistently played a transformative role in shaping leading global and Indian brands, with a body of work that spans marketing communication, digital marketing, market research, product design, user experience, acquisition, sponsorships and IPs, brand building, creative strategy, content marketing, and large-scale product launch campaigns across ATL and BTL platforms. Commenting on the appointment, Vinay Dube, Founder and CEO, Akasa Air, said, “At Akasa Air, we are committed to building a world-class airline powered by our value-driven and service-oriented culture. As we continue to scale, the role of marketing and customer experience will be pivotal in strengthening the Akasa brand and deepening customer trust. Naarayan brings with him a global perspective, proven expertise in transforming brands, and the ability to blend creativity with data-driven insights. His leadership will play an instrumental role in shaping Akasa’s next phase of growth.” Naarayan T V, Chief Marketing Officer, Akasa Air, added, “I believe great marketing is a perfect blend of art and science, and I am deeply passionate about building customer-first brands and great teams. Akasa Air has already carved a distinct position in Indian aviation with its values-led approach and commitment to service. I am excited to join this journey and look forward to working with the team to create meaningful and memorable experiences for our customers”.

Bengaluru, August 26, 2025: Rossell Techsys Ltd. has announced the appointment of Senthil Balasubramanian as its new Chief Executive Officer in India. He brings over three decades of global leadership experience across manufacturing operations. Prior to joining Rossell Techsys, he served as Group President – Manufacturing at Blue Star, where he oversaw operations across seven facilities and a workforce of more than 6,500 employees. His earlier leadership roles include Director of Operations at Collins Aerospace, where he led large-scale operations across engineering, supply chain, and quality, and Country General Manager at ITT Interconnect Solutions, managing programs for marquee aerospace clients including Boeing and Airbus. Most recently, he served as Vice President of Global Operations at Ultra Maritime, overseeing multi-facility production programs supporting the U.S. Navy. On his appointment,Rishab Gupta, Managing Director of Rossell Techsys Ltd., said,“Senthil’s extensive experience in manufacturing and customer-focused delivery aligns strongly with our vision. His leadership will support our ongoing efforts to strengthen capabilities and explore newer industry sectors and markets.” Balasubramanian added,“Rossell Techsys has earned its reputation through consistent quality and engineering excellence. I look forward to contributing to the company’s continued evolution as it explores opportunities across sectors and geographies, including in the domestic market.”

Mumbai, 1 August 2025: Air New Zealand has announced the appointment of Nikhil Ravishankar as its next Chief Executive Officer, succeeding Greg Foran who steps down in October after almost six years leading the airline through one of the most challenging periods in aviation history. Currently the airline’s Chief Digital Officer, Nikhil will officially take over as CEO on 20 October 2025. In the nearly five years that Nikhil has been at Air New Zealand he has gained a deep understanding of the aviation sector, and the airline. He has also led major advances in the airline’s technology backbone, loyalty program and customer proposition. Air New Zealand Board Chair, Dame Therese Walsh, says the appointment marks the beginning of the next chapter for the airline, reflecting the strong momentum underway and a new generation of leadership for the future. “Across Air New Zealand, we are very clear on what matters most – connecting our communities and country to each other and the world, delivering value and excellence, and running a world-class airline that all Kiwi are proud of. “We have always been bold and not afraid to adapt and lead. Nikhil brings the mindset and contemporary leadership we need to build on our strong foundations and focus on the future. The Board undertook an extensive international search and were delighted to see Nikhil come through the process so strongly. His 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 shone through. “Airlines will continue to face immense challenges, whether that’s climate change, customer expectations, technology, cost pressures or geopolitics. Nikhil brings a fresh perspective that is grounded in New Zealand values and a deep knowledge of the airline and critical infrastructure across different sectors. He’s not afraid to challenge how things are done and ask questions,” says Dame Therese Walsh. Prior to Air New Zealand, Nikhil was Chief Digital Officer at Vector and Managing Director of Accenture. “I’m both thrilled and humbled to be given this opportunity to lead Air New Zealand,” says Nikhil. “This airline is an institution with a deep legacy but also a fantastic future. It’s a privilege to step into the CEO role and take on that responsibility for our people, our customers, and our country. “Airlines are complex, and safety underpins every decision we make. I truly believe that New Zealand is one of the most innovative nations in the world and one of the greatest destinations to visit. Our airline is amongst the very best and I get to work with some of the most dedicated people in the country, from our cabin crew, engineers and pilots to our ground teams, corporate and digital teams behind the scenes. At the end of the day, we are a people business – purposeful, ambitious, and deeply rooted in Aotearoa New Zealand, and I’m excited to help shape what this next stage of Air New Zealand looks like,” says Nikhil Ravishankar.

Delhi,10th July, 2025: IFS,the provider of enterprise cloud and Industrial AI software, announced the appointment of Kriti Sharma as CEO of IFS Nexus Black. This strategic move reinforces IFS’s commitment to Industrial AI and fast-tracks the development of agentic AI systems designed for the asset- and service-intensive industries it serves. Sharma is a globally recognized AI leader with a strong track record in building enterprise AI products and scaling responsible AI initiatives. She joins IFS from Thomson Reuters, where she served as Chief Product Officer for LegalTech, leading major AI transformations. She previously held senior AI roles at Sage Group and GfK, and is a non-executive board member of Rightmove PLC. Her work has been recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30, the UK Prime Minister’s Points of Light award, and the United Nations, where she was named a Young Leader for her contributions to ethical and inclusive AI. As CEO of Nexus Black, IFS’s AI innovation accelerator launched earlier this year, Sharma will lead the design and delivery of domain-specific, agentic AI for industries such as manufacturing, energy, aerospace, and construction. She will work closely with customers to deliver practical, scalable applications that solve complex, high-value, industry-specific challenges. Kriti Sharma, CEO of IFS Nexus Black, said: “GenAI was just the starting line. The real opportunity lies beyond generic tools. The revolution happens with contextual, agentic AI that solves deeply complex, industry-specific problems. From predicting critical asset failures to optimizing global supply chains, with Nexus Black we’re not just building AI—we’re building intelligence that works in the real world.” Joining Sharma is Nick Vandivere, appointed Chief Innovation Officer, Nexus Black. Vandivere also joins from Thomson Reuters and will lead the expansion of the IFS Industrial AI pipeline. He will focus on frontier use cases and strategic technology investments, working closely with Sharma to accelerate agentic AI delivery across the IFS Cloud platform. Mark Moffat, CEO of IFS, said: “This is a critical moment in our AI journey. We’re not just exploring what’s possible, we’re building what’s needed. With Kriti at the helm of Nexus Black and an exceptional team of leaders driving innovation across our business, IFS is uniquely positioned to deliver Industrial AI that is contextual, agentic, and deeply relevant to the industries we serve.” These appointments reflect the continued IFS investment in delivering intelligent automation, real-time decision-making, and AI agents purpose-built to solve the challenges of industries that maintain critical infrastructure and services.

London, June 23, 2025 : IFS has appointed Mark Buongiorno as President, Aerospace & Defense. Based in North America, Buongiorno joins the IFS executive leadership team, bringing with him over three decades of Aerospace & Defense leadership, operations, and engineering experience. Buongiorno was most recently CEO of Tsunami Tsolutions, a privately held engineering and IT services company focused on the Aerospace & Defense industry. He succeeds current president Scott Helmer, who transitions into the role of Chairman of IFS Aerospace & Defense. As Chairman, Helmer will focus on strategic customer pursuits and relationships, mentoring, M&A activity, and special projects. With a proven track record in leading complex global operations and delivering sustained business growth, Buongiorno will guide the strategic direction of the IFS Aerospace & Defense business. Prior to his tenure at Tsunami, Buongiorno held senior leadership roles at StandardAero and Pratt & Whitney, where he led high-performing teams across engineering, MRO, fleet management, and lifecycle sustainment for both commercial and military platforms. Buongiorno will play a key role in driving customer value for defense manufacturers, MROs, and leading global airlines. His focus will be on elevating IFS’s reputation for deep industry expertise and leveraging its portfolio of AI-powered solutions. These include IFS Cloud for Aviation Maintenance, MRO, and ERP, all of which are trusted by customers to improve Turnaround Time (TAT), reduce Aircraft on Ground (AOG), and enhance operational excellence and productivity. Mark Buongiorno, President, Aerospace & Defense, at IFS, said: “I’m honored to join IFS at such a critical juncture for the Aerospace & Defense industry. IFS is already trusted by some of the world’s leading Aerospace & Defense organizations, and I look forward to building on that momentum. With its advanced Industrial AI capabilities, deep industry expertise, and unwavering focus on customer outcomes, IFS is uniquely positioned to help Aerospace & Defense companies modernize and accelerate their operational performance. I’m excited to lead our global efforts and drive even greater value for our customers.” Mark Moffat, CEO of IFS, said: “Mark brings an exceptional depth of experience to IFS at a pivotal moment for the Aerospace & Defense industry. His leadership, combined with our deep-rooted industry expertise, will be instrumental in helping customers navigate complexity and accelerate transformation. As more organizations look to modernize with confidence, our differentiated strength lies in understanding the nuances of their world, and delivering measurable outcomes through IFS Cloud and Industrial AI.” IFS continues to expand its market footprint in Aerospace & Defense, supporting some of the world’s most complex and mission-critical operations. With Industrial AI, advanced service capabilities, and a composable platform in IFS Cloud, IFS enables customers to navigate challenges and deliver their Moment of Service™ with confidence.

Singapore, 27th May 2025: The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced the appointment of Sheldon Hee as Regional Vice President, Asia-Pacific, effective 1 June 2025.Based in Singapore, Hee will lead IATA in the Asia-Pacific, a region covering 39 countries and home to 53 IATA member airlines. Hee brings over 25 years of experience in the airline industry. He has held various management roles at Singapore Airlines in Singapore, Japan, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Prior to joining IATA, Hee was the airline’s Vice President for Partnerships and International Relations. “Having spent my professional life in an airline, I am humbled and privileged to continue contributing at an industry level by leading IATA’s activities in Asia-Pacific. The region is vast and diverse, with states at different stages of aviation development. I see significant opportunity for the stakeholders across the region to work together to achieve the region’s potential. Together with the well- established IATA team, I look forward to working with our member airlines, governments and partners across the region to support the safe, efficient, and sustainable growth of an industry that is a catalyst for economic and social development,” said Hee. The Asia-Pacific region is estimated to observe the fastest-growing passenger demand in the next 20 years. In 2024, it accounted for a third of global passenger traffic, measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), and is projected to contribute more than half of global passenger traffic in the following two decades. Hee graduated from Singapore’s Nanyang Technological University with a Bachelor of Applied Science and a Master of Science. He also holds a Master of Business Administration from the University of Oxford.

United States, 26th May 2025: The Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD), has today elected Saab CEO Micael Johansson as its new President and Chairman of the Board. Micael Johansson, who previously served as Vice Chairman of the ASD Board, was elected during the Association’s Board meeting and 2025 Convention in London. He was appointed for a 2-year term and will take office on 15 June, 2025. The appointment will not affect his role as President and CEO of Saab. As Europe faces unprecedented security challenges, Micael Johansson’s appointment comes at a pivotal moment for the continent’s security. He is committed to leading ASD in a way that promotes innovation, collaboration, sustainability and a shared vision for a secure Europe. “I am honoured to accept this position and will work to ensure that ASD plays a leading role in strengthening European capabilities and competitiveness. I am determined to further reinforce ASD as a driving force to secure the interests of our industry, whilst ensuring a strategic alignment across the European defence, security and aerospace sectors,” said Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab. ASD is the leading voice for the European aerospace, security and defence industries and represents over 4,000 companies across 21 European countries. The organisation works closely with policymakers and institutions to foster a secure and innovative industry ecosystem in Europe.

21st May 2025: FL Technics has appointed Mazvydas Matazinskas as its new Head of Logistics and Storage. With over a decade of experience in the field, Matazinskas will lead the company’s global logistics strategy, oversee its implementation, and drive further development initiatives. He has spent the past eight years within FL Technics’ logistics department. Commenting on his new role, Matazinskas said: “This career step gives me the opportunity to apply my accumulated experience to support the company’s growth – by developing innovative, LEAN-driven processes, strengthening relationships with international clients, and improving internal operations.” According to Matazinskas, logistics is one of key components of FL Technics’ aviation business. Aviation logistics is distinct for its specialization in transporting aviation cargo globally across diverse sectors. “With deep knowledge of aviation regulations and supply chain requirements, we have successfully delivered logistics services for over ten years to aircraft maintenance and supply companies, airlines, leasing companies, and freight forwarders. In the past 12 months alone, we’ve shipped more than 20,000 consignments worldwide,” he added. FL Technics CEO Zilvinas Lapinskas highlighted upcoming developments in the company’s logistics division: “We are preparing for several advancements – from growing our sales and operations teams to implementing 24/7 logistics support and a transport management system. These steps reflect the evolving needs of airlines and aviation industry players globally”.