Following the creation of AirAsia Asean based in Jakarta with Group CEO Tony Fernandes moving to the new strategic unit, AirAsia Bhd in Malaysia has now a new CEO, Aireen Omar.
KUALA LUMPUR– Aireen Omar has been named as the new CEO and Executive Director of AirAsia Berhad, and will assume her post on July 1, 2012. Aireen will report directly to Tony Fernandes, Group CEO of AirAsia. Prior to her appointment as CEO, Aireen was Regional Head of Corporate Finance, Treasury and Investor Relations. She joined AirAsia in January 2006 as Director of Corporate Finance. Aireen was, among others, instrumental in securing the financing for AirAsia’s fleet expansion, a vital component of AirAsia’s success.
“I am delighted with the appointment of Aireen, who has consistently demonstrated her capabilities and commitment in propelling AirAsia to new heights. She has long been an invaluable part of the senior management team of AirAsia and possesses the vision and leadership qualities crucial for the company’s growth in its second decade,” Fernandes said.
Aireen’s appointment follows the announcement last week by Fernandes on the Group’s new regional strategy as it enters its second decade. Fernandes will be focusing on the broader expansion of AirAsia. AirAsia is eyeing more joint ventures in Asean, where the airline is based and where it now has affiliates in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines. It is also looking to expand beyond Asean, including in Northeast Asia, where AirAsia Japan was recently set up, and South Asia.
Fernandes said that it had become abundantly clear that as AirAsia enters its second decade, there needs to be a major shift in the Group’s perspective, strategy and operations to sustain its trajectory. “In short, we need to pivot to a wider, regional lens from the first decade’s focus, which was largely domestic. The enormous potential in an underserved market of 3 billion people spread across Asean, Northeast Asia and South Asia offers huge opportunities – and AirAsia, we are convinced, is ideally positioned to reap huge dividends by serving this market,” he said.
In line with this shift in the focus, the Group has established a regional base in Jakarta. Called AirAsia Asean, the office will be located far enough, physically as well as psychologically, from AirAsia’s airline offices in each of the countries it operates in. “As the Group CEO of AirAsia, I will be leading the regional team in Jakarta. We have appointed few key individuals to join the team and will be announcing few more appointments soon. Ideally, AirAsia Asean will provide us with an environment free of the pressures of day-to-day operations and the necessary ‘firefighting’ that accompanies these endeavors, and allow our senior managers the space, the time and the interaction so vital to keep us flying higher in our second decade,” declared Fernandes.
In accepting the appointment as CEO of AirAsia Malaysia, Aireen said, “I am honored and humbled by the trust and confidence placed in me by AirAsia co-founders Tony, Kamarudin and the Board of Directors. I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have worked with and learned from two of the best entrepreneurs in Asean. These are certainly big shoes to fill, but with the passion, hard work and creativity of the AirAsia Allstars, a management team that has proven its leadership across the industry, and AirAsia’s consummate belief in Malaysia and the region, we move onwards with confidence.”
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
